Tracey Rogers - Science Talk 2008

Introduction

Dr Tracey Rogers is a marine biologist who researches and teaches at the University of New South Wales. Tracey completed her PhD in 1997 at the University of Sydney. She has worked as a seal trainer at Taronga Zoo where she first became interested in research on leopard seals. She was awarded the prestigious Young Tall Poppy Science Researcher award in 2005. This award recognises outstanding achievements in science and science communication to the community.

Tracey’s research focuses on the impacts of climate change on the Southern Ocean ecosystem, using the leopard seal, an Antarctic apex predator, as an indicator of large-scale changes. Tracey is the only scientist in the world committed to a long term study of leopard seals. This means that she often spends her summers in the Antarctica.

In 2004 Tracey’s research work on leopard seals was showcased in a National Geographic documentary. She has also appeared on science communication shows such as Catalyst on the ABC.

In this resource Tracey talks to female science students about her work on leopard seals and the impact of climate change on the species. She encourages students to go with their passion and to look to what it is that interested them in science and follow this as their career.