People

Hannah is a proud Boorooberongal woman of Darug Nation living and working on Turrbal and Jagera Country. She completed her undergraduate degree in Science, majoring in wildlife and marine biology, at Griffith University on the Gold Coast. She also completed her honours in the field of ecotoxicology analysing sugarcane herbicides in marine turtle nesting areas and assessing risk using in vitro toxicity assays. After her undergraduate studies, she spent over two years living and working in the Republic of Maldives as a coral biologist managing and rebuilding a coral propagation program during the aftermath of the 2016 El Niño. She was also involved in a sea turtle rehabilitation program caring for injured and ill turtles (largely olive ridleys entangled in ghost nets).

After working in the Maldives, Hannah wanted to pursue research in coral reef systems closer to home and has now undertaken a PhD supervised by Professor Peter Mumby looking into carbonate budgets on the Great Barrier Reef. Carbonate budgets indicate the net carbonate production of reefs and are an important indicator of reef “health”. Carbonate budgets can also provide insight into a reef’s ability to maintain its framework structures (associated with many ecosystem services) as well as a reef’s growth potential (especially important in the face of climate change and sea level rise).