Kathy is a marine socio-ecologist, from the north-west coast of Tasmania, who is particularly interested in how communities can establish best-practice conservation management strategies in marine systems, and in doing so, maximise their environmental and social impact. Currently, Kathy is a postdoc in the Ending Plastic Waste Mission at the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSRIO) where she continues researching strategies that reduce the harms of plastic pollution in communities around the world. In 2021, Kathy was awarded an Australian-American Fulbright Fellowship with the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team at the University of Washington, where she worked with Professor Julia Parrish analysing data collected by their marine debris citizen science programme.

Kathy completed a PhD at the University of Tasmania, in partnership with CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere, where she explored the effectiveness of government waste management policies, infrastructure and outreach programs at reducing coastal plastic pollution. When not staring at her computer screen, you’ll find Kathy in the surf catching the white water on her foamy, hiking up mountains, tending to the veggie garden or being dragged away from the indoor plant section at the nursery by her partner… as 13 indoor plants is probably enough.