ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes’ Post

Thrilled to share that I have officially graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Ecology and Conservation from the University of Sheffield in June 2023! 🎉 During my academic journey, I delved into various facets of environmental conservation, honing my skills in fieldwork, data analysis, and project management. Now equipped with a strong foundation, I'm eager to contribute to dynamic projects and collaborate with experts in the field. My final year research project involved a deep dive into global agricultural trends, analysing crop yields and proposing mitigations for challenges related to agricultural homogenisation and climate change. 🌍🌾 In Portugal, I carried out a field study on the impact of spiders and dark florets on beetle (Anaspis sp.) aggregation size in Daucus carota, highlighting the crucial role of plant-insect interactions. 🍃 During a biological field skill project in the Peak District, I explored the biodiversity of epiphytes on tree trunks, considering the impact of tree species and measuring light availability. 🏞️🌿 Now, as a graduate actively seeking opportunities in Ecology and Conservation, I am excited to embark on the next chapter of my career. If you know of any opportunities or have insights to share, I'd love to connect! 🌐 Let's continue working towards a sustainable and green future! 🌎💚 #Graduate #Ecology #Conservation #Sustainability #Environment #NewBeginnings

I am so proud of the advanced #Singapore Central #library! One of the key features of the Central Public Library, the Children’s Biodiversity Library aims to let #children get up close with #marine life through a plethora of marine and coral specimens and books on marine #biodiversity. Families can learn about #sustainability and the #environment together. #AI https://lnkd.in/g5awdbRe

In ecology, acclimation is how organisms adjust to new conditions. But what happens when the pace of change is too fast for adaptation? Climate change is challenging ecosystems and species across the globe, pushing them beyond their tolerance limits. On Day 2 of #ClimateWeek, Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay explores the concept of acclimation—both in nature and in our attitudes toward climate change. Are we becoming complacent, even as conditions worsen? Read the full article below to understand the urgency of staying engaged in climate action. https://ow.ly/ZJXY50TtCjm Help us spread awareness for these important climate issues by sharing this article with your network and tell us in the comments how climate is impacting your daily life. #ClimateWeek2024 #Sustainability #WildlifeConservation #UnityEnvironmentalUniversity #ClimateAction #Resilience #ConservationStrategies Dr. Melik Peter Khoury Denise Young

On Day 2 of #ClimateWeek, Unity delves into a critical concept in ecology: acclimation. It's how organisms adjust to new environmental conditions; but what happens when change outpaces the ability to adapt? Dr. Michaeleen Gerken Golay examines this phenomenon in both ecosystems and human behavior. Are we, like species being pushed beyond their tolerance limits, becoming too complacent as climate change accelerates? Understanding this urgency is key to climate action. Read the full article and help spread awareness. Share your thoughts: how is climate change impacting your life? #ClimateAction #StayEngaged

🌍 National Geographic Externship: A Unique Opportunity for Emerging Conservation Leaders 🌍 National Geographic and The Nature Conservancy are now offering an incredible opportunity for global students aged 18-25 to make a real impact through their Community Conservation, Data Visualization, and Mapping Externship. Key Details: - Application Deadline: August 30th - Seats Available: 100 - Stipend: $500 This externship is perfect for students passionate about conservation, data analysis, GIS, and communication. Participants will address critical environmental challenges such as biodiversity loss and marine threats by leveraging GIS and mapping data to craft community-focused solutions. If you know any students who are directly impacted by environmental challenges or have a strong interest in making a difference, this is an opportunity not to be missed. Let’s support the next generation of conservationists and data storytellers! Learn more and apply: https://lnkd.in/dJ-bdzhq #Conservation #DataVisualization #GIS #EnvironmentalImpact #NationalGeographic #TheNatureConservancy #StudentOpportunities #Mapping #Biodiversity #MarineConservation #SustainableSolutions #ApplyNow

🎤 #SpeakerHighlight → Our final speaker reveal before today's session is Dr Eric Goberville, Marine Ecology Researcher, Maître de Conférence at Sorbonne Université and at Museum national d'Histoire naturelle 🌊 Eric Goberville's research focuses primarily on gaining a deeper understanding of how species respond to both natural and human-induced environmental influences within the context of spatiotemporal evolution.  His work spans different geographical and temporal scales, with the main objectives being: • Characterizing ecosystem diversity in terms of functioning and structure. • Defining and quantifying complex interactions between climate, environment, and biology. • Developing models to anticipate ecological responses of key species to past and future environmental pressures, such as geographic shifts, extinction risks, and sensitivity to disturbances. Eric Goberville's research approach relies on the analysis of monitoring and observational data, the application of advanced ecological concepts, and the development and utilization of numerical procedures and statistical methods. He places particular emphasis on ensuring that his work has practical and tangible applications, aiming to provide operational tools and indicators to support decision-making in the context of current societal challenges. This includes issues such as the decline of key species, changes in biodiversity, and alterations in the ecological status of ecosystems. His contributions have been manifested through the valorization of data from national and international research programs. Notably, he has characterized and quantified the links between observed changes in coastal systems, climatic influences, and human impacts. Furthermore, he has highlighted, through an integrative approach encompassing multiple biological compartments, the significant role of large-scale climatic disturbances in the modifications of pelagic ecosystems in critical areas of the North Atlantic. Lastly, he developed scenarios to anticipate biodiversity changes in oceanic and terrestrial domains. These scenarios have considered various sources of uncertainty, including algorithmic, climatic, and ecological factors, while also accounting for the structuring impact of biotic interactions. 🖥️ See you tonight for this online event at 7PM! Free but mandatory registration at this link: https://lnkd.in/eJ6GakqY Event organised by Laurie-Anne Roy & Hadar Zaslansky from Global Shapers Paris.

