I've always loved the ocean, so it was only natural that I would study marine science during my undergraduate degree. Since then, I have sought out any opportunity to work in marine science. This has included working in marine departments at Parks Victoria, Museum Victoria and 3CR (community radio) as well as completing a Masters in marine science and animal behavior.
I began my Masters degree in 2010 at the University of Melbourne. Here I designed a research project to investigate costs of mating in the Southern dumpling squid. I discovered that mating is energetically costly and a single mating can reduce female lifespan. This project prepared me for my PhD as it was a behavioral study that involved fieldwork and lab work.
Currently, I am a Fulbright Science and Technology fellow completing my PhD at Tufts University. For my dissertation, I will be researching communication and reproductive behaviors in mantis shrimp. I intend to research this in multiple species of mantis shrimp and investigate different facets of visual communication (e.g. visible light, UV light, polarized light).
Fulbright Science and Technology Award