Rate My Professor Scott Shaffer

Shaffer’s research centers on the physiological ecology of birds and mammals, particularly marine vertebrates, investigating foraging behavior, habitat use, energy allocation, and breeding biology through advanced techniques like doubly labeled water for metabolic measurements and biologging devices for field data collection. With over 40 expeditions to remote sites including Antarctica, New Zealand, Alaska, Hawaii, and the California coast, his studies have advanced understanding of seabird ecology and conservation. Prominent publications co-authored by Shaffer include “Tracking Apex Marine Predator Movements in a Dynamic Ocean” (Nature, 2011), “Migratory shearwaters integrate oceanic resources across the Pacific Ocean in an endless summer” (PNAS, 2006), “As the egg turns: Monitoring egg attendance behavior in wild birds using novel data logging technology” (PLoS ONE, 2014), “The political biogeography of migratory marine predators” (Nature Ecology & Evolution, 2018), and “Contaminants, prolactin and parental care in an Arctic seabird” (General and Comparative Endocrinology, 2020). Awards and honors encompass the College of Science Dean’s Scholar Award for Research Excellence (2018), Provost’s University Scholar (2013), Elton Prize (2001), NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Award (1999), and Fellowship in the California Academy of Sciences (2022). Shaffer teaches courses such as Physiological Ecology, Conservation Biology, and graduate seminars in ecology, and directs the ShAPE Lab while mentoring M.S. students.