My name is Kathryn!

I’m a coral nerd originally from the United States. Ever since I was little, I knew I wanted to be a marine biologist, despite coming from a family that definitely weren’t “water people.” I spent my childhood splashing around in the ocean searching for sea cucumbers, eels, baby sharks, seashells… everything. Like many aspiring marine biologists, I was convinced I’d grow up to study dolphins. In reality, I didn’t discover what kind of scientist I wanted to be until university.

On my first day of my marine science class at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, my professor burst through the door talking enthusiastically about coral reefs in Belize. His passions for coral was infectious, and I immediately knew I wanted to be a part of that world. After finally working up the courage to speak with him, I asked to volunteer in his lab; a small, shy conversation that ultimately set me on my path that has now brought me to Australia.

Me in 2014 on board a dive vessel for my first big field trip while studying in Galapagos, Ecuador while in my undergrad.

My first experience in coral reef research focused on how corals cope with climate change: specifically rising temperatures and ocean acidification; I was completely hooked. But when it came time to take my next academic step, my professor encouraged me to leave Chapel Hill and try somewhere new. At the time, it felt heartbreaking. Looking back, it was some of the best advice I could have received as a young scientist; step outside your comfort zone, challenge yourself, and explore new perspectives.

That advice took me to the University of the Virgin Islands on St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where I began my master’s studying coral disease. My experience there was anything but conventional. Two major hurricanes struck at the beginning of my degree, derailing my original research plan and forcing me to adapt quickly. Eventually, I joined an existing project investigating White Plague, a devastating Caribbean coral disease, by studying the bacteria associated with infected corals.

Me (on the right) as the coordinator of Reef Response at the University of the Virgin Islands with my lab mates in the Brandt Lab and collaborators from the Nature Conservancy

The project also pushed me into bioinformatics; a field that had always intimidated me, but one I genuinely enjoy as I learned coding, statistics, and how to work with large data sets. While I valued the work, something still felt missing.

That changed when an unexpected opportunity in coral reef restoration opened in my lab. At first, I knew very little about restoration and wasn’t particularly “jazzed” on it: an embarrassing confession now! But it was the first time science truly clicked for me. I loved the creativity involved, the applied nature of the work, and especially the opportunity to collaborate directly with communities that are so impassioned about their local reefs. Reef restoration showed me that science could be both rigorous and deeply human.

That realization, and a growing passion for community-focused conservation, became the motivation behind pursuing my PhD. Now at the University of Technology Sydney, I work with the Coral Nurture Program; a partnership between researchers, Traditional Owner groups, and tourism operators that creates unique opportunities to work directly with communities along the Great Barrier Reef. My work focuses on helping support strategic, community-informed decisions around coral reef restoration, with the goal of maintaining reefs that are environmentally, culturally, socially, and economically valuable.

Diving on the Great Barrier Reef as part of Coral Nurture Program reef monitoring fieldwork. Photo credit: Paige Strudwick

The best way I can describe my journey so far is “scenic.” It has taken me places I never imagined and involved plenty of unexpected detours along the way. While I’m excited to share my science, I’m equally excited to share the realities of becoming a scientist: from the questions I was too afraid to ask, to the tough lessons learned along the way. Pursuing a PhD can feel isolating, overwhelming, and lonely at times. But through sharing candid reflections, my friends and I hope to show that you’re not alone, and if this path is truly what you want, the challenges are worth it.