Dr Charlotte Birkmanis

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Adjunct Research Fellow (UWA Oceans Institute)
The University of Western Australia
Postdoctoral Research Scholar (Max Planck Society)
Director (Jock Clough Marine Foundation)
Perth and Sunshine Coast, WA, Australia

Expertise

animal, anthropogenic effects, behaviour, boat, chondrichthyans, climate change, conservation, drone, ecological modelling, education, elasmobranch, elasmobranch vertebral column, environment, fisheries, habitat use, marine, marine biology, marine conservation, marine ecology, marine ecosystems, marine environment, marine megafauna, ocean health, ocean pollution, pelagic, predators, science, science communication, science outreach, shark ecology, sharks and rays, species distribution, statistical modelling, STEAM, STEM, trophic cascades, trophic ecology, women in science, zoology, Australian EEZ, Indian ocean

Media

More Media Info

Previous media experience

As an avid wildlife science communicator and public speaker, Charlotte regularly presents both in-person and online to interested groups of all ages. She has been interviewed live on ABC TV and radio, podcasts and in print and works with the BBC's The Naked Scientists to produce live and prerecorded content. Charlotte's also been featured as a shark expert on the BBC, expert panels for Shark Week and Fringe World Festival, as well as an invited keynote speaker at international conferences and various outreach programs.

Links to media clippings

Biography

Charlotte bridges the gap between academia, industry and the public as the 'Public Relations Manager' for sharks, predators and our oceans (Shark PR). She wears many hats - Director of a Marine Foundation, Max Planck Scholar, Superstar of STEM, podcast, radio and TV host, author, STEM Ambassador - communicating the latest science in bite-sized pieces in film, writing and on stage. An award-winning marine scientist, communicator and Global Challenges Champion featured in various media (eg BBC, ABC, Forbes, World Fringe Festival), Charlotte regularly presents and teaches groups worldwide.

Charlotte is an experienced consultant and project manager on marine renewable energy and development projects. A marine biologist and ocean explorer interested in shark behaviour and movement, she actively researches and communicates both predator and ecosystem conservation and management. Always looking for answers, she has extensive presenting and travel experience (40+ countries), has lived on three continents and speaks Mandarin Chinese.

Interested in the impacts of development and predator removal on marine ecosystems, along with how the media portrays sharks and other predators, Charlotte has researched sharks and marine fauna across Australia, Asia-Pacific, and the Indian Ocean.

Charlotte earned a BAppSc in Ecology (with Distinction), BA in International and Global Studies (Mandarin Chinese) and BSc (Honours first class) in shark and ray vertebral biomechanics from the University of Queensland. For her PhD research on where sharks are, why they are there and if their numbers change over time, Charlotte developed novel ways to discover where sharks like to live and where they'll be in the future with climate change - kinda like time travel.

Personal info

Web links:
Gender:
Female
Pronouns:
she/her
Languages besides English:
Mandarin Chinese
Last updated: 30 Jan 2024