Lara Horstmann

• All Publications

• Brett Carrothers
• Chloe Kotik
• Chelsea Kovalcsik
• Sonia Kumar
• Jordan O'Connor
• Noelle Picard
• Jacob Trach

* = student author

Book chapter

Horstmann, L. 2020. Anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal system. In: J.C. George and J.G.M. Thewissen (eds.). The bowhead whale Balaena mysticetus: Biology and human interactions. Academic Press. ISBN: 9780128189696

Journal publications

Charapata,* P., L. Horstmann, and N. Misarti. In revision. Pacific walrus bones reveal changes in stress-related and reproductive steroid hormones over the last 3 millennia. Conservation Physiology.

Clark,* C.T., L. Horstmann, and N. Misarti. 2020. Evaluating tooth strontium and barium as indicators of weaning age in Pacific walruses. Methods in Ecology and Evolution. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/2041-210X.13482

Clark,* C.T., L. Horstmann, and N. Misarti. 2020. Zinc concentrations in teeth of female walruses reflect the onset of reproductive maturity. Conservation Physiology 8(1): coaa029. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa029

Karpovich, S., L.A. Horstmann, and L.K. Polasek. 2020. Validation of a novel method to create temporal records of hormone concentrations from the claws of ringed and bearded seals. Conservation Physiology 8(1): coaa073. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coaa073

Ohlberger, J., D.E. Schindler, R.J. Brown, J.M.S. Harding, M.D. Adkison, A.R. Munro, L. Horstmann, and J. Spaeder. 2020. The reproductive value of large females: consequences of shifts in demographic structure for population reproductive potential in Chinook salmon. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Science 77(8): 1292–1301. https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfas-2020-0012

Taylor,* N., C.T. Clark,* N. Misarti, and L. Horstmann. 2020. Determining sex of adult Pacific walruses from mandible measurements. Journal of Mammalogy 101(4): 941–950. https://doi.org/10.1093/jmammal/gyaa051

• Fisheries Ecology
• Marine Biology
• Marine Mammals

I am interested in broad-scale marine mammal ecology. Feeding ecology in particular is a keystone piece of information to understand adaptation potential of marine mammals and challenges that may arise. Dietary limitations can affect reproductive success, compromise immune function, change exposure to new pathogens (i.e., parasites, contaminants), and can therefore not only limit marine mammal population growth, but also potentially introduce new threats to humans depending on them as a subsistence resource.

I focus my research on Arctic marine mammals, because (1) they are of cultural and nutritional importance to subsistence users, (2) the Arctic is undergoing noticeable change, and (3) planned oil and gas development in this habitat.

I am also working on a fish parasite, Ichthyophonus hoferi, in Chinook salmon, and its potential impact on pre-spawning mortality and fecundity.

• Evaluation of Chinook Salmon Mortality Factors in Alaska
• WALRUS–Walrus Adaptability and Long-term Responses
• Using multi-proxy data to project Sustainability
• Freshwater growth and survival in AYK Chinook salmon: maternal influences, predation mortality, and the ultimate effects on stock productivity
• Bowhead whale feeding in the western Beaufort Sea (BOWFEST)

• Arctic Currents: A Year in the Life of the Bowhead Whale
• Walrus Adaptability and Long-term Responses; Using multi-proxy data to project Sustainability (WALRU