Wednesday Davis
she/her
Senior Marine Ecology Technician
The University
of Auckland
Discipline
Behaviour, Community Ecology, Conservation, Project Management, Public/Community Engagement, Migration & Movement Ecology, Science Communication
Regional Focus
The Hauraki Gulf, New Zealand
Years Active
3-5 years
Species Focus
Gulls and Terns (Laridae), Diving Petrels (Pelecanoididae), Cormorants (Phalacrocoracidae), Petrels and Shearwaters (Procellariidae), Penguins (Spheniscidae), Gannets and Boobies (Sulidae), Storm-Petrels (Hydrobatidae & Oceanitidae)
Tell us about your work with seabirds.
Kia ora! I'm Wednesday, I have a background in marine science and science communication. As a technician, I support a variety of research projects at the University of Auckland, including work on seabirds and cetaceans and how they interact in our big blue backyard. For my MSc, I developed AI tools to help identify seabirds and other marine megafauna from drone footage and studied multispecies foraging associations between seabirds and cetaceans. I am also currently working in the AI space as a research assistant to further develop our AI tool to identify and study coastal species from drone footage. I am a volunteer for Birds NZ and have worked with hoiho (yellow eyed penguins) as part of the BLAKE ambassador programme.
What advice would you offer to individuals aspiring to pursue a career as seabird scientists?
By being your true self, you can build strong, authentic, and meaningful connections with others and help create positive changes in the communities we connect with and the environments we exist in. Follow your passion and curiosity, and embrace opportunities to explore different areas within science to find what science career interests you. Don't be afraid to challenge yourself and try new things, as beautiful things can come from unexpected places
A selfie of Wednesday scuba diving in New Zealand's temperate reefs. She is wearing a blue wetsuit and pink mask, you can see kelp at the bottom of the image and a school of fishes swimming above her.
Email:
Website:
Twitter:
wednesday_d
Instagram:
@wednesday_d