Education

• Ph.D. 2011, Louisiana State University

Research

• Movement Ecology
• Wildlife-habitat Relationships
• Behavioral Ecology
• Population Ecology

Research Summary

Byrne’s focus is primarily on animal movement ecology, habitat use and selection, and population ecology, with the aim of understanding how the behavior of individuals gives rise to, and is itself influenced by, larger population and landscape-level processes of species distribution and evolution. In addition to general scientific interest, an understanding of how these processes operate has tangible application to conservation and species management. His research primarily consists of empirical field studies of free-ranging vertebrates in terrestrial, marine and aquatic ecosystems, and often involves the use of telemetry to collect data on the movements and behaviors of individuals. Current research projects include 1) using satellite telemetry to study the migrations and behaviors of shortfin mako sharks, 2) habitat selection and population ecology of wild turkeys, 3) spatial ecology of grey wolves in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and 4) habitat use and winter aggregation behavior of grass carp in large reservoirs.

Teaching

• Ecosystem Management
• Principles of Wildlife Management

Selected Publications

• Byrne, M.E., E. Cortés, J.J. Vaudo, G.C.McN. Harvey, M. Sampson, B.M. Wetherbee, and M. Shivji. 2017. Satellite telemetry reveals higher fishing mortality rates than previously estimated, suggesting overfishing of an apex marine predator. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 284:20170658
• Vaudo, J.J., M.E. Byrne, B.M. Wetherbee, G.M. Harvey, A. Mendillo Jr., and M.S. Shivji. 2017. Horizontal and vertical movements of white marlin, Kajikia albida, tagged off the Yucatán Peninsula. ICES Journal of Marine Science. In Press.
• Holland, A.E, M.E. Byrne, A.L. Bryan, T. DeVault, O.E. Rhodes, and J.C. Beasley. 2017. Fine-scale assessment of home ranges and activity patterns for resident black (Coragyps atratus) and turkey (Cathartes aura) vultures. PLoS ONE 12:e0179819
• Byrne, M.E., A.E. Holland, A.L. Bryan, and J.C. Beasley. 2017. Environmental conditions and animal behavior influence performance of solar-powered GPS-GSM transmitters. The Condor: Ornithological Applications 119:389-404.
• Vaudo, J.J., M.E. Byrne, B.M. Wetherbee, G.M. Harvey, M.S. Shivji. 2017. Long-term satellite tracking reveals region-specific movements of a large pelagic predator, the shortfin mako shark, in the western North Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Applied Ecology DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12852
• Webster, S.C., M.E. Byrne, S.L. Lance, C.L. Love, T. Hinton, D. Shamovich, and J.C. Beasley. 2016. Where the wild things are: influence of radiation on the distribution of mammalian species within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment 14:185-190.
• Byrne, M.E., M.J. Chamberlain, and B.A. Collier. 2015. Potential density dependence in wild turkey productivity in the southeastern United States. Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium 11:329-351.
• Byrne, M.E., and M.J. Chamberlain. 2015. Using behavior and space use of raccoons to indirectly assess the nature of nest predation. Proceedings of the National Wild Turkey Symposium 11:283-293.
• Hinton, T.G., M.E. Byrne, S.C.Webster, and J. C. Beasley. 2015. Quantifying the spatial and temporal variation in dose from external exposure to radiation: a new tool for use on free-ranging wildlife. Journal of Environmental Radioactivity 145:58-65.
• Byrne, M.E., J.C. McCoy, J.W. Hinton, M.J. Chamberlain, and B.A. Collier. 2014. Using dynamic Brownian bridge movement modeling to measure temporal patterns of habitat selection. Journal of Animal Ecology 83:1234-1243.
• Byrne, M.E., and M.J. Chamberlain. 2012. Using first-passage time analysis to link behaviour and habitat in foraging paths of a terrestrial predator; the racoon. Animal Behaviour 84:593-601.