MY STORY

My love for all things marine began when I would spend hours exploring the ocean on family holidays. While snorkelling on holidays I longed to explore the underwater world further and my parents supported me to attain my PADI Open Water certificate when I was 13 years old in the Red Sea, Egypt. Despite growing up in a landlocked county in England I was always fascinated by the ocean and the wonders it held.

During my undergraduate degree I participated in a year long exchange at the University of New South Wales, Australia where my passion for marine biology grew even further. Since learning about the importance of coral-associated bacterial communities within the coral microbiome I was hooked. I completed my PhD evaluating how reef restoration approaches impact coral microbiomes.

As I continue to face the realities of growing stressors that coral reefs and oceans are facing my passion to preserve these ecosystems for future generations only increases. I hope to communicate the immense value of coral reefs to inspire wide spread positive action on climate change and to continue to contribute to research that optimises approaches working with nature to ensure bolster resilience of marine ecosystems into the future.