Vanessa Pirotta

Vanessa Pirotta is an Adjunct Professor at the School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University. Her research spans marine biology, conservation technology, and wildlife ecology, with particular focus on cetaceans, drone applications in ecological monitoring, and wildlife trafficking prevention.

• ORCID: 0000-0003-0395-1859
• h-index: 12 (593 citations)
• 5+ years of research outputs: 31 publications

Key research areas include:

• Marine mammal conservation
• Drone technology for wildlife observation
• Marine park protection strategies
• Illegal wildlife trafficking detection

Notable scientific awards:

• 3 Minute Thesis Competition Winner (2017)
• FameLab Australia National Winner (2018)
• FameLab International Runner-Up (2018)

She actively contributes to STEM education initiatives through the Girls to Graduates (G2G) project (2023-2025) and has been featured in 33 media contributions including ABC radio, Channel 7/9 appearances, and expert comments on whale conservation.