Marine Vertebrate Ecology Lab
Hannah Davies
Hannah completed a Bachelor of Marine Science, minoring in Earth and Environmental Science, at the University of Wollongong in 2024. Her interests include behavioural ecology, marine conservation, and how the intersect of humanities and science can help address ecological challenges. Previously, Hannah interned with the NSW Government Office of Energy and Climate Change, and volunteered in a PhD lab assisting with the dissection of sea urchins from barren vs non-barren reef areas. Hannah is currently an Honours student at the MAVE Lab under the supervision of Dr Katharina J Peters, Dr Frédérik Saltré (University of Technology Sydney) and Dr Adelaide Dedden (NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service).
Research
Whale and dolphin strandings are a complex issue, and only little is known about why they happen. Depending on the type of stranding (mass vs single stranding, live stranding vs beachcast carcass), reasons can vary. In Australia, strandings have been recorded for several decades, but a continental-wide assessment is currently lacking. This project will collate stranding records across space and time and model their relationship with environmental variables to identify drivers and patterns in the stranding record.