Victoria Cole

With more than 10 years post-PhD experience in experimental marine ecology, I am interested in the complex ecological interactions that influence marine biodiversity with a focus of restoration. I aim to understand how natural and anthropogenic factors (small scale and large scale processes) influence biodiversity in habitats made by shellfish reefs (mussels and oysters), and the consequences of habitat loss and change. My research is important in the context of shellfish reef restoration and determining the success of shellfish reefs under anthropogenic stress (ocean warming and acidification, pollution, urbanisation, and harvesting). Recently, I have successfully manipulated climate stressors (ocean acidification and temperature) in the field, developed novel methods to determine in situ filtration rates of bivalves, assessed ecological effects of microplastics on oyster reefs, and a developed monitoring program for invertebrate fisheries and restoration.