Summary of research:

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD),

Marine Science, Macquarie University

Vanessa’s PhD research focused on the conservation of marine wildlife. Specifically, Vanessa investigated human induced and natural threats to cetaceans (whale, dolphin and porpoise) around the world. She has applied theoretical frameworks and created practical applications to change our thinking on how we manage human activities in the ocean.

Vanessa’s most well-known research is the use of drones to collect whale snot for an assessment of whale health. Vanessa is a big advocate for citizen science to assist scientists for wildlife conservation. Please see the publication section of this website for all scientific publications.

Master of Research (MRes),

Macquarie University

Vanessa’s Masters of Research looked at the use of whale alarms (small sound devices) to try and prevent whale entanglement in fishing gear.

This work was conducted off Sydney, Australia, where Vanessa learnt how to become a whale surveyor using a theodolite. This is a very precise machine placed on top of a tripod and connected to a computer using Pythagoras theorem (yes, high school math is important). Vanessa used it to track whale movements in the ocean. 

Bachelor of Science (BSc),

Australian National University

Vanessa completed a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Zoology, Evolution and Ecology at the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia.