Congratulations to PhD student Ms Nicole Foster from the University of Adelaide, Marine Biology Program who was one of two, 2019 recipients of the Australian Academy of Science Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship Award.

The award provides up to $20,000 for early-career researchers working on the conservation of Australia’s flora and fauna, the ecologically sustainable use of resources and the protection of the environment and ecosystem services.

Ms Foster will use the award to study innovative approaches to the management of coastal environments. She will look at environmental DNA buried in sediment profiles of coastal environments to understand changes in coastal vegetation through time.

“Mangroves, salt marshes and sea grasses capture large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere and this actually helps to prevent global warming. They also provide a large amount of habitat for marine life and birds and stabilise the coastlines against erosion and storm events,” Ms Foster said.

“Through this environmental DNA analysis we will be able to see what the natural state of this system is and then tailor conservation goals towards the natural environment.”