Growing up in Ireland, I quickly became passionate for surfing, snorkelling, and diving in the Atlantic Ocean. I obtained a BSc in marine sciences from the University of Galway, focussing on the ecology and oceanography of Irish deep-sea coral ecosystems. I was then awarded an MSc scholarship to study Tropical Biodiversity and Ecosystems at Vrije Universiteit Brussel and Universiti Malysia Terengganu, where I investigated the threat of sewage-derived resort runoff on Malaysian coral reefs using ecological and isotopic approaches.  

 

My doctorate in Newcastle University focussed on climate change ecology and evolution, applied to tropical coral reefs. With an interest in coral demography, adaptation potential, and big data, I explored how marine heatwaves influence coral bleaching and heat tolerance across numerous scales. My research has included fine-tuning global predictions of mass bleaching, integrating historical data across spatial scales to test emergent shifts in coral assemblages, quantifying heat tolerance and adaptive potential using experimental manipulations, and developing models to test whether natural adaptation of corals will be able to keep pace with ocean warming.  

 

I now hold a Postdoctoral Research Associate position as part of the new CORALADAPT project. In this project I am interested in applying the knowledge gained on natural adaptation to applied questions on the design of reef management actions that can support coral adaptation in the face of warming. This work builds on my expertise in quantitative ecology, evolutionary biology, climate modelling, spatiotemporal statistics, marine fieldwork and experimental manipulations.