
Contributions by role
Contributions by subject area
Kathy A Townsend
Summary
Dr Kathy Townsend's research focuses on marine conservation and human impacts on the marine environment. Kathy's research programs draw strength from a multidisciplinary approach and tackle global issues, such as the impacts of marine debris and marine pollution. Kathy actively contributes to a greater understanding of the conservation status of marine species identified by the IUCN Red List for threatened species. Kathy has provided expert advice and influenced policy development at all levels of Australian government and internationally. Kathy has been fortunate to live and work on marine research stations for over 25 years and brings a broad knowledge of tropical and semitropical ecosystems. Kathy takes her role as a mentor to young scientists very seriously. She is consistently ranked highly by both students and peers for her teaching and community engagement techniques. As lead academic of the internationally renown scientific programs “Project Manta” and “Turtles in Trouble”, the research has been featured on multiple international documentaries, including BBC David Attenborough’s Great Barrier Reef and Nat Geo Wild's "Manta Mystery".