معرفی
Eric W. Montie, PhD is an Associate Professor of Biology in the Department of Natural Sciences at the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB). He serves as Director of the Marine Sensory and Neurobiology Lab and The Lowcountry Dolphin Conservation Program at USCB.
Dr. Montie earned his BS in Zoology from the University of Rhode Island (1993), completed post-baccalaureate studies in Biochemistry at Harvard University, received an MS in Environmental Toxicology from Clemson University (1999), and completed his PhD in Biological Oceanography from the MIT/WHOI Joint Program (2006). Prior to joining USCB in 2011, he worked as a marine mammal field biologist at the National Ocean Service in Charleston, SC (1999-2000).
His research focuses on bioacoustics of marine life, with applications in environmental toxicology, noise pollution, and climate change. Dr. Montie's lab utilizes passive acoustic recorders to continuously monitor underwater soundscapes, providing valuable data on marine animal behavior, fish spawning patterns, and dolphin communication. In 2020, he founded the Estuarine Soundscape Observatory Network in the Southeast (ESONS), which monitors biological sound and human-made noise in four South Carolina estuaries. His work with the Lowcountry Dolphin Conservation Program focuses on population dynamics and ecology of common bottlenose dolphins in the Port Royal Sound Area.
Dr. Montie has received significant recognition for his work, including:
- Breakthrough Rising Star (2013) - selected as one of 15 rising stars out of 2000 faculty throughout the USC System
- Governor's Award for Excellence in Scientific Research at a Predominately Undergraduate Institution (May 2021)
He serves as a primary advisor for graduate students interested in combining marine ecology, bioacoustics, and computational science through the USCB Computational Science Master's Program. Dr. Montie teaches courses including Neurobiology, Ichthyology, Marine Mammal Biology, and various directed studies in biology.
