Melina J Keane

Melina's PhD investigates the ecology and conservation of marine megafauna, with a focus on fine-scale movement, habitat use, and human-wildlife interactions. Using acoustic telemetry, she examines the spatial and temporal occupancy patterns of large sharks across coastal habitats, exploring species-specific residency and habitat preferences in coastal waters. She is also acoustic monitoring to characterise dolphin acoustic presence and behaviour, and to assess how anthropogenic noise influences their spatial distribution over time. Alongside this, she analyses bycatch trends in Queensland Shark Control Program gear to identify drivers of non-target species entanglement, including whales, dolphins, and marine turtles. Her work also dives into the social and economic value of iconic marine species in the Noosa Biosphere.

Melina's PhD titled the Blue Biosphere, is in partnership with the Noosa Biosphere Reserve Foundation.