Macroscope Lab

Research interests

I got my start in community ecology studying songbirds in Massachusetts and rainforest recruitment dynamics in the Wet Tropics of Far North Queensland during her undergrad. A module at the New England Aquarium got me hooked onto reef fish. I spent two years working as a scientific diver and research assistant assessing reef fish diversity in my home of Hong Kong before moving to Scotland.

I joined the Macroscope Lab as a Masters student in 2020 investigating how fish foraging influences the reef benthos for early-life stage corals. Since then, I’ve also dipped my toe into macroecology, ecoinformatics, and biodiversity policy research with the BioTIME and EuropaBON projects. My current research interests broadly involve understanding the role of fishes and corals in the functioning of coral reef ecosystems across time and space.

My PhD project investigates the relationship between coral reef biodiversity and productivity, specifically looking at coral accretion and fish growth. I enjoy developing new methods to tackle my research questions, so I use a combination of synthesis analyses, reef-scale photogrammetry, and reef fish video surveys in my research. When I’m not in the lab or underwater, I’m passionate about volunteering my time in outreach and science communication with initiatives like Cell Block Science and Skype a Scientist.