June 2020
Episode 3: Featuring Arlie McCarthy, 2017 David Turner John Monash Scholar and marine biologist
Arlie’s doctoral research addresses the potential risks posed by marine invasive species establishing in Antarctica. Warming oceans and reductions in sea ice caused by climate change, combined with increasing human activity within the Southern Ocean, will likely increase the chance of non-native species establishing in the Antarctic region. Arlie’s research investigates factors that affect both the transport of non-indigenous species to Antarctic coastlines and the capacity of such species to establish populations, both now and in the future.
In her home town of Melbourne, Australia, Arlie completed a Bachelor of Science (Zoology) and a Diploma in Languages (German) at the University of Melbourne and by final year was taking as many marine biology courses as possible. She then moved to Hobart to complete a Masters in Marine and Antarctic Science at the University of Tasmania. Arlie’s work has resulted in several academic papers and advice to governments in Australia and the UK. Arlie’s research has taken her around the world, including Costa Rica, Mexico and several remote islands around Australia. As part of her masters, she completed two courses at the University Centre in Svalbard, where she discovered that benthic ecology, marine invertebrates and polar regions are especially interesting.