Team

Growing up in Cornwall, at the most south-westerly point of the UK, Emma developed an early connection with the Atlantic Ocean through surfing, rock pooling and snorkelling. Her fascination in evolution, taxonomy and the inner workings of life led her to gain a first-class Honours degree in biological sciences at the University of Exeter. During her degree, a field course in The Bahamas enabled Emma to snorkel on a coral reef for the first time, sparking her drive to pursue a career in coral reef ecology and conservation. A year of her degree was spent studying at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, where she acquired her open-water diver qualifications and was first introduced to the Great Barrier Reef.
Emma continued at the University of Exeter to pursue a Master’s by Research degree, investigating the implications of motorboat noise on coral reef fish communities in French Polynesia. She was captivated by the healthy populations of sharks she witnessed daily in this shark sanctuary and tried her hand at capturing and tagging juvenile sharks to assist with a colleague’s project. She later returned to the Great Barrier Reef as a research assistant at Lizard Island Research Station, contributing to research on coral reef soundscapes and larval fish recruitment.
Emma secured a studentship from the Fisheries Society of the British Isles for her PhD at the University of Bristol, where she co-developed underwater infrared camera systems to investigate the elusive night-time ecology of coral reef fishes. She is driven to combine technology and scientific research to support tangible conservation solutions, raise public awareness and educate the next generation of ocean custodians.