Program coordinator: Marine Biology major, Bachelor of Marine Science , Master of Marine Biology , Combined Bachelor's and Masters in Marine Science

Committee Co-Chair: Community and Outreach (School of Biological Sciences)

Committee member: Learning and Teaching and School Board (School of Biological Sciences), OceanWorks (Woodside FutureLab Network)

I study the influence of the ocean's physical and biotic environment on the population dynamics and distribution of marine benthic organisms. My research integrates the fields of biology, spatial ecology, oceanography and fishery science, contributing to a more mechanistic understanding of marine populations and communities.

My PhD focused on the ecophysiology of seagrasses in restored meadows in estuarine ecosystems. Since then, I have expanded my expertise in GIS and statistical modelling to produce benthic habitat maps for fisheries management and seagrass genetic studies. My current research centres on the resilience of marine communities and ecosystem functioning in a changing world, including developing spatially explicit frameworks to identify climate refugia and assessing the distribution and ecological impacts of plastics in nearshore and estuarine systems.

I work closely with Traditional Owners to monitor intertidal habitats within their Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), ensuring that research aligns with community priorities and Indigenous knowledge systems. I am also actively engaged in community-led seagrass restoration programs, promoting collaborative stewardship and local capacity-building in coastal conservation.

I have extensive field experience across tropical and temperate reef systems (including coral and macroalgae-dominated communities), seagrass meadows, and mangrove habitats. This includes both boat-based (e.g. towed video, water sampling, sediment grabs) and diving (SCUBA and free diving) survey methods. My laboratory experience encompasses chemical analysis of sediments and plant material, video and photo annotation for benthic habitat assessment, and macrophyte taxonomy.

I enjoy both undergraduate teaching and research training for Honours, Masters and PhD students. My passion for teaching started as an undergrad during which time I got a job working at the Department of Environment and Conservation (now DBCA) as a Marine Guide. This work involved developing and running marine based education activities at the beach and in the class room. My tertiary teaching experience started as a PhD student where I co-ordinated laboratory and field activities. I am currently the co-coordinator for the Marine Biology, Marine Science and Master of Marine Biology degrees as well as coordinate and teach into three undergraduate units plus two postgraduate units. I am proactive in developing Teaching and Learning philosophies as evidenced through my participation in unit development, strategic workshops, education committees and training courses. I have written and submitted teaching grants on a regular basis since 2014. In 2015, I was awarded a TL strategic fund grant to improve the learning experience in marine science units. I have also actively sort industry funding to support undergraduate teaching, particularly the Field Techniques in Marine Science field trip.

Program Co-coordinator: Masters of Marine Biology, Combined Bachelor's and Masters (CBM) in Marine Science, Marine Biology, Marine Science

Unit Coordinator: SCIE3304 Field Techniques in Marine Science, ENVT3306 Coastal Conservation and Management, BIOL4411 Marine Field Studies, BIOL4408 Marine Ecology

Lecturer/contributor: ENVT2221 Global Climate Change and Biodiversity, BIOL2204 Marine Biology

Postdocs

Matilda Murley: Investigating connectivity between Mayala Sea Country and the Kimberley Marine Park

PhDs

Clelia Mula: Investigating the role of macroalgae as nursery habitat for coral reef fishes

Jessica Pearce: An omics toolkit for shark conservation and management

Kautilya Srivastava: Plastic crisis in WA: Plastic accumulation, its fate, impact and biodegradation potential

Nina Ho: Seed based restoration for tropical seagrasses