Contacts
Fraser Morgan
Dr Fraser Morgan is a geospatial modeller and geographer with Landcare Research. He is the Science Leader of the MBIE research programme. He will lead the analysis of human movement within the Ross Sea region (RSR), and assist with the bioregionalisation uncertainty analysis and the development of the new Environmental Impact Assessement for the RSR. This builds on his research on human decision making within agent-based models , his strong track record in Antarctic data and the bioregionalisation of the continent , and provision of quality science to policy advice. Fraser also leads the technical development of the Antarctic Environments Portal for Antarctica New Zealand.
Contact details
Pierre Roudier
Dr Pierre Roudier is a geospatial modeller and pedometrician with spatial data analysis skills with Landcare Resarch. Pierre will lead the soil analysis and data harmonisation aspects within this Programme. He will draw on his current and previous research on the feasibility of Digital Soil Mapping techniques for Antarctica and New Zealand.
Contact details
Markus Müller
Dr Markus Müller is a geographer and computer scientist at Landcare Research with experience in geocomputation (geomorphometry, satellite image processing, erosion modelling) and High Performance Computing using National e-Science Infrastructure (NeSI). Markus leads the work on bioregionalisation uncertainty and forecasting, and data synthesis such as the automation of satellite image processing. All of the above builds on Markus’ previous work: the current Environmental domains classification for the Ross Sea region; land cover analysis using satellite imagery in Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo); and geomorphometric gully erosion modelling in New Zealand.
Contact details
Marwan Katurji
Dr Marwan Katurji is an experienced numerical weather and climate modeller at the University of Canterbury. Marwan has operated regional- to micro-scale numerical weather and climate models on the National e-Science Infrastructure (NeSI) high performance computing systems we will use. Marwan’s expertise in regional climate modelling is invaluable for this project's dynamical downscaling of climate variability for the Ross Sea region and climate projection under IPCC climate change scenarios. His track record and experience in surface-atmosphere interaction processes in the Dry Valleys and numerical simulations in complex terrain will be used in the design and validation process of the regional climate model simulations.
Contact details
Dion O’Neale
Dr Dion O’Neale will contribute complex systems and network science capabilities, along with expertise in data-mining and analysis of "big data". Dion works at the University of Auckland and his research draws together techniques and approaches from ecology, economics, mathematics and physics to gain new insights from existing data sets. His previous work has included developing novel methods for identifying, quantifying, and visualising regional features such, as complexity and diversity, from large, linked spatial data sets.
Contact details
Glen Stichbury
Glen Stichbury, a geospatial analyst at the University of Waikato, will undertake hydrological analyses within the program, utilising remote sensing and terrain modelling. Having previously developed a wetness index model for Dry Valleys research, he will use existing data to improve the model and will incorporate detailed climate information at local scales and extrapolate the model to a regional scale.
Contact details
Simon Cox
Dr Simon Cox is a Principal Scientist at GNS Science in Dunedin, with professional expertise in geological mapping, tectonics, GIS modelling, and fluid-flow. He has extensive Antarctic experience and was lead author on the recently published geological map and GIS dataset of southern Victoria Land. Simon will build on existing data to develop geological and landscape evolution datasets providing information on the substrate and a context of the depth of geological time.
Contact details
Aleks Terauds
Dr Aleks Terauds is a senior research scientist in the Terrestrial and Nearshore Ecosystems Program at the Australian Antarctic Division and an Adjunct Senior Fellow at the Australian National University. His research focus is spatial ecology, modelling spatial diversity and impacts of invasive species across trophic levels. He has a particular interest in conservation planning and management in the sub-Antarctic and Antarctica. He also is Chief Officer of the Scientific Committee on Antarctica Research (SCAR) programme AntEco (State of the Antarctic Ecosystem). He will assist with the bioregionalisation, non-native species and human movement analyses.
Contact details
Neil Gilbert
Dr Neil Gilbert leads the Environment team at Antarctica NZ. He completed his PhD on Antarctic near-shore marine ecology while at the British Antarctic Survey and has represented the UK and New Zealand at many international Arctic and Antarctic science, environmental and policy forums. Since joining Antarctica New Zealand in 2003, Neil has been New Zealand's representative to the Antarctic Treaty System's Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP), which he chaired from 2006 to 2010. Neil and his Environment Team will assist in spatial analyses on human movement and conduct research into the development of the new Environmental Impact Assessment for the Ross Sea Region.
Contact details
Megan Balks
Dr Megan Balks is a Senior Lecturer in Earth Sciences at the University of Waikato. Megan has been involved in Antarctic Soil Research since 1990 and has undertaken 19 trips to the ice. Her research has mainly related to the properties and distribution of cryosols and permafrost and the impacts of human activity on the Antarctic soil environment. Megan has had a major role in establishing a network of soil climate station monitoring sites that contribute to a global permafrost and active layer monitoring effort. Megan is the current co-chair of the Cryosol Working Group of the International Union of Soil Sciences, and a Fellow of the New Zealand Society of Soil Science.
Contact details