I am a marine spatial and restoration ecologist whose research focuses on translating ecological science and understanding into practical conservation and restoration outcomes. My current work examines the impact of the 2025–2026 harmful algal bloom on macroalgal communities in South Australia, with the aim of developing decision-support tools for government agencies to guide management of these critical ecosystems.

I am committed to use-inspired research that bridges the gap between ecological understanding and on-ground management, and I work collaboratively across government agencies, research institutions, and conservation organisations to ensure scientific findings translate into actionable outcomes for practitioners. I believe that in this era of accelerating climate change and rapidly shifting ecosystems, scientists have a responsibility to move beyond understanding alone and pursue research with the explicit goal of practical application to the real-world conservation challenges unfolding around us.

My current work examines the impact of the 2025–2026 harmful algal bloom on macroalgal communities in South Australia, with the aim of developing decision-support tools for government agencies to guide management of these critical ecosystems. Across my previous research, I designed and implemented monitoring programs examining fish community ecology at the seascape scale, working across major estuarine systems in New South Wales to investigate how landscape-level features — habitat connectivity, spatial configuration, and seascape context — shape fish assemblages. I then leveraged this understanding to develop a restoration framework that incorporates the ecology of both the habitat former and the community it supports into the design and placement of restoration sites.

My research has a strong track record of informing real-world conservation practice. Early in my career, I worked in partnership with The Nature Conservancy and NSW Department of Primary Industries, using ecology to inform oyster reef restoration. This work directly informed reef design specifications for the Australian Government's Reef Builder program. My PhD extended this applied focus, developing quantitative frameworks that integrate habitat suitability, landscape connectivity, and biodiversity value to identify priority restoration sites. I have experience with conservation planning tools including MARXAN and Zonation 5, and apply advanced statistical approaches such as GAMs and multivariate ordination to analyse spatial and temporal patterns in ecological communities.