¡Hola a todos! I’m Elena, I’m pursuing a Ph.D. in Biodiversity at the Institut de Ciències del Mar (Barcelona, Spain), where I study various aspects of the ecology of swordfish, blue, and mako sharks. This year, I got a scholarship from the Spanish Ministry of Science to visit a lab of my choice for three months, anywhere in the world! I've been wanting to come to Australia for a while, especially to the West Coast after hearing wonderful things about the landscapes and wildlife.
Although my background is mainly in trophic ecology, I’m also interested in movement ecology, so when I found out about the PEAC LAB I thought it was the perfect fit. During these three months, I’ve been exploring the world of diving behavior and learning how to analyse vertical profiles obtained from satellite tags. I also had the opportunity to do some fieldwork in the astonishing Ningaloo reef, where I worked on a ghost crab control experiment together with Eva and Dani from the Western Australian Government Department of Biodiversity, Conservation, and Attractions (DBCA). While being up North, I was offered to fly to Thevenard Island to help in the monitoring and tagging of flatback turtles for the DBCA's Northwest Shelf Flatback Turtle Conservation Program, and I couldn’t say no to that!
I’m really thankful to everyone in the lab for hosting me, and especially to Adrian for giving me this great opportunity. I got to learn new data analysis methodologies and go to the field, but also to work with a wonderful team of researchers, explore Western Australia, and get a taste of the Aussie life! I’m heading back to Spain with my batteries charged to finish my last year of Ph.D. and hopefully coming back soon!
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