Publications

2025

Hlavin, J.,* †, Yeager, E. A.†, Martin, C. E.†, Will, C.J.†, Perni, N.C., Pankow, C., Macdonald, C. (2025). Is the seagrass greener on the other side? Faster growth in Biscayne Bay, Florida’s nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum) compared to neighboring conspecifics of Bimini, The Bahamas. Environmental Biology of Fishes, 109(1), 30. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-025-01784-7
Yeager, E.A.* †, Pate, J., Saltzman, J., Pankow, C., Macdonald, C. (2025). Stability and spatial variance of manta-associated fish aggregates in south Florida. Marine Biology 173(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00227-025-04764-8
Shiffman, D., Gupta, T., Braun, R. †, Lenihan, P. †, Macdonald, C. (2025). “This research is important for the conservation and management of sharks”: A proposed framework for ensuring policy-relevance. Conservation Science and Practice e70183. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.70183
Fielding, R.F., Brown, C., Dutton, J., Forde, M., Harewood, H., Hunt, L. Macdonald, C., Mewhirter, C., Reid, V., Smith, M., Taylor, H., Zimmerman, K. (2025). Mercury concentrations, health, and marine food consumption across four eastern Caribbean populations: Insights from a novel community-based study. Gulf and Caribbean Research 36(1), GCFI-36. https://doi.org/10.18785/gcr.3601.11
Hlavin, J. .* †, Macdonald, C. (2025). Nursery resource use dynamics in great hammerheads (Sphyrna mokarran) across ontogeny. Ecology and Evolution 15(6), e71473. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71473
Giesy, K.* †, Jerome, J., Wester, J., D’Alessandro E., McDonald, D., Macdonald, C. (2025). The physiological stress response of juvenile nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) to catch-and-release recreational angling. PLoS One, 20(1), e0316838. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0316838
Saltzman, J.* †, Hawkins, C., Macdonald, C. (2025). The Silver King in the Magic City: Observation of Atlantic tarpon M. atlanticus aggregation off Miami Beach, Florida. Journal of Fish Biology 106(4), 1202-1213. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.16035

2024

Black, K..* †, Liu, K. †, Graham, J., Wiley, T., Gardiner, J., Macdonald, C., Matz, M. V. (2024). Evidence of unidirectional gene flow in Bonnethead sharks from the Gulf to Atlantic coasts of Florida. Ecology and Evolution 14(9), e70334. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70334
Deekan, D.* †, Gainsbury, A., Riedinger-Whitmore, M., Green, M.L., Macdonald, C., Cassill, D.L. (2024). Testing the predictions of three maternal investment models, r/K selection, bet-hedging selection, and maternal risk management, in sharks and teleost fish. Scientific Reports 14(1), 20088. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-70677-z
Saltzman, J.* †, Hearn, A., Fuentes, M.M.P.B., Steiner, T., Arauz, R., Macdonald, C., Heidemeyer, M., White, E.R. (2024). Multi-decadal underwater surveys reveal declines in marine turtles. Conservation Science and Practice 6(11), e13249. https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13249
Reamer, M.* †, Macdonald, C., Fielding, R., Wester, J., Shriver-Rice, M. (2024). A ‘war’ over lobsters and whales: the issue-attention cycle, discourse, and political ecology of right whale science and conservation in US news media. Frontiers in Communication 9, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.0.13.61/fcomm.2024.1417414
Braun, R. * †, Wester, J., Macdonald, C., & Pate, J. H. (2024). Perceptions regarding the recreational cobia fishery in relation to manta ray conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 34(4), e4147. https://doi.org/10.1002/aqc.4147
Harowitz, B.* †, Macdonald, C., Wester, J. (2024). Red Tide Outreach: Message framing, environmental emotions, and support for mitigation. Coasts 4(1), 21-33. https://doi.org/10.3390/coasts4010002

2023

Macdonald, C., McEntee, K.†, Wester, J. (2023). Values, attitudes, and media exposure: US public perception of sharks and shark conservation. Biological Conservation 286, 110305. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2023.110305
Macdonald, C., Turffs, D. †, McEntee, K. †, Elliot, J. †, Wester, J. (2023). The Relationship Between Tourism and the Environment in Florida, USA: A Media Content Analysis. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights 4(1), 100092. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annale.2023.100092
Wester. J., Turffs, D. †, Jerome, J., Elliot, J. †, & Macdonald, C. (2023). Complex problems and media norms: Understanding coastal development and ecological impacts in Florida through discourse analysis. Environmental Communication 17(7), 811-827. https://doi.org/10.1080/17524032.2023.2259622
Reamer, M.* †, Macdonald, C., Wester, J., Shriver-Rice, M. (2023). Whales for sale: A discourse analysis of American whale watching operators’ websites. Tourism in Marine Environments 18(3-4), 161-183. https://doi.org/10.3727/154427323X16894009158495
Shiffman, D.S., Bangley, C.W., Macdonald., C. (2023). “A prized Pacific shark”: The rise and fall of the world’s first certified sustainable shark fishery. Journal of Fish Biology 103(3), 623-634. https://doi.org/10.1111/jfb.15467
Wester, J., Broad, K., Backe, K., Moore, A., Fielding, R., Macdonald, C., Callwood, K., Mills, D., J. Jacquet., Then, A., Taufek, H. (2023). “Culture and historic value as ways of understanding complex human health-ocean linkages” in L. Fleming, L. Rabbottini, M. Depledge, L. A. Creencia, W.H. Gerwick, H.C. Goh, V. Gordon, M.O. Gribble, B. Maycock, H. Solo-Gabriele (Eds.), Oceans and Human Health. Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95227-9.00012-9
Shiffman, D.S., Macdonald, C., Whitenack, L. (2023). “Conclusion”. In Graham and Cáceres (eds.) Minorities in Shark Sciences: Diverse voices in shark research. pp.175-188. CRC Press. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003260370-5
Macdonald, C., Turffs, D., McEntee, K., Elliot, J., Wester, J. (2023). The relationship between tourism and the environment in Florida, USA: A media content analysis. Annals of Tourism Research Empirical Insights.

