Katie Clemens-Seely

Interested in a conservation-orientated degree that would allow her to gain practical and research skills, Katie decided to do a Master of Marine Conservation.

“There was a wide range of courses on offer – from fieldwork throughout New Zealand and on the Great Barrier Reef, to data analysis, to the opportunity to do a research project, which then led to a publication in a scientific journal. This combination was ideal and is so useful in my current role where I’ll be writing and editing scientific reports one day, and conducting field work in the subantarctic the next.”

Since completing this programme, Katie has worked at the Goat Island Marine Discovery Centre, the Leigh Marine Lab and the Wellington University Coastal Ecology Lab. Currently she works at the Department of Conservation. “My role is diverse. Over the years I’ve participated in the review the Maui and Hector’s dolphin Threat Management Plan and acted as lead project manager for the development of the New Zealand sea lion Threat Management Plan.”