Dr Kirsten Young

About me:

I am a population biologist, researching population structure and connectivity of wild mammal species to inform conservation policy, particularly in the face of rapid environmental change. I use complementary methods such as genomics (sometimes working with historical and degraded samples), behaviour, photo-identification, acoustics, eDNA monitoring to better understand wild populations. During my career I have developed expertise in marine mammal science, genomics and ecology, field survey techniques, climate change ecology and international marine policy. I have spent extensive periods in the field ­– at sea and on land – as well as in the laboratory. I work in primary research and provide science writing and advice to governments (for example, New Zealand Department of Conservation) and inter-government institutions (for example, South Pacific Regional Environment Programme) and non-governmental organisations (for example, Greenpeace, International Fund for Animal Welfare, Centre for International Environmental Law).

Broad research specialisms:

Population genomics, conservation genomics, morphometrics, mammal ecology, cetacean ecology and behavior, marine ecology and conservation, eDNA monitoring, international marine policy.

Interests:

Most of my work focuses on understanding the population ecology of marine species, particularly in our current era of rapid environmental change and industrialization of human activities in the oceans. I use cross-disciplinary techniques, such as population and conservation genomics, behavioural observations, photoidentification, acoustics and morphological analyses to investigate marine mammal populations. Much of my most recent research has focused on the deep diving whales – sperm whales and beaked whales. 

I work in primary research and provide science writing and advice for governments (for example, New Zealand Department of Conservation), inter-government institutions (for example, South Pacific Regional Environment Programme) and non-governmental organisations (for example, Greenpeace, International Fund for Animal Welfare and the Centre for International Environmental Law).

Qualifications:

2022 Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

2017 PhD, Biological Sciences, University of Exeter
2013 MSc. (Hons.) 1st Class, Biological Sciences, University of Auckland
1993 BSc. (Hons.), Zoology, University of Glasgow

Career:

• 2023 – present Senior Lecturer in Ecology, University of Exeter.
• 2014 - present Consultant Marine Scientist
• 2019 – 2023 Lecturer in Ecology, University of Exeter.
• 2008 – 2014 Curator NZ Cetacean Tissue Archive & Research Scientist MMEG, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
• 2007 – 2013 Tutor, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
• 2009 – 2012 Ecologist, Peers Brown Miller Arboriculturists Ltd, NZ.
• 2002 – 2007 Parental leave.
• 2001 – 2002 Research Scientist, Bryde’s Whale Project, University of Auckland.
• 1993 – 1998 Field Scientist, Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, University of Oxford, Proyecto Alnitak, Spain, University of St Andrews and the International Fund for Animal Welfare.