WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Katherine Booth Jones
she/her
Senior Marine Ornithologist
Scottish
Government
Discipline
Behaviour, Conservation, Genetics, Population Dynamics, Project Management, Reproductive Biology & Life History, Migration & Movement Ecology
Regional Focus
Scotland and formerly Northern Ireland
Years Active
16-20 years
Species Focus
Auks (Alcidae), Sea ducks and allies (Anatidae), Gulls and Terns (Laridae), Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae), Skuas and Jaegers (Stercorariidae), Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae), Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae & Oceanitidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
Throughout my career I have been interested in how advancing technologies such as tracking, remote sensing and molecular ecology are revealing individual differences in seabird behaviour, and the implications for this at a population level, particularly in conservation management terms. In my day to day role, I provide specialist scientific advice and technical guidance on marine birds to to the Scottish Government, particularly in relation to the assessment of environmental impacts of marine renewable developments.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
Be brave and take a chance on the stuff that puts you outside your comfort zone. Say yes to as many opportunities as you can afford to (a big ask these days - but there are increasingly grants that support new seabirders). You never know where new experiences or connections may lead... Oh, and buy some cheap waterproof trousers. You will need them, and they WILL get trashed. ;)
Katherine Booth Jones on Northern Irish seabird island, Lighthouse Island, holding a female Eider. She stands in front of a background of bracken, bluebells and the grey Irish Sea.
Email:
Website:
Twitter:
@KatBoothJones
Instagram:
@katboothjones