2022

Wester, J., Turffs, D., Shiffman, D.S., Macdonald, C. (2022). "A human values issue": Actors, arguments and regulatory change in the Florida land-based shark fishery. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.
Whitenack, L.B., Mickley, B., Saltzman, J., Kajiura, S.M., Macdonald, C., Shiffman, D.S. (2022), A content analysis of 32 years of Shark Week documentaries. PloS One.
Saltzman, J., Graham, J., Wester, J., White, E., Macdonald, C. (2022). #Sawfish: Social media to assess public perceptions, behaviors, and attitudes towards a critically endangered species. Frontiers in Conservation Science.
Wester, J., Turffs, D.,* McEntee, K.,* Pankow, C., Perni, N., Jerome, J., Macdonald, C. (2022). Agriculture and downstream ecosystems in Florida: An analysis of discourse media. Environmental Science and Pollution Research.
Shiffman, D.S., Arguedas Alvarez, T., Bangley, C.W., Boyt, R., Cote, I., Daly-Engel, T.S., Davis, A.C.D., Gaskins, L.C., Graham, J., Graham, R., Johri, S., Macdonald, C., Paig-Tran, E.M., Roca, A., Schwieterman, G.D., Whitenack, L.B., Wiley, T.R., Ferry, L.A. (2022). What can professional societies do to improve diversity, equity, and inclusion: A case study of the American Elasmobranch Society. Frontiers in Education.
Shiffman, D.S., Elliot, J.,* Macdonald, C., Wester, J., Polidoro, B., Ferry, L. (2022). The next generation of conservation research and policy priorities for threatened adn exploited chonrichthyan fishes in the United Sates: An expert solicitation approach. Conservation Science and Practice.
Shiffman, D.S., Macdonald, C., Wester, J.N., Walsh, M.B., Chevalier, A., Kachelriess, D., Friedman, K.J. (2022). Marine species conservation at CITES: How does media coverage inform or misinform? Marine Policy.

2021

Macdonald, C., Jerome, J., Pankow, C., Perni, N., Black, K., Shiffman, D., Wester, J. (2021). First identification of a probable nursery area for great hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna mokarran) on the Atlantic coast of the United States. Conservation Science and Practice.
Shiffman, D.S., Macdonald, C., Wallace, S., Dulvy, N. (2021). The role and value of science in shark conservation advocacy. Scientific Reports. (In press).
Pankow, C.J., Macdonald, C., Shiffman, D.S., Wester, J., & Abel, D. (2021). Stable isotopic dynamics of juvenile elasmobranchs in a South Carolina nursery area. Southeastern Naturalist.
Macdonald, C. (2021). Media representation and gender bias in science. Journal of Environmental Media 2(1), 7-15.
Fielding, R., Kiszka, J., Macdonald, C., McCormack, M.A., Dutton, J, Olliviere, A.D., Arnett, J., Elkins, M., Darby, N.A., Garcia, H.M., Skinner, S., Tucker, H., Reid, V. Demographic and geographic patterns of cetacean-based food product consumption and potential mercury exposure within a Caribbean whaling community. Human and Ecological Risk Assessment.

2020

Macdonald, C. & Wester, J. (2020). Public Understanding of Wildlife Tourism: Defining terms, harms, and benefits. Journal of Ecotourism, 1-12 .
Macdonald, C. and Carter, A. (2020). Blood in the water: Shark feeding, tourism, and the law. Environmental Law, 50, 287-325.
Macdonald C. & Wester, J. (2020). What Makes a Panther a Panther?: Genetics, Human Perceptions, and the Complexity of Species Categorization. Nature and Culture, 15(1), 19-31.
Shiffman, D.S., Bittick, S.J., Cashion, M.S., Colla, S.R., Coristine, L.E., Derrick, D.H., Gow, E.A., Macdonald, C., O'Ferrall, M.M., Orobko, M. and Pollom, R.A., 2020. Inaccurate and Biased Global Media Coverage Underlies Public Misunderstanding of Shark Conservation Threats and Solutions. Iscience, p.101205.
Pate, J., Macdonald, C., & Wester, J. (2020). Surveys of recreational fishermen reveal knowledge gaps and positive attitudes towards manta ray conservation in Florida. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems.