Kate is an Australian marine mammal ecologist. Kate is based at the University of Western Australia, and leads the Marine Mammal Science Lab. Kate is affiliated with the School of Biological Sciences, Oceans Institute and the Albany campus.

Kate’s research on marine mammals examines:

i) the impacts of anthropogenic stressors on individuals,

ii) behavioural ecology,

iii) predator-prey interactions,

iv) responses to large-scale climate drivers, and

v) behavioural development in offspring.

Kate’s research has focused on multiple species, including, southern right whales, humpback whales, pilot whales, bottlenose dolphins and humpback dolphins. Kate has researched marine mammals off Australia, Antarctica and the Canary Islands (Spain).

Kate undertook her undergraduate at the University of Queensland and the University of California (Santa Barbara), her PhD at Murdoch University and Duke University, and post-doctorate at Aarhus University (Denmark). Kate’s post doctorate was as a European Union Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellow.

Kate is a supervisor for UWA students and intern students in the Marine Mammal Science Lab.

UWA current students:

• L. Avilla Turriago. PhD. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, F. Christiansen, B. Cook.
• M. Birzniece. PhD. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, C. Waugh, B. Cook.
• E. Wentzel-Smythe. Honours in Marince Science. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, B. Cook. 
• K. Brown. PhD. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, B. Cook. N. Pauli.
• H. Nisbet. Master in Environmental Science. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, B. Cook. External supervisors: H. Raudino, K. Waples.

UWA completed students:

• 2026 E. Reid, "It's written in the rocks: Merningar cultural meaning of coastal rock features in Kinjarling/Albany, south-western Australia", Master in Environmental Science. Supervisors: S, Hopper, A. Lullfitz, K. Sprogis, L. Knapp.
• 2025 A. Amir, “Ranging patterns of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Ningaloo Marine Park and Exmouth Gulf, Western Australia”, Master in Environmental Science. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, B. Cook. External supervisor: G. Parra.
• 2025 K. Nikas, “Spatiotemporal relationships of odontocete mass stranding events in southern Western Australia”, Honours in Marine Science. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, B. Cook. External supervisors: H. Raudino, K. Waples.
• 2025 R. Van Noort, “Ontogenetic energy conserving behaviours in southern right whales”, Master in Conservation Biology. Supervisors: K. Sprogis, B. Cook. External supervisor: F. Christiansen.

Previous co-supervisor for students at Aarhus University and Murdoch University.

Lecturer and Course co-ordinator of:

• Marine Mammal Science BIOL3000 (undergraduate)
• Advanced Marine Mammal Science BIOL4400 (Honours, Masters)
• Non-standard teaching period: in-between semester 1 and semester 2 (June-July), with the fieldtrip in Albany in-person. Interested? email [email protected]

Delivery of:

• Earth Science, The Dynamic Planet (EART1105)
• The Climate System (EART2220)
• Marine Biology (BIOL2204)