Anna AH Hegarty Australian Marine Sciences Association Annual Meeting 2023

Anna AH Hegarty

I obtained a Bachelor of Science (Environmental Biology) with first-class honours from University College Dublin, Ireland in 2021. I was awarded a CMERC Stipend Scholarship and an International Excellence 100% Tuition award from CQUniversity to commence a PhD at the ‘Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre’ (CMERC) at CQUniversity in February 2022. Alongside Professor Emma Jackson, and working in partnership with 'Reef Catchments' and 'Coral Sea Marina Resort', my research project aims to explore the influence of biotic and abiotic factors on the placement of seagrass seeds in large-scale restoration projects for successful establishment of seagrass in dynamic environments. My work focuses on determining the optimal method for selecting the best viable seeds for large-scale seed-based seagrass restoration, determining the optimal method for dispersing seeds for large-scale seed-based seagrass restoration, and determining the optimal spatial, temporal and environmental conditions for dispersing seeds for large-scale seed-based seagrass restoration. Prior to my work at CQU, I investigated the effect of species, mainly cordgrass and algal mats, on the distribution of seagrass in Dublin Bay.