Summary
I am a conservation ecologist interested in nature-based solutions to improve planetary health. My ambition is to pursue study that advances science with a distinctly practical application focussing on tackling the most existential challenges humanity faces - biodiversity loss and ecosystem collapse.
My current research (PhD) is developing existing ecological models of environmental DNA (eDNA) transport in river systems to more accurately predict the distribution of river biodiversity from an eDNA signal. Then to apply these models to river rewilding case studies such as removal of barriers to reconnect rivers and reintroduce keystone species, to produce spatially explicit data on species distribution and to predict the impact on the broader ecosystem.
My previous research (MSc by thesis) used a relatively pristine marine environment of the Southern Ocean around the subantarctic island of South Georgia to understand to what extent fish are ingesting plastics when plastics pollution levels are lower. Fish are ingesting plastics in areas of high human activity; data from remote locations are limited, but vital for defining the scale of the problem.
This research additionally established baseline data for monitoring pollution in a Marine Protected Area.