Katharina J. Peters

Katharina J. Peters is a Lecturer in Biological Sciences at the University of Wollongong, affiliated with the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences (SEALS). Her research focuses on behavioral ecology and conservation biology, particularly in marine mammals and the impacts of climate change. She established the MAVE Lab in 2023 to study marine megafauna ecology and anthropogenic threats.

Educational Background: BSc Honours in Marine Biology (Flinders University), PhD in Biology (Flinders University), and undergraduate studies in Biology of Organisms (University of Osnabrück, Germany).

Research Interests: Hybridization in Darwin’s finches, marine mammal conservation, climate change effects on species distribution, and human-wildlife interaction. She emphasizes translating ecological data into adaptive management strategies.

Key Achievements: Australia Awards Endeavour Research Fellowship (2018), leadership in interdisciplinary projects like the MAVE Lab, and contributions to global initiatives such as the UN Ocean Conference. Her work bridges ecology, policy, and public engagement.

Labs/Teams: Lead of the MAVE Lab, collaborating with institutions like the University of Zurich and Massey University on marine and evolutionary ecology projects.