I am a stable isotope scientist and ecologist. Broadly, I am interested in how we can use stable isotopes and lipid biomarkers as proxies for tracing nutrient flow, trophic dynamics, and habitat partitioning of organisms in modern and ancient terrestrial, freshwater, and marine ecosystems.
Stable isotopes are an amazing ecological tool. “You are what (and where) you eat!”, meaning the isotopic signatures of the food and water you consume become incorporated into your bodily tissues. Measuring these chemical signatures allows us to “see” behaviour and processes that happen away from the human gaze. This could mean reconstructing how an extinct animal moved around the landscape in the past, or determining what a modern-day whale was eating while living far out at sea.
I developed a passion for stable isotopes during my undergraduate degree in archaeology (The University of Western Ontario, Canada). I went on to study a truly Canadian topic during my MSc: the palaeoecology of the extinct Ice Age giant beaver (The University of Western Ontario). After my MSc, I managed the daily operation of an isotope lab and supported student biological research projects (The University of Western Ontario). During my PhD, I dove into the wonderful world of cetacean science, where I studied the stable isotope and lipid ecology of beaked whales and dolphins in Scottish waters (Heriot-Watt University, Scotland). It continues to amaze me that we know so little about such big animals. I am particularly in awe of the diving abilities of beaked whales – imagine diving over 2 km down into the ocean on a single breath of air and slurping up squid in total darkness using only sound to locate them!
My PhD work relied on cetacean stranding events, as obtaining the right kind of tissue samples becomes tricky when you work with elusive and highly protected species. While stranding events can be emotional to witness, they provide scientists with a wealth of opportunistic samples and information about how these animals lived and died. I have been very fortunate to work closely with the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme and National Museums Scotland, who curate world class marine mammal collections and tissue archives.
I currently work for the SMASS (The University of Glasgow) to provide contextual information about the foraging ecology of cetaceans involved in mass stranding events.
I have reviewed for several journals, and I look forward to participating in the editorial process at the Journal of Zoology. As an associate editor, I hope to encourage studies that utilise stable isotopes to elucidate animal behaviour and life history, while providing constructive feedback and a supportive experience for authors.
Tessa Plint – Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme, University of Glasgow
Journal of Zoology Blog 
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