Katharina is a marine ecologist working towards a better understanding of the ecology of marine mammals to improve their conservation, particularly in regard to anthropogenic threats such as fisheries interactions and climate change. Her research combines fieldwork with ecological and spatial modelling to investigate how marine mammal populations respond to environmental change.

Katharina is especially interested in species distributions, movement patterns, and ecosystem roles. As part of SAEF, she will contribute modelling expertise to help predict how Antarctic and sub-Antarctic marine species are likely to be affected by climate change, supporting evidence-based management and long-term ecosystem resilience.