2023-present
Sales Engineer &
Senior Oceanographer
Starboard Maritime Intelligence
We spun out Starboard from Xerra in early 2023. I lead science-based product development and applied research into vessel behaviour at sea, satellite vessel technologies, and biosecurity.
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I write winning tender responses: I wrote about 70% of the proposal that landed us the New Zealand all-of-government contract for the 5-year Defence Fusion System;
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I acquire and retain customers: In liaising a technical level, I learn about the problem they need to solve; then I work with product managers to bring this knowledge to the software engineers.
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I run research projects and operations for dark-vessel detection by satellite.
2018-2023
Senior scientist
Xerra Earth Observation Institute
Xerra was a NZ government funded research institute for the exploitation of satellite Earth observation.
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I led research and product development of remote sensing for environmental monitoring, for example of lake water quality.
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In 2020, we began to track ships using AIS data and to detect dark vessels using satellites in support of management of the southern bluefin tuna fishery in the Tasman Sea. This led to the development of the Starboard platform.
2018-present
Adjunct Senior Research Fellow
The University of Waikato
I am a lead researcher in Eye on Lakes, a research project to improve the detection of cyanobacteria blooms in lakes using satellite remote sensing.
I also co-supervise several graduate students, give special lectures and provide expertise in lake science and remote sensing.
2014-2018
Senior Research Fellow
The University of Waikato
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Leading role in a New Zealand-wide team of the most prominent freshwater scientists in the country in a four-year, NZD $4.5 million research programme (MBIE contract);
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Led a research programme developing nationwide analysis of satellite data for water quality assessment; and
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Taught graduate-level courses and supervised post-docs and grad students.
2009-2014
Senior Environmental Scientist
CBCL Limited
CBCL Limited is the leading, employee-owned, multidisciplinary engineering and environmental consulting firm in Atlantic Canada.
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Successfully managed CAD $5.2 million of project work;
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Led internal teams to achieve complex client projects; and
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Wrote winning proposals to support business development.
Education
2007
Ph.D.
Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
Biological oceanpgraphy.
1998
M.Sc.
The University of York, U.K.
Biological Computation
1998
B.Sc.
The University of Newcastle upon Tyne, U.k.
Marine Biology