WOMEN IN SEABIRD SCIENCE
Danielle (Dani) Fife
she/her
Research Assistant/Field Biologist
Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN)
Discipline
Conservation, Population Dynamics
Regional Focus
Atlantic Canada
Years Active
6-10 years
Species Focus
Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae), Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae & Oceanitidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
Currently a Research Assistant with the Northern Gannet Restoration Project (MUN), assisting social attraction restoration/population monitoring in Atlantic Canada. During my MSc. on seabird survival estimates, I assisted other projects, including an island-wide census of Leach's Storm-petrels on Baccalieu I., and tracking device deployment on gulls and terns on Sable Island. Following that, I worked with several species off South Africa and Atlantic Canada, sampling blood for chemical tracer analyses of seabird communities. I've since had various contracts, e.g., conducting at-sea surveys in the Arctic, and two seasons of Leach's Storm-petrel research off Newfoundland with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
I experienced trauma while living overseas pursuing my PhD. Initially I tried soldiering on, then tried a leave of absence hoping to regain focus, but ultimately decided to quit. It was an incredibly difficult decision and while I still have what if I hadnt' moments, I know it was the right choice. Regardless of trauma, academia/the research world can feel isolating at times, so find a community and reach out for help. Sometimes life just happens, and it's ok to be kind to yourself and give yourself space to step back or change paths.
Dani Fife wearing an olive green cap, plaid shirt, and khaki pants standing on bare ground in front of a Cape Gannet colony on Malgas Island, South Africa. She is holding an adult gannet from which she will measure and draw a small sample of blood for future chemical analyses.
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@danibug_traveller