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Mari Klaussen

PhD student

About me

Before starting my PhD with WWT and Bournemouth University, I completed a MSc at the University of Oslo in 2023. Here I studied the environmental influences on the start of the breeding season in Norwegian kittiwake colonies.

After finishing my MSc, I worked as a junior consultant for nature conservation NGO BirdLife Norway. The work focused on research projects and communication with the public and the media. I was mainly involved in projects related to seabirds and seaducks and conservation plans for these species in Norway. During this time, I also co-wrote a children’s book about bird species in Norway.

My project

The main focus of my PhD project is the nesting success of ground-nesting birds and how they are affected by predators. Predation is one of the main causes for population declines in ground-nesting birds and so finding solutions to reduce predation is important for the conservation of these bird species. One of the aims of this project is to create a model that can simulate how predators behave, predation events, and how different management options can be used to reduce the amount of predation events. This model can then potentially be used to find the most effective management options for different locations and species without having to spend any time or resources beforehand.

Experience and interests

  • Avian ecology
  • Statistical analysis and modelling in R
  • Public speaking and science communication
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