Staff & Expertise

Back to Top

Katharine Pritchard BSc (Hons)

Ms Pritchard is the second in charge at Australian Marine Ecology. A key focus of Ms Pritchard’s role is business management and plays a key role in project management within the company. Under these roles Ms Pritchard takes a lead in project resourcing and logistics.

Ms Pritchard obtained a Bachelor of Science degree with honours from Monash University. She has experience in a wide range of different marine environment consultancy projects. These include subtidal, intertidal and deep reef monitoring; marine pest identification and removal; and habitat mapping. Ms Pritchard is an experienced scientific diver and field biologist. Her experience with underwater visual census, in particular identification of temperate fish and invertebrates, has lead to the implementation of stereo video systems. She has experience in using a range of instrumentation and equipment. Her interest in remote sensing techniques have introduced her to servicing and maintenance of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) and baited video systems.

Complementing Ms Pritchard’s field experience she is involved in data management, data analysis including statistical programming using R, report preparation and scientific writing.

Matthew McArthur BSc (Hons) PhD (pending)

Matthew McArthur has extensive experience in the study of benthic systems in temperate waters. His doctoral and post doctoral studies established bench mark, high integrity infaunal data sets from a variety of estuarine and coastal shelf habitats never before sampled. A broad interest in marine systems led to volunteer work in a wide variety of habitats beyond his soft sediment assemblage specialty, establishing experience in fiord ecology, intertidal systems and Antarctic benthos. His postdoctoral position expanded his skills into towed video and AUV data acquisition in shore line rocky reef systems and continental shelf habitats. Diving projects have taken him from the Mediterranean to the sea ice around Ross Island and hundreds of hours of underwater work have been logged. In the course of his work, a year and a half of sea time was accrued on commercial vessels ranging from two to sixty-five meters length, with extensive watch keeping duties and time in command on vessels between two and sixteen meters. His public speaking skills were honed by teaching work, conference presentations and debates.

Shaun Davis BEnvSc (Hons)

Mr Davis obtained a Bachelor of Environmental Science with first class honours at Deakin University. He has gained considerable scientific experience in both the laboratory and the field since working with Australian Marine Ecology. Project experience includes programming, operating and maintaining water quality probes and data loggers; intertidal and subtidal reef monitoring; marine pest inspections; and habitat mapping. Mr Davis has established himself as an accomplished field biologist and is familiar with use of a range of instrumentation and equipment. He has logged over 100 days of sea time on commercial vessels and over 100 scientific dives. His scientific diving qualification has expanded his skills to include field identification of Victorian seaweeds and macroinvertebrates.

Mr Davis’s laboratory skills complement his field capabilities. He is experienced in GIS mapping, data management, report preparation and scientific writing. His area of interest lies in determining the impacts of pollution on the marine environment, including widespread habitat impact and responses of an individual organism to a stressor.

David Donnelly

David Donnelly has a broad background in the field of marine science, with experience in eco-tourism, the aquarium industry, oil and gas operations and scientific fieldwork. Mr Donnelly began his career in marine science working on whale watch tour vessels in Hervey Bay, Queensland. He then progressed to the aquarium industry working as an aquarist at Melbourne Aquarium for eight years where he specialised in elasmobranch husbandry and sea turtle rehabilitation. A change in direction led Mr Donnelly to be employed as a field research officer with the Dolphin Research Institute. In this role he was responsible for the coordination of fieldwork and vessel operations. Mr Donnelly assisted in the coordination of no less than five scientific projects linked to Monash University. These projects focussed on dolphin populations within Port Phillip Bay, Westernport and the Gippsland Lakes and included the study of genetics, toxicology, acoustics, spatial distribution and stable isotopes.

Mr Donnelly is an experienced and recognised aerial and vessel based marine mammal observer. An important component of his work included photographic records for species and individual identification, as well as maintenance of databases. Other experience includes a lead role in acoustic and visual cetacean surveys with the Australian Navy in the Coral Sea.

Timothy Tan BSc (Hons)