M Louise Burt

M Louise Burt is a Research Fellow at the Centre for Research into Ecological & Environmental Modelling (CREEM), part of the School of Mathematics and Statistics at the University of St Andrews, UK. She is actively engaged in statistical ecology and environmental modeling, with a strong focus on marine mammal conservation. Her work integrates acoustic and aerial survey data to estimate population abundance and assess environmental impacts.

Her research interests span marine mammal ecology, passive acoustic monitoring, environmental statistics, and conservation biology. She applies advanced statistical methods, including Bayesian analysis, to wildlife population estimation and behavioral response modeling. Her work contributes directly to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to life below water and climate action.

The recent articles highlight a consistent focus on marine species monitoring, particularly cetaceans, using passive acoustics and digital aerial surveys. Key themes include population abundance estimation, foraging behavior disruption due to sonar, and integrating diverse data sources for robust ecological inference. The research emphasizes statistical rigor and real-world conservation applications.

Dr. Burt has contributed to significant collaborative efforts, including expert systems for population survival prediction and multi-institutional monitoring projects. While no formal awards are listed, her work has been referenced in policy sources and disseminated through conferences and public datasets, indicating impact beyond academia.

She has organized the International Statistical Ecology Conference and contributed to major reports for the Scottish Government. Her work involves close collaboration with governmental and international research bodies, supporting evidence-based wildlife management and marine spatial planning.

Her research is centered at CREEM, a leading institution in ecological modeling, where she works within a multidisciplinary team advancing statistical methods for environmental monitoring and conservation assessment.