Marine Vertebrate Ecology Lab
Juliette Gard
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Juliette completed her BSc in Marine Science and Environmental Studies in 2023 at the University of Sydney. Since then, she has built a diverse research background across Australia and internationally, contributing to projects with USYD and the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, investigating fish assemblages in seagrass communities and the genetic resilience of Sydney rock oysters. She has worked on marine conservation projects in Mexico, focusing on coral reef monitoring and spotted-eagle ray photo-ID, and with the Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project in Western Australia, where she examined the behavioural ecology and maternal investment of bottlenose dolphins, developing strong experience in long-term marine mammal field research. Since 2026, Juliette is an MPhil candidate at the MAVE Lab, University of Wollongong.
Research
The focus of Juliette’s research is on re-establishing a baseline of population metrics for the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin population in Jervis Bay. The research will estimate population abundance, describe demographic composition, assess site fidelity, and examine spatial and temporal patterns of habitat use. These outcomes will provide critical insight into population status, reproductive health, and long-term viability, thus strengthening conservation planning for coastal dolphins and improving the capacity to respond proactively to environmental change.
Supervisors: Dr Katharina Peters, Prof Barbara Bollard, Dr Kerstin Bilgmann and A/Prof Guido J Parra.