Heather Foley, MSc.
Heather Foley, MSc.
As part of the Whale Ecology Branch at NEFSC, Heather uses several applied technologies, including suction-cup tagging, remote biopsy sampling, unoccupied aerial vehicles (UAVs), and photo-identification to help aid in the conservation of cetacean species. She is a licensed vessel captain, and loves being on the water any chance she gets, whether for work or in her (sparse) free time. When on dry land, she works as a data analyst and in database maintenance, helping to more-efficiently streamline the team’s data flow from collection and integration into relational databases through to archive and distribution to stakeholders.
Heather holds a Master’s of Science degree in Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology from North Carolina State University, and a dual Bachelor’s degree in Biology with a specialization in Marine Science and German Language and Literature from Boston University. Prior to joining the WEB in 2021, she worked as a research analyst and cetacean field biologist at the Duke University Marine Lab for over 12 years, in addition to researching North Atlantic right whales in all of their critical habitats ranging from Canada to Florida with a variety of non-profit and governmental agencies.