Rob Digiovanni Email & Phone Number

Hampton Bays, Ny

Chief Scientist Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr. is a nationally recognized expert in the field of marine mammal and sea turtle strandings. He has responded to over 4,600 strandings and directed his team in various rescue and rehabilitation techniques, including the disentanglement of Leatherback sea turtles, animal transport, and post-rescue animal care.Rob has satellite tagged over 120 animals, including four species of seals, three species of dolphins, and four species of sea turtles. He is… Show more Chief Scientist Robert A. DiGiovanni, Jr. is a nationally recognized expert in the field of marine mammal and sea turtle strandings. He has responded to over 4,600 strandings and directed his team in various rescue and rehabilitation techniques, including the disentanglement of Leatherback sea turtles, animal transport, and post-rescue animal care.Rob has satellite tagged over 120 animals, including four species of seals, three species of dolphins, and four species of sea turtles. He is presently serving as the principal investigator on aerial surveys conducted in the mid-Atlantic region, surveying the coastal waters from Virginia to Delaware, including the Chesapeake Bay, for sea turtles and marine mammals. Additionally, he has coordinated the open water capture of two bottlenose dolphins in distress, and coordinated the first mass stranding response of common dolphins in New York. Rob is also working on developing and training a Specially Trained Animal Response Team (START) funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which integrates incident command system into the stranding network at an incident management team level. Rob lectures at both universities and community events about his first-hand experience with marine mammals and sea turtles. Show less

Riverhead, Ny

The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation responds to sick or injured marine mammals and sea turtles which strand in New York. I was responsible for all aspects of the Foundations operations, from the development of education programs, research programs, facility design and upgrade, fundraising, grant writing and development. During my tenure the foundation has grown from a staff of three full time biologists and an operating budget of $350,000 to $1,200,000 in 2015. I was… Show more The Riverhead Foundation for Marine Research and Preservation responds to sick or injured marine mammals and sea turtles which strand in New York. I was responsible for all aspects of the Foundations operations, from the development of education programs, research programs, facility design and upgrade, fundraising, grant writing and development. During my tenure the foundation has grown from a staff of three full time biologists and an operating budget of $350,000 to $1,200,000 in 2015. I was responsible for coordinating rescue and release operations of stranded marine mammals and sea turtles. In addition I am currently principal investigator on a NMFS grant to assess marine mammal treatment protocols. This is accomplished with the use of satellite tags to monitor post release success. As a primary member of our 24-hour response team, I have responded to over 3,900 strandings and have directed staff and volunteers in various rescue and rehabilitation techniques. Show less

Worked wiht marine mammal and sea turtle rescue program.

Master'S Degree, Biology/Biological Sciences, General

Bachelor'S Degree, Marine Sciences