From Oxford Geography to Life As A Researcher in Oxford University's Seascape Ecology Lab
Sophie currently works as a research assistant in the Oxford University Seascape Ecology Lab, specialising in marine environments and seascape ecology (not only western science but also traditional/indigenous knowledges). Over the past few months, Sophie has contributed to three academic papers about the Seychelles, Blue Carbon, and the Arctic, produced a number of literature reviews for grant applications, and worked with a range of academics with specialisms from Maritime Law to International Climate Policy. Find out about her exciting research on the growing interest in marine ecology to include indigenous knowledge in conservation efforts.
Since graduating from the University of Oxford with a BA in Geography, I have worked as a Research Assistant for the Seascape Ecology Lab at Oxford. Seascape Ecology crosses the boundaries of Biology and Geography and assesses change over space and time of marine habitats and organisms - it’s landscape ecology but for the ocean! The head of the Lab was one of my undergraduate academic tutors, Dr Lisa Wedding, who has recently come to Oxford from Stanford University, in particular, the Stanford Center for Ocean Solutions.
I knew I wanted a career helping the oceans after I learned to SCUBA dive on an Operation Wallacea expedition to Indonesia in 2018. On this expedition, I spent two weeks collecting data via habitat surveys in rainforests on Buton Island in the Sulawesi region of Indonesia. This habitat survey data will be used by NASA to calibrate a new programme to calculate the amount of carbon stored in the rainforests. The following two weeks were spent carrying out underwater surveys about coral reefs, fish and macro-invertebrates, contributing to a monitoring programme by Operation Wallacea in the Wakatobi Marine Park within the Coral Triangle. In the summer of 2019, I did another Operation Wallacea expedition to Croatia, with one week doing terrestrial conservation work in Krka National Park, and one week diving to carry out sea urchin surveys around Silba Island. I knew that I loved the ocean and really wanted a life working to protect it.
Although the Geography course at Oxford University does not have any ocean-specific modules, I found I could weave it into any work I was doing. For example, I took a module on Biodiversity, Biogeography and Conservation, for which I wrote a coursework essay about the Wakatobi Marine Park where I had visited just the year before. I was also able to write my dissertation on heavy metal pollution in Scottish Highland coastal waters.
I loved the fieldwork aspect of all of these experiences and could really see myself working as a marine scientist. So, when my tutor said that she was advertising a job for a Research Assistant, I leapt at the opportunity; fortunately, I got the job! We were planning a big field season to French Polynesia in the Pacific, however, the COVID-19 pandemic hit, meaning that we could no longer travel. Instead, we have been busy planning and applying for funding for many other projects. As a research assistant, I have read widely and written many literature reviews on a range of topics, including seascape connectivity, blue carbon habitats, and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK).
One of the most interesting tasks I have worked on was learning about TEK in Hawaii. I have spoken with some native Hawaiian marine ecologists and read widely to see how indigenous communities understand and value nature. There is growing interest in marine ecology to include indigenous knowledge in conservation efforts with added pressure from the United Nations to do this too. We hope to include TEK narratives within our research in French Polynesia and Hawaii in the future alongside western science. An interesting case of how TEK can complement western science is how native languages can add understanding to the seascape. For example, in the Hawaiian language, some fish are named according to their stage of growth. The ‘ama’ama (mullet) is only called this when it reaches roughly 8-12 inches in length. When it is an adult, and so larger, it is known as ‘anae. The Hawaiian language also names fish in the following structure:
Fish and sea animals: Pa
Second name: general kind of fish
Third name: describe a special feature such as colour or habitat
E.g., a species of triggerfish: humuhumu (genus) nukunukuapua’a (nose like a pig) - this is the national fish of Hawaii!
Native cultures in Hawaii also tend to have unique worldviews, science, and understandings of marine organisms, such as the Kanaka maoli understanding of manō (shark). For Native Hawaiians, sharks are one of the first fish mentioned in their creation stories.
“Pua ka wiliwili, nanahu ka manō” - ‘the wiliwili (E. sandwicensis) flower is in bloom to the behaviour of the sharks biting (Pukui, 1983).
Native Hawaiians have many sayings passed down orally through generations, which link knowledge about a marine organism’s life history traits with those of terrestrial organisms which western science may not have previously linked.
He manō holo ‘āina ke ali’i – The chief is a shark that travels on land (this saying is one of the most well-known proverbs).
Some Kanaka maoli peoples even consider sharks to be family members; ancestral shark gods (manō kumupa’a) were (and in some cases still are) worshiped by native Hawaiians. Cultural legacies from these stories mean that sharks hold high value amongst native Hawaiians compared with the average westerner, making people feel more strongly towards efforts to conserve them.
As well as this, I have worked closely with an environmental lawyer, Professor Sarah Reiter at Vermont Law School and Angelique Pouponneau, CEO of the Seychelles Conservation and Climate Adaptation Trust (SeyCCAT) to submit a paper ‘An Ocean-climate strategy to stabilize the atmosphere and restore Ocean resilience’ to the International Journal of Coastal Law and Policy, advocating for greater inclusion of the Ocean in the UNFCCC and future climate discussions at the international level. I hope to attend COP26 in Glasgow in November 2021 with the Seychelles Delegation to see how discussions are had. I have also co-authored a paper ‘Incorporating blue carbon sequestration benefits into sub-national climate policies’ regarding the inclusion of ‘blue carbon’ in sub-national climate policy, using the case-study of California as a climate-progressive state. Blue carbon is carbon sequestered (stored) by coastal vegetated habitats such as mangroves, seagrass and wetlands. This paper has been accepted to the Journal of Environmental Change and will be published in the coming weeks.
Working on both of these papers made me realise how important policy and the law are for making change in to how the oceans are managed, and so I have made the decision to move away from science in my career path, and step over to the policy side. I have recently been accepted onto the MSc in Environmental Policy and Regulation at the London School of Economics which I hope will arm me with further knowledge on environmental governance.
Ways to further explore the exciting realms of sustainability:
Are you interested in learning more about the representation of nature in literature with Sophie or a further Sustainability expert?
Visit our “Sustainability & Our Planet” page for further exciting masterclasses and check out Sophie’s research experience project she hosts on our Work/ Research Experience page.
Are you applying to a top university for Geography?
Check out our on-curriculum division, U2 Tuition - we have a large team of Oxbridge-educated Geography mentors to support your application, including personal statement and interview preparation.
