About

I am a self motivated, independent and conscientious researcher with extensive field experience who works well, both independently, and within a team. My research interests are climate change in the polar regions. I worked as a field based marine biologist for The British Antarctic Survey for thirteen years, encompassing 6 summer and 4 winter seasons. During this time I participated as a full member of the dive team and was involved in not only leading scientific dives, but also dive supervision and boat handling. I have 800 logged dives, of which 500 are in polar waters with a further 300 in temperate and tropical oceans. I have developed extensive skills and capabilities in both field and lab based marine biological research. I am well organised and an excellent communicator, with experience of working in the field in extreme environments as part of a small research team. In 2019 I started a new position at Ulster University working on a post doc on marine protected area management (www.mpa-management.eu) in which I was looking at monitoring and management of MPAs. Currently I am a researcher at UIT (University of Tromso, Norway) as part of the Barentsrisk and Clean programs looking at the effect of climate change in the Arctic. My career aim is to have a role where I feel like I am contributing to making a positive difference.

Public and media presentations

The Marine Diaries (2021) Polar Seas, Beneath the ice https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F4xaVBYyrxE

Natural history Museum, Tring (2017), Outreach day educating the general public into Climate Change and our research in Antarctica

BBC Natural History Unit (2013), part of the film crew filming deadly 60 in The Falkland Islands, South Georgia, Bird Island and The Antarctic Peninsula

Short film for Israeli channel 2 program on Climate Change (2010)

BBC Radio 2 with Simon Mayo (2010), talk about wintering in Antarctica on live radio

BBC Frozen planet 1 (Austral summer 09/10), diver and boat crew

Reuters (2009), Antarctic sea creatures hypersensitive to warming

Presentations and science conferences

• Arctic Frontiers (2023) Organised a side event on Cumulative risk management in marine high north ecosystems and organised the early career workshop (ECR) on Communicating scientific research to Policy makers, on social media and in the media
• The Marine Challenger Society (2022) Talk on Blue carbon from non conventional marine ecosystems
• Scientific Conference for Antarctic Research SCAR (2022) Talk on Benthic Biodiversity, Carbon Storage and the Potential for Increasing Negative Feedbacks on Climate Change in Shallow Waters of the Antarctic Peninsula
• Arctic Frontiers (2022) Talk on Zoobenthic blue carbon across multiple habitats in the Barens Sea and organised the Early career workshop on reviewing scientific manuscripts for publication
• British Ecological Society BES (2019) Poster on marine imaging and photogrammetry for monitoring marine protected areas
• Marine Imagery (2019) Non invasive monitoring for marine protected areas
• EU Biology Symposium (2018), Quantification of benthic biodiversity and biomass in time, space and changes with season at an Antarctic site
• Scientific Conference for Antarctic Research (SCAR) 2017, Loss of benthic biodiversity and biomass at a shallow coastal site in Antarctica due to increased ice scour
• University of Cape Town Oceanography department (UCT) 2016, Benthic marine biodiversity and physiology in Antarctica
• Plymouth University 2017, A marine biologist in Antarctica

Qualifications

Education

• PG Cert (2021) Remote sensing and GIS, Ulster University
• PhD (2017), British Antarctic Survey and The Open University, Marine Biodiversity of Antarctic hard rock communities:species biomass and energy use
• BSc Marine Biology (2007), Plymouth University

Diving and Boating

• Norwegian Class A Diver (2022)
• IMCA Sea survival (2018)
• HSE part IV Profesional Scientific Diver
• BSAC Dive Leader and Assistant Instructor
• MCA Sea Survival (PST)
• RYA Power Boat Level 2
• BSAC Practicle rescue management
• MCA VHF Short Range Certificate
• HSE First aid at work (2013)
• IMCA Diver medic (2009)
• HSE Oxygen Administartion

Software

• PG Cert Remote sensing and GIS
• Microsoft excel, word and powerpoint