Dr Louise Emmerson: BSc (Hons), PhD
Research interests
It was obvious from when I was a small child that my affinity for the natural world and its remarkable creatures meant that I would be drawn to ecology. My training at the University of Adelaide and the Australian National University grounded me in field and theoretical ecology, as well as applied mathematics, and demonstrated how critical insight can be gained by being in the field. My research has required intense periods of field work in remote and remarkable places including marine, red desert, and Antarctic ecosystems.
I came to the Australian Antarctic Division in 2001 to study Adélie penguin population dynamics and their key demographic drivers in East Antarctica. I now also study other Antarctic breeding seabirds including snow, Cape, Antarctic and Wilson storm petrels, skuas and southern fulmars.
My research focuses on identifying and minimising negative impacts on the birds from our activities in Antarctica and current or emerging threats. I work closely with science and policy colleagues to achieve improved conservation outcomes for the seabirds. Our data feeds into CCAMLR's ecosystem-based management approach of the Southern Ocean, through the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program (CEMP), using seabirds as indicators and to distinguish between impacts from krill fisheries and climate change. This work will help ensure that Antarctic fisheries activities remain sustainable for the wildlife that depend on the ocean’s living resources.
As Leader of the Seabird Ecology Research group based at the Australian Antarctic Division, I ensure that the science that we do supports informed management decisions and improved conservation outcomes for Antarctic breeding seabirds.
Our core research activities include understanding the distribution and abundance of seabird breeding habitat, identifying drivers of demographic change, and exploring their foraging ecology. This includes researching what they eat, where they catch it, how much they require and how they interact with their physical and biological environment, to identify key foraging areas and avoid overlap with fisheries activities.
I am interested in the drivers of population dynamics – what governs the birds’ spatial and temporal changes – and to use this to better understand and predict population responses in a changing environment. I also undertake research on Antarctic seabird genetics and paleoecology to identify key refugia during periods of major environmental perturbations, wildlife disease, and persistent organic pollutants and microplastics contamination in seabirds.
I am keenly interested in scientific education and actively involved in classroom visits and outreach activities. I have spent much time in the South Australian desert with international students, teaching them ecology, global, social and environmental responsibilities, and encouraging greater sensitivity to and awareness of their environment.
Current projects
- #4518: Ecological research and monitoring to improve management strategies and conservation outcomes for Antarctic breeding seabirds (Chief investigator)
- #4087: Seabird response to environmental variation and change: identifying drivers of key ecological processes (Chief investigator)
- #4184: Conservation genetics of Antarctic seabirds and seals: population connectivity and past glacial refugia
- #4086: Detecting potential fishery related and climate change impacts through the CCAMLR Ecosystem Monitoring Program
- #4088: Monitoring the status and trends of Antarctic seabirds to improve fisheries management and detect climate change impacts in east Antarctica
- #2722: Predator research survey and monitoring in support of CCAMLR’s management of the krill fishery