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PhD. (Zoology) University of British Columbia, Vancouver. (2002)
BSc. (Physics) McGill University, Montreal. (1991)
Research AssociateDepartment of ZoologyUniversity of British Columbia Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4 Canada |
LecturerCentre for Biomimetics & Nat. Tech.Mechanical Engineering Dept. University of Bath Bath BA2 7AY United Kingdom |
President / Research DirectorCoastal Ecosystems Research FoundationPO Box 124 Port Hardy, BC, Canada, V0N 2P0 |
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email: megillw AT cerf DOT bc DOT ca |
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ResearchMy research interest is in the biomechanics of animal locomotion, particularly swimming. My doctoral thesis was focused on the structure of the jellyfish hydroskeleton, and how it is matched to the propulsion needs of the animal. New work I am now beginning is looking at a similar question in grey and humpback whales, namely, what role does the structure of the whales' peduncle (tail-stock) play in energetically efficient swimming. In addition to my interest in biomechanics, I am also interested in the ecology of the Central Coast of British Columbia, particularly in the role grey whales play in the coastal ecosystem. |
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| Biomechanics of jellyfish swimming (PhD, UBC ) | Ecology of whales and dolphins on the Central Coast of BC (CERF) |
BiomechanicsPapersMegill WM (in review) Jellyfish biomechanics: The role of fibre-reinforcement in the mechanical behaviour of a biological soft tissue. ANZIAM Gazette Megill WM, Gosline JM, Blake RW (in review) The modulus of elasticity of mesogleal microfibrils from the hydromedusa, Polyorchis penicillatus. Journal of experimental Biology PresentationsMegill WM, Bowles KA, Steele JR (2002) Jellyfish and the breast: understanding the mechanics of fibre-reinforced soft tissues. Paper presented to the Annual Conference on Australian and New Zealand Industrial and Applied Mathematics, Canberra. Megill WM, Gosline JM, Blake RW (1999) Resonance with an attitude. Presentation to the 5th International Conference on Comparative Physiology and Biomechanics, University of Calgary, August 1999. --------- (1998) Tuning a jellyfish. Non-linear stress-strain behaviour allows a tunable resonance. Presentation to the Annual General Meeting of the Society for Experimental Biology, York UK, April 1998. --------- (1996) Swimming biomechanics of jellyfish: non-linear stress-strain behaviour allows a tunable resonance. Presentation to the Annual General Meeting of the Society for Mathematical Biology, Seattle WA, August 1996. EcologyPapersCalambokidis J, Darling JD, Deecke VB, Gearin P, Gosho M, Megill WM, Tombach CM, Goley D, Toropova C, Gisborne B (2002) Abundance, range and movements of a feeding aggregation of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) from California to southeastern Alaska in 1998. J Cetacean Res Manage 4(2). Lamb E, Megill WM (in review) The Shoreline Fringe Forest of the Central British Columbia Coast. Plant Ecology. Stelle LL, Megill WM, Kinzel MR (in review) Activity budgets and diving behaviour of summer resident grey whales (Eschrichtius robustus) in feeding grounds off coastal British Columbia. Canadian Journal of Zoology. ReportsCalambokidis J, Gosho M, Gearin P, Darling JD, Megill W, Heath M, Goley D, Gisborne B (2002) Gray whale photographic identification in 2001: Collaborative research in the Pacific Northwest. Report submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Seattle WA Calambokidis J, Darling JD, Deecke V, Gearin P, Gosho M, Megill WM, Tombach CM, Goley D, Toropova C, Gisborne B (2000) Range and movements of seasonal resident gray whales from California to southeast Alaska. Report submitted to National Marine Fisheries Service, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Seattle WA. Lamb E, Dolmat Y, Holloway J, Shankel C, Megill WM (2000) Findings of the 1999 CERF survey of coastal biodiversity on the central coast of British Columbia. Report submitted to Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Oceans Directorate, Vancouver BC. Megill WM (1996) Observations of Polyorchis penicillatus in Queen Charlotte Strait, BC, summer 1995 Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation, Vancouver BC. Internet: http://cerf.bc.ca/megill/jfish/polyorchis_qcs.html. Megill WM, Leblanc D, Lamb E (1999) Preliminary observations of the biodiversity of Addenbroke Island. Report submitted to the Canadian Coast Guard, August 1999. Megill WM, Randall D (1999) A CD-ROM catalogue of the grey whales observed on the Central Coast of British Columbia, 1994-1999. Coastal Ecosystems Research Foundation, Vancouver BC. PresentationsMegill WM, Stelle L, Kinzel MR, Randall D (1999) El Nino-induced changes in grey whale abundance on the central coast of BC. Poster presented to the 13th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Maui HI, November 1999. Stelle L, Megill WM (1999) Feeding ecology of southern resident grey whales. Poster presented to the 13th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, Maui HI, November 1999. |
Last Modified: 11 January 2003