معرفی
Dr. Lara Sousa is a Research Staff member at the Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), University of Oxford. Her research focuses on behavioral and spatial ecology of wild vertebrates, particularly marine species and African carnivores. She holds a BSc in Biology from the University of Évora, an MRes in Marine Biology from the University of Aveiro, and a PhD from the University of Southampton. Her doctoral work examined the behavior, predator-prey interactions, and fisheries impacts on ocean sunfish in the North Atlantic. At WildCRU, she leads the Trans-Kalahari Predator Project, investigating spatial ecology of lions, leopards, and hyaenas in Zimbabwe to understand population densities, habitat selection, and intraguild interactions. She employs satellite tagging and camera trap surveys for species distribution studies. Her work integrates environmental drivers and anthropogenic threats to guide conservation strategies.
Key research areas include spatial ecology of large carnivores, marine megafauna tracking, and the impact of human activities on wildlife. Collaborations span marine species (e.g., blue sharks, hammerhead sharks) and terrestrial systems (e.g., African wild dogs, cheetahs). She has published extensively on topics ranging from climate-driven species redistribution to conservation policy implications of human-carnivore conflict. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges ecology, conservation, and technology to address global biodiversity challenges.
