Personal Statement
As Head of Department for Geography and Planning, and Professor in Marine and Coastal Management, I am passionate about both fostering inclusive and engaging academic environments, as well as advancing the sustainable management of our ocean.

My interest in the natural world began early, inspired by David Attenborough documentaries, and led me to study Environmental Science at the University of East Anglia. There, I developed an early appreciation of the complexity and interdisciplinary nature of environmental management challenges. After graduating, I spent several years working with conservation NGOs, including Coral Cay Conservation and ARCAS, gaining hands-on experience in biodiversity conservation and field-based project delivery.

I returned to academia to complete an MSc at the University of York, where my focus shifted towards marine protected areas and fisheries management. During this time, I was awarded a grant to work in Bermuda, developing spatial conservation plans for nearshore reef systems—an experience that firmly established my interest in applied marine spatial planning.

I then joined Ecology Project International as a Field Instructor, leading student groups in remote field settings. Alongside teaching tropical ecology and conservation, I supported students in designing and delivering independent research projects, combining field science, teaching, and mentorship in a highly rewarding context.

I went on to complete a PhD at Ulster University, focusing on Northern Ireland’s network of marine protected areas, working extensively with both fishing communities and policy and management stakeholders. During my doctorate, I was awarded a scholarship to spend six months at the University of Queensland, working in the Centre of Excellence in Environmental Decisions (CEED) with Professor Hugh Possingham. This experience was pivotal in shaping my interest in decision science and spatial prioritisation at scale.

After my PhD, I took up a Postdoctoral Research position at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), where I developed and tested spatial distribution models for fish biodiversity and explored their transferability across regions.

I spent a decade at the University of Salford, where I secured four NERC grants, including a Knowledge Exchange Fellowship with the UK Marine Management Organisation exploring barriers and enablers of science–policy collaboration and supporting the translation of research into decision-making, as well as an evidence synthesis Innovation grant working with six government departments. In 2023, I was part of a European consortium awarded a €1.5 million Biodiversa+ grant on integrated conservation planning across marine and terrestrial realms.

I also served as Director of the Doctoral School for four and a half years, a pan-institutional leadership role overseeing postgraduate research across the University. In this role, I led significant developments in training provision, governance frameworks, and scholarship schemes, with a strong emphasis on building an inclusive and supportive doctoral research community.

I am delighted to have joined the University of Liverpool within the School of Environmental Sciences. Here, I will continue to work at the interface of natural and social sciences, research and practice, exploring how inclusive spatial management can support sustainable solutions to complex marine management challenges.

Research Overview
My research focuses on marine spatial management, with a strong emphasis on integrating natural and social science to support more effective and equitable planning and decision making. I work extensively with marine stakeholders, including marine management practitioners, to explore how social, ecological and policy dimension can be managed through spatial approaches such as marine spatial planning and marine protected areas.

Key themes in my research include:

Marine spatial planning and ecosystem-based management
Stakeholder engagement and participatory planning
Integration of ecological data with social and economic considerations
Design and effectiveness of marine protected areas
Fisheries–conservation interactions and trade-offs
Spatial modelling to support decision-making in complex marine systems
Bridging science and policy in marine governance

A central focus of my work is developing approaches that bring together ecological evidence and human dimensions to produce marine management strategies that are both environmentally sustainable and socially realistic.