Laura McDonnell

Laura McDonnell headshot

lxm958@miami.edu

Laura McDonnell graduated with a doctoral degree from the University of Miami's Abess Center for Ecosystem Science and Policy. Her primary goal is to examine the use of animal-borne sensors to collect high-resolution ocean temperature data in support of interdisciplinary research. McDonnell is interested in how these data may enable an enhanced understanding of physical ocean changes in remote marine areas, exploring the utility of this data in climate variability models, shark conservation efforts, and dynamic fisheries management. 

McDonnell earned both her B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Biology from McGill University. She has worked extensively with aquatic species and led research projects in Uganda, Canada, the Bahamas, and Fiji. An NSERC and UM Fellow, McDonnell brings 12 years of fish biology experience to her interdisciplinary doctoral project. She hopes her work will help improve movement ecologists’ ability and willingness to collect and share animal-borne sensor data with diverse research groups to help mitigate urgent issues facing the global ocean under climate change. 

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