CV
Education
2010 PhD (awarded Cum Laude), James Cook University, Australia
Thesis: Vulnerability of sea turtle nesting grounds to climate change.
Supervisors: Mark Hamann, Col Limpus and James Moloney
2004 Honor’s (awarded first class), James Cook University, Australia
Thesis: The feeding ecology of juvenile green turtles, Chelonia mydas, at Green Island, North QLD, Australia
Supervisors: Emma Gyuris, Ivan Lawler and Ian Bell
2001- 2003 B.Sc. in Science, James Cook University, Australia
Major in marine biology and environmental sciences
Awards
Best student presentation - SEES/JCU seminar series (2009)
Runner-up best conservation paper -29th Symposium on sea turtle biology and conservation (2009)
Science for management award -Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (2008)
Young explorer award – National Geographic Society (2008)
Australian Postgraduate Award (APA) (2007- 2010)
Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists Science Program Scholarship (2007)
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park grant (2007)
Research Grants
AU$13,142 from the Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation (2011) to track dugongs in Torres Strait (Co-Investigator).
AU$3,953 from the Cass Foundation Travel Grant to attend the International Sea Turtle Sympoisum (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 2,200 from the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility (2010) to attend the 24th International Congress for Conservation Biology (Principal Investigator)
AU$ 50,00 from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (2009) tender to develop a population model for the northern Great Barrier Reef green turtle population (Co-investigator).
AU$ 20,000 from the Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility (2009) to understand the ecology of hawksbill turtles in Torres Strait in relation to their habitat use, diet and home range (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 3,000 from the Norman Wettenhall Foundation (2009) to develop an educational book on sea turtles and climate change (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 3,000 from the Torres Strait Regional Authority (2009) to develop an educational book on sea turtles and climate change (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 3,000 from the Graduate Research Scheme, JCU as a write-up grant (2009) (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 3,000 from the Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility (2009) to develop an educational book on sea turtles and climate change (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 4,018 from the National Geographic Society (2008) to investigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtles (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 3,190 from the Science for management award -Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (2008) to investigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtles
AU$ 10,000 from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park grant (2007) to investigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtles (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 3,300 from the Wentworth Group of Concerned Scientists to investigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtles (Principal Investigator).
AU$ 4,448 from the PADI foundation (2007) to investigate the impacts of climate change on sea turtles (Principal Investigator)
AU$ 2,995 from the Graduate Research Scheme, JCU (2007) to attend conferences and conduct field work.
Lecturing, tutoring and academic exchange
James Cook University (2010) - Foundations of Sustainability in Education (ED1411)
James Cook University (2009) - Conserving marine wildlife: sea mammals, birds and reptiles (EV3203)
One Small Bag – NGO Vanuatu (2009) – Guest speaker at annual turtle meeting.
James Cook University (2008, 2009) - Sea turtles and Climate Change Science in the tropics
Guest speaker Undersea explorer (2007, 2008) – Guest researcher at far northern sea turtle trip
Stony Brook high and middle schools (New York, USA) (2006) – Conducted a series of lectures on sea turtle biology and ecology
Tertiary institution tutor (James Cook University, 2006- current):
Invertebrate zoology (ZL2005)
Introduction to plant sciences (BT1001)
Introduction to environmental sciences (EV1001)
Introduction to geographic information systems (EV2502)
Academic exchange
Stockholm University, Sweden (Department of Systems ecology) (2008- for 6 weeks).
Ecology Centre at the University of Queensland, Australia (2008 – for a week) - to meet/interact with Professor Hugh Possingham and his group.
Professional experience
2010-2013 Super Science Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University
2010 Project Manager, James Cook University
Manage and undertake project on the spatial distribution of dugongs in Torres Strait (Supervision Professor Helene Marsh)
2007,2008,2009 (January only) Group Leader , Earthwatch Institute (Milman Island, Australia)
Lead and trained groups of Earthwatch volunteers during patrols of hawksbill and green turtle nesting beaches
2006 (June - July) Consultant, Transpac Consulting (Townsville, Australia)
Conducted quantitative and qualitative socio- economic surveys
2006 (March - May) Research Assistant, Global Lifestyles- Social technologies (São Paulo, Brazil)
Collected social information and researched socioeconomic trends in Brazil. Translated and summarized key socio-economic articles from Portuguese to English for project leader
2005 (September - December) Research Assistant, Wildlife Conservation Society (Marine Program) (Madagascar)
Conducted socioeconomic research in 5 marine parks in Northern Madagascar. Examined fishing pressure, dependence on marine resource, socioeconomic conditions, and perceptions of coastal resources. Assisted with the analyses of household’s surveys and development of a report for Wildlife Conservation Society
2005 (May - September) Research/ Field leader, Barbados Sea Turtle Project (Barbados)
Lead and trained 60 Earthwatch volunteers during patrols of hawksbill and leatherback nesting beaches. Conducted environmental education programs with local communities and tourists through school presentations and public talks. Organized and conducted “hatchling releases” with the local communities and tourists. Collected data and monitored nesting beaches.I was also part of the in-water survey to investigate the foraging ecology and distribution of hawksbill turtles in Barbados. This work was conducted at a tourist diving boat and thus environmental education was provided to tourists
2001-04, 2006 Volunteer, Group Leader, Indo Pacific Sea Turtle Conservation Group (Australia)
Monitored nesting females and hatchlings on remote islands on the coral sea during the nesting season. Conducted data collection and female tagging. Determined success rates of hatchlings. Determined an index of nesting density for the different nesting seasons. Represented IPSTCG at public events and participated in beach clean-ups
2001 (December- January) Trainee, Project Tamar (Ubatuba, Brazil)
Interacted with local fisherman, monitored fishing arts and by catch. Collected data on stranded turtles and recovered net captured animals. Developed alternatives of subsistence with local communities. Feed and medicated turtles from the visitors centre. Provided environmental education to the project’s visitors, fishing communities and tourists