Quantitative Ecologist
michael.wethington@briwildlife.org
612-867-2824

Michael joined the Biodiversity Research Institute (BRI) in 2024 as a Quantitative Ecologist, specializing in the intersection of ecology and data science. He assesses the impacts of human-induced environmental changes on marine seabirds, mammals, and broader wildlife populations. By combining ecological theory with leading-edge quantitative tools such as spatial machine learning, hierarchical Bayesian models, and deep learning, Michael develops statistical modeling frameworks that enhance our understanding of biodiversity drivers and population dynamics across various scales.

Focusing on global change, Michael investigates how climate change and environmental shifts affect wildlife across diverse ecosystems. He leverages remote sensing data, spatial machine learning, and field-based data collection using Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS) to create reproducible analytical pipelines that utilize ecological ‘big data.’ His research utilizes data streams from community science projects, satellites, and field-based efforts, primarily using birds and marine mammals as mechanisms to study these dynamics, though his interests span a broad range of ecological systems.

Originally from Minnesota and based in New York City, Michael enjoys biking throughout the city, discovering new food co-ops, and embarking on multi-day canoe camping expeditions along the US-Canada border. His passion for the outdoors and wildlife conservation drives his commitment to protecting and preserving natural habitats for future generations.

Education:

• Stony Brook University, 2024 – Ph.D., Ecology and Evolution.

Certifcations:

• FAA Part 107
• Wilderness First Responder
• STCW (Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers)

• Remote sensing, spatial analysis, and spatial ecology
• Ecological and wildlife population modeling
• Field-based data collection using RPAS
• Forest and marine biology
• Conservation strategies and protected area management

• Wethington, M., Flynn, C., Borowicz, A., & Lynch, H. J. (2023). Adélie penguins north and east of the ‘Adélie gap’ continue to thrive in the face of dramatic declines elsewhere in the Antarctic Peninsula region. Scientific Reports, 13(1), 2525.
• Wethington, M., Gonçalves, B. C., Talis, E., Şen, B., & Lynch, H. J. (2023). Species classification of Antarctic pack‐ice seals using very high‐resolution imagery. Marine Mammal Science.
• Gonçalves, B. C., Wethington, M., & Lynch, H. J. (2022). SealNet 2.0: Human-level fully-automated pack-ice seal detection in very-high-resolution satellite imagery with CNN model ensembles. Remote Sensing, 14(22), 5655.
• Strycker, N., Borowicz, A., Wethington, M., Forrest, S., Shah, V., Liu, Y., & Singh, H. (2021). Fifty-year change in penguin abundance on Elephant Island, South Shetland Islands, Antarctica: Results of the 2019–20 census. Polar Biology, 44, 45–56.
• Strycker, N., Wethington, M., Borowicz, A., Forrest, S., Witharana, C., & Hart, T. (2020). A global population assessment of the Chinstrap penguin (Pygoscelis antarctica). Scientific Reports, 10(1), 19474.

Data Publications:

Porter, C., Morin, P., Howat, I., Noh, M. J., Bates, B., Peterman, K., Keesey, S., et al. (2018). ArcticDEM. Harvard Dataverse, 1.