I am a marine ecologist who works on showcasing how genomic tools
can be scaled and integrated in the day-to-day operations of conservation and
fisheries managers to enable rapid and robust monitoring of ocean health. A
focus of my work is to provide evidence-based science on how environmental DNA (eDNA) and
genomic observations can become standard monitoring tools for marine ecosystem
conservation.

 I am currently collaborating with the Australian
Government to optimize the scalability and effectiveness of eDNA biomonitoring
in marine parks and Commonwealth waters to offer near real-time insights. Utilizing
a multidisciplinary research approach, I synthesize
data into practical information, bridging the fields of microbiology, biogeochemistry
and marine ecology in coastal and open oceanic environments ranging from
tropical to temperate and polar environments. I am passionate about operationalizing field work,
democratizing science and capacity building in and around the Indian Ocean rim.

 I am a Science Committee Member of the Sustained Indian Ocean Biogeochemistry
and Ecosystem Research programme (SIBER), representative at the Australian
Marine Science Association (AMSA) for the IIOE-2 committee, and one of the
founders of the Indian Ocean Early Career network in 2015 (IIOE-2 ECSN).