About Me

Researcher & Science advocate

Sir David Attenborough and I on location on Heron Island in 2014 during filming of David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef.

 

One of the highlights of my research career was working side-by-side with Sir David Attenborough as his scientific, seabird and site consultant on his final on-location documentary produced by BBC TV and Atlantic Productions -  David Attenborough's Great Barrier Reef, for which I gave an interview and my research data that were used in the 2nd documentary episode "Visitors" (can be seen on the interactive website).

* For further detail follow links & see Conservation consultancy, Advocacy & Education.

Seabird research & ecology

Prior to that I spent 8 years researching Great Barrier Reef seabirds (2009-16), and worked as a seabird ecologist in varied locations and habitats, with numerous species across Australia and New Zealand.

Current: Research Wildlife Biologist

I currently live and work in California, USA as a Research Wildlife Biologist contracted to the US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Centre (USGS-WERC), where I work predominantly on movement ecology of Pacific Flyway Waterfowl & the Suisun Marsh Waterfowl & Waterbird Studies Project.

Conservationist

I have a long-held and deeply passionate belief in the need to  conserve our amazing wildlife and natural world. As a result I have spent many years involved in conservation activities for many marine, terrestrial and aquatic taxa and critical habitats including birds, mammals, reptiles, fish, crustaceans, insects, plants, beaches, reefs, forests, wetlands etc.

Travel & SCUBA instructor

I have visited 98 countries across all 7 continents, lived and worked in 11 (Australia, New Zealand, Honduras, Ecuador (Galapagos), USA, Mexico, Bermuda, Canada, the UK, Thailand and Greece). I taught SCUBA diving in tropical environs around the world while also working and advocating for wildlife conservation, which ultimately led to my scientific studies. 

Interests

I am an avid skier, photographer, diver, hiker and backpacker (have climbed Mt Kilimanjaro, Mt Whitney, the Inca Trail, Annapurna Circuit, and many mountains of the Alps, Sierra Nevada and Rockies). I have visited  the Arctic and Antarctica by ship. Other interests include yoga,  camping, drawing and writing, citizen science, reading, stand-up paddle boarding, swimming, snowshoeing, and cooking exotic cuisines.