CJ Campbell

I am a conservation ecologist focused on how animal movement connects and responds to a changing world. My research focuses on developing analytical tools to tackle pressing conservation challenges.

Aeroecology and Migration

Flying animal migration is a behavioral phenomenon that shapes the structure and function of ecosystems worldwide. My research centers on the study and conservation of animal migration and aerial habitats.

Repowering

Transitioning to renewable energy generation is essential to limit the worst effects of global climate change. I am interested in studying the effects of this transition on wildlife and developing methods and models to best predict and minimize risks to wildlife and habitats.

Macroecology

Macroecology is the study of ecological patterns at broad spatial scales. I am interested in synthesizing ecological processes that play out at the scale of the individual and population to examine patterns at broad spatial, temporal, and taxonomic scales.

Bat Ecology and Conservation

Bats are among the most diverse and least-studied groups of mammals. Despite a near worldwide distribution, we know shockingly little about their ecology and evolution. My work deepens our understanding of bat ecology and can inform conservation by integrating data resources, from historical records to novel community science observations.

Methodological Approaches

I leverage a broad suite of methodological approaches to tackle pressing conservation challenges, with a particular focus on developing the methods needed to conduct research in under-studied systems and taxa where creative approaches are needed.

Spatial modeling

Understanding how organisms interact with, and are limited by, their environment is a central question of ecology.

Stable isotope analysis

Animal tissues reflect the components synthesized during their formation-- put another way, you are what you eat...

Data integration

Integrating data across multiple scales and sources allows us to examine ecological hypotheses at the broadest possible spatial and taxonomic scales.

Software development

I am passionate about developing open-source software to promote accessible and reproducible science.

Selected publications

Campbell, CJ Barve, V; Belitz, M; Doby, J. R.; White, E.; Seltzer, C.; Di Cecco, G.; Hurlbert, A. H.; Guralnick, R.. 2023. Identifying the Identifiers: How iNaturalist facilitates collaborative, research-relevant data generation and why it matters for biodiversity science. BioScience. 2023. [link] [pdf] [code]

Campbell, C. J.; Fitzpatrick, M.C.; Vander Zanden, H.; Nelson, D. M. 2020. Advancing interpretation of stable isotope assignment maps: comparing and summarizing origins of known-provenance migratory bats. Animal Migration. [link] [pdf]

Katzner, T. E.; Nelson, D. M.; Diffendorfer, J. E.; Duerr, A. E.; Campbell, C. J.; Leslie, D.; Vander Zanden, H. B., Yee, J. L., Sur, M., Huso, M.M.P., Braham, M.A., Morrison, M.L., Loss, S.R., Poessel, S.A., Conkling, T.J., Miller, T. A.. 2019. Wind energy: An ecological challenge. Science 366(6470):1206–1207. [link] [pdf]

Campbell, C. J.; Nelson, D. M.; Ogawa, N.O.; Chikaraishi, Y.; and Ohkouchi, N. 2017. Trophic position and dietary breadth of bats revealed by nitrogen isotopic composition of amino acids. Scientific Reports 7:15932. [link] [pdf]

Roman, J.; Altman, I.; Dunphy-Daly, M.; Campbell, C.; Jasny, M.; and Read, A. 2013. The Marine Mammal Protection Act at 40: Status, recovery, and future of U.S. marine mammals. The Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences 1286:29-49. [link] [pdf]

Background


 I am a quantitative ecologist at Bat Conservation International. I have also led the bat bioacoustics and bioinformatics efforts for XPrize Rainforest finalist team Limelight Rainforest.
I completed by PhD at the University of Florida in the Animal Migration and Ecology Lab working with Hannah Vander Zanden in the Department of Biology. I was a University of Florida Biodiversity Institute Fellow and was also supported by a UF Graduate School Fellowship.
My master's research was conducted at the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science Appalachian Laboratory with Dave Nelson and Frostburg State University. In 2016 I was a National Science Foundation East Asia and Pacific Summer Institute (NSF EAPSI) Research Fellow / Japanese Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) Summer Research Fellow.
I attended the University of Vermont, gaining my B.S. with honors and working with Joe Roman at the Gund Institute for the Environment. I conducted fieldwork for a semester in Namibia while studying abroad with Round River Conservation Studies. Between my B.S. and my M.S., I worked as an ecological field technician on projects in Chiapas, MEX; Puerto Viejo, CRI; and Arkansas and New York, USA.

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