Biography

Rachel is the Director of Discovery & Engagement and a marine scientist at Geoscience Australia.

Her research broadly investigates how environmental stressors affect marine invertebrates, particularly their early life stages. She has undertaken research on the potential effects of seismic impacts on marine invertebrates, as well as characterising biodiversity in northern Australian marine parks. She has also led over 100 collaborators to develop a suite of nationally standard methods for sampling in Australia’s oceans. She has published over 50 peer-reviewed articles on marine science and has a strong interest in science communication.

Prior to moving to Canberra, she completed her PhD at the University of Wollongong and a postdoctoral role at Stony Brook University in New York. She is currently the President of the Australian Marine Sciences Association and the communication and outreach co-chair of the Ocean Best Practice steering group.