I’ve spent over 300 days at sea chasing some of the ocean’s smallest creatures: zooplankton. These tiny drifting animals are the ocean’s middle management: the whole system collapses without them, yet nobody knows they exist. My PhD asks a simple question: what happens when zooplankton eat, poop, and die? Turns out, a lot. These tiny creatures help regulate Earth’s climate and feed everything from fish to whales. In 2021 I related a little too closely to my research subjects. I spent 136 days at sea covering 34,000 nautical miles, which is roughly one and a half times around the Earth. Ask me anything, especially if you’ve ever wondered whether the ocean is just a giant soup, because the answer is essentially yes.
Research keyword/s: Zooplankton
About the BEAKER STREET ROVING SCIENTIST PROGRAM
Each August, hundreds of Roving Scientists descend upon Hobart, filling up pubs and chatting to strangers as part of Beaker Street Festival. Discover a new world down the lens of microscope, and joining the least-boring bar conversations you’ve ever heard and these free (the chats – not the drinks) events.
For Scientists, Beaker Street’s Roving Scientist Program offers an excellent outreach, professional development, and networking opportunity. It’s the nerdiest and funnest way to share your research with the public, expand your network, and be inspired by leaders in all sectors of science and science communication.
