Lorna McKellar, postgraduate researcher, CDT SuMMeR: Cohort 1

Initially I completed my BSc in Psychology at UCL before going on to work in the qualitative market research industry, which looked at consumer decision-making through focus groups, workshops, and community forums. I decided to follow my interests in marine science by completing an MSc in Marine Biology at Essex University, during which I spent time working in an otolith lab group looking at salmon migrations and yellowfin tuna behaviours.

I’m primarily interested in sustainable marine management and the balance between improving marine health whilst still delivering key ecosystem services, and how this can be achieved through effective marine policy. My experience in human psychology and decision-making means that I am particularly motivated to work with key stakeholders across different industries to improve communication and look at how we can use cross-disciplinary methods to manage marine resources more effectively.

Setting reliable and accurate thresholds for ‘good’ status is key for carrying out effective ecosystem assessments. Thresholds are values which distinguish between ‘good’ and ‘bad’ ecosystem status, and are set against indicators which are measurable indices, reflective of ecosystem condition. By monitoring thresholds over time, across marine areas, we can determine which environments are degraded and which are ‘healthy’ and is necessary for determining the success of conservation strategies. Importantly, the methods currently used to set thresholds have not been fully evaluated and, as a result, are not always clearly defined or transparently used in policy. In my PhD I look to evaluate the different methods used for setting thresholds and produce a framework to set accurate and reliable thresholds for ‘good’ status in marine ecosystem management.

Globally we are determined to improve the condition of our marine resources, which can be seen in the increasingly ambitious governmental targets being set, however, without a robust method for assessment, determining the success of these targets is challenging. With my work I aim to improve the accuracy and reliability in how management and decision-makers are setting thresholds, and thereby improve the assessment and management of marine resources.

I applied for the CDT SuMMeR because it has a strong focus on interdisciplinary research, which I believe will produce some of the most exciting and relevant research outcomes. The collaboration between academic and non-academic organisations was another motivation for applying, as I know this will give me a chance to collaborate with people that are working on implementing tangible changes in marine management and give me insight into how my research could be used in the real-world environment.