I conduct applied research and conservation with seabird species across the Pacific to design and implement conservation solutions to protect their breeding habitat. My goal is to test the efficacy of conservation interventions in improving demographic parameters and various life history charactertistics.

For my PhD, I'm studying different aspects of partnership in a long-lived seabird, the thick-billed murre. I'm looking at how movement, behaviour, genetics of breeding partners influences reproductive success. I'm also the crew lead of the Coats Island research station.

I started working with seabirds for my Masters on post-fledging parental care in roseate terns with Ian Nisbet and Jeremy Hatch. I then did a PhD on ectoparasites in crested terns in Australia. I landed a university position in 2016 at an inland university in Australia, so I stopped doing seabird research for a while, but have recently left the university and am now back working with seabirds as a consultant!

I enjoy researching the ecology and energetics of seabirds and their influence on the marine ecosystems that they inhabit. In my current roles, I am investigating the movement ecology of tropical seabirds and their influence on nutrient transfer and coral reef ecology.

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.

I'm currently a masters student at SJSU studying the fine scale foraging movements of pigeon guillemots in southeast Farallon island. I'm deploying short term gps units on chick provisioning adults to better understand foraging behavior. Along with GPS data I'm also conducting diet watches to identify prey items delivered by tagged adults.

I coordinate survey work and write reports on Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas (IBAs) and Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) across British Columbia for BC Nature, working with local naturalists and First Nations to monitor red-listed seabird species and important seasonal aggregations of seaducks, seabirds, gulls, and shorebirds. With VARC I train new banding volunteers in the correct and safe handling of birds and banding techniques for long-term monitoring of individuals. And for my PhD I am studying pollution in Australian waterbirds. My spark bird was the Bonin Petrel which I lived amongst while working for a season with US Fish and Wildlife Service on Midway Atoll, along with albatrosses, shearwaters, shorebirds, and terns.

My PhD project is investigating oceanographic drivers of foraging behaviour and diet in Manx shearwaters. I am using a combination of GPS-tracking to identify foraging behaviour, and DNA metabarcoding to determine the diet of chick-provisioning Manx shearwaters and the consequences for chick growth.

My research aims to discover how avian movement patterns can inform conservation decision-making analyses. For my doctoral research, I'm investigating the migratory connectivity of two heavily harvested sea duck species (Long-tailed Ducks and Surf Scoters) to inform harvest regulations. To do so, I'm measuring the stable isotope ratios in their feathers. Stable isotope ratios in feathers can reveal the molting grounds of a birds sampled on its wintering grounds; thereby connecting an individual's wintering location with its breeding location. My goal is to conduct research that will have direct implications for the protection of these conservation-reliant seabirds.

My work focuses on breeding populations of Harlequin Ducks (HADU) in Montana and Idaho. Long-term monitoring of breeding HADU in the region has documented population declines leading to concerns about population status in the region. Previous methods have primarily relied on direct, in-person observations and are highly variable owed to factors outside the observer's control. Thus, I am comparing detection probabilities of non-invasive survey methods to determine their efficacy in detecting HADU on streams. I am also working on building a predictive occupancy model of breeding HADU in the region to help non-game biologists update their current HADU monitoring program.

I study all aspects of Magellanic penguin behavior and ecology. As part of a long-term study, I train new students and volunteers in the field, analyze data, write papers and reports, and write field research protocols. With a background in oceanography, I'm particularly interested in penguin behavior at sea, and have attached various types of tracking tags to penguins to learn what they do in their at-sea lives. I love being in the penguin colony and watching penguin behavior, which always surprises me. I'm inspired by the next generation of seabird scientists.

I study heat stress effects on nesting common eider ducks in the Canadian Arctic by analyzing their heart rate and incubation behaviour in response to weather variables, such as ambient temperature. The goal of my study is to determine a cold-adapted sea duck's vulnerability to rapid warming in the Arctic. This research was performed within the Inuit Nunangat, on the island of Qiqiktakuluk, in collaboration with Environment and Climate Change Canada and the Irniurviit Co-Management Committee of Coral Harbour. After my degree, I hope to continue studying vulnerable seabird populations to help inform policy action!