🌿 Summer Research Highlight: Exploring Biodiversity from Above 🌿 This summer, I had the privilege of working at the intersection of forest ecology and remote sensing—an interdisciplinary field—at the University of Notre Dame Environmental Research Center (UNDERC). Using hyperspectral data from the NEON Airborne Observation Platform (AOP), I explored how cutting-edge technology can enhance biodiversity assessments across vast landscapes. Our project aimed to bridge the gap between traditional labor-intensive biodiversity monitoring and advanced remote sensing technologies. By analyzing spectral diversity, we discovered meaningful correlations with species, phylogenetic, and functional diversity metrics—contributing to scalable ecological studies approaches. 📊 Key findings: - Hyperspectral data effectively captures species diversity, shown by a strong positive correlation between spectral alpha diversity metrics and species richness and functional diversity. - Spectral beta diversity was linked to variations in species composition, phylogenetic relationships, and functional traits, revealing its potential in large-scale biodiversity assessments. - Further refinement in spectral data processing is needed to improve predictions of functional and phylogenetic diversity. This experience has deepened my understanding of how cutting-edge technology can aid conservation efforts, and I’m excited to continue exploring the intersection of ecology and remote sensing. Thanks to my mentor, Logan Monks, the Bernard J. Hank Family Endowment for funding, and the entire UNDERC team for making this summer unforgettable! #RemoteSensing #Biodiversity #ForestEcology #HyperspectralData #NEON #Conservation #ResearchExperience

Foundational research published by Mario V. Balzan and his team. Check it out! Abstract: Social-ecological systems in the Mediterranean Basin are characterised by high biodiversity and a prolonged cultural influence, leading to the co-evolution of these systems. The unique characteristics of Mediterranean social-ecological systems, current pressures leading to a decline in ecosystem services, and the need for coordinated action are recognised by policies promoting the protection and sustainable use of the region’s heritage. Ecosystem assessments provide valuable information on the capacity of the Mediterranean Basin to ensure the well-being of its population. However, most assessments simplify the complexity of these systems, which may lead to inaccurate ecosystem services supply and flow estimations. This paper uses the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model to guide an expert consultation that identifies the key characteristics of the Mediterranean social-ecological systems and analyses how these should be included in ecosystem assessments. Data collection was carried out through expert consultation with ecosystem services researchers. Multiple sources of complexity were identified, including the relationship between historical human activities, biodiversity spatio-temporal patterns, as well as the seasonal and long-term variability in ecosystem services. The importance of incorporating this complexity in ecosystem assessments for evidence-based decision-making is identified, suggesting that there is a need to adapt assessment approaches for the Mediterranean Basin social-ecological systems. Pages 136-155 | Received 05 Jul 2018, Accepted 17 Mar 2019, Published online: 01 May 2019 https://lnkd.in/gzpkMc4j

I am really happy to have participated in this article in #TheGuardian today ‘Taking the pulse of the planet’: could we monitor biodiversity from space as we do the weather? https://lnkd.in/eEiFq_jy This article comes off the back of our recent paper (last week) Global monitoring for biodiversity: Uncertainty, risk, and power analyses to support trend change detection https://lnkd.in/e9_-iv6j In it, we (with Brian Leung also at McGill University) make the key point that the uncertainty in the existing global data (due to temporal, geographic, and taxonomic gaps and biases) makes it very hard for us to detect the change in biodiversity trends arising from global conservation efforts to "bend the curve" of biodiversity. This article focused on 1000s of population trends in the Living Planet Database. We propose a series of solutions one of which is to assemble a global biodiversity observing system (GBiOS) to allow countries to work together to systematically monitor biodiversity change. https://lnkd.in/e5Ev2fA8 We also point to the need for a risk framework for trend detection that accounts for probability and magnitude of decline or recovery; a way to create early warnings, or point to early successes. The combination of GBiOS and a risk framework would put us in a much stronger place to measure our progress towards the goals and targets of the UN CBD's Global Biodiversity Framework.

Thrilled to share that I've successfully completed the "Ecology: Ecosystem Dynamics and Conservation" course offered by the American Museum of Natural History on Coursera! This immersive journey through the intricate web of ecological systems has equipped me with a profound understanding of the delicate balance between organisms and their environments. By delving into topics like ecosystem dynamics and conservation strategies, I've gained invaluable insights into the pressing environmental challenges we face today. This course aligns seamlessly with several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13: Climate Action and SDG 15: Life on Land. Through the lens of ecology, we explored sustainable practices to mitigate climate change impacts and preserve biodiversity. By promoting ecosystem health and resilience, we contribute to the overall well-being of our planet and its inhabitants. Furthermore, the knowledge gained from this course empowers me to actively engage in conservation efforts, whether it's advocating for protected areas, implementing sustainable land management practices, or fostering community-based conservation initiatives. By aligning our actions with SDGs, we can collectively work towards a more sustainable and equitable future for all. I'm excited to leverage this expertise to drive positive change in environmental conservation and contribute to the global effort towards achieving the SDGs, particularly SDG 13 and SDG 15. Let's collaborate to safeguard our planet's biodiversity and ensure a thriving ecosystem for generations to come! #Ecology #Conservation #SDGs #ClimateAction #LifeonLand #ProfessionalDevelopment