Background
Zhao is a Master’s student with a keen interest in using quantitative methods, including spatial modelling and spatial prioritisation methods, to understand how biodiversity have been surveyed in the past and how people can smartly collect more biodiversity data for future study and conservation actions.
He worked on a project in Southwest China that aimed at protecting the habitats of giant pandas from the threats posed by free-ranging livestock. The project received recognition as one of the top ten teams worldwide by the Birdlife International Young Conservation Leaders Awards in 2018. In addition to his conservation research, Zhao also coordinated many NGO capacity building programs.
Emphasizing the importance of Antarctica as a global common, he strongly advocates for collaborative efforts across disciplines and among all humans to ensure its protection.