Associate Professor Heather Stewart
Deputy Director - Geoscience
Heather Stewart is an Ass. Professor at Kelpie Geoscience, adjunct to the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. She has over 20 years of experience in multidisciplinary marine research and exploration with a focus on characterising the geology and physical character of the seabed and sub-seabed. She has participated in more than 35 marine expeditions globally and more than 10 remote land-based fieldwork expeditions.
Heather’s current research has two themes: the geomorphology and sediments of hadal and abyssal systems like subduction trenches and fracture zones; and assessing the dynamics, configuration, and sedimentary record of former ice-sheets. Working across disciplines Heather uses her expertise in shallow seismic, sidescan sonar, multibeam echosounder and sample data to work across a number of complementary fields.
Heather has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers and commercial reports, is an experienced scientific and public presenter having given more than 60 conference and university guest lectures and over 20 invited public talks. She has completed a number of crewed submersible dives. Recently Heather, alongside expert pilot and legend Kate Wawatai, became the deepest diving all female submersible team.
View Ass. Professor Heather Stewart’s research profile here and on LinkedIn.
Dr Joana Gafeira
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Geoscience
Dr Joana Gafeira is a Marine Geologist at Kelpie Geoscience, adjunct at the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. Her research focuses on utilizing high-resolution bathymetric models of the seafloor, along with other acoustic datasets, and employs automated mapping techniques.
She started her scientific career in Portugal before moving to the UK, where she completed her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, concentrating primarily on the geomorphology of submarine landslides. During her time at the British Geological Survey, she worked on various aspects of marine geomorphology and geohazards, specializing in the interpretation of multibeam bathymetric data, backscatter data, and seismic data.
Joana’s current research includes studying the geomorphology of the deep sea, landform and landscape evolution, submarine landslides, and the geomorphometrics of seabed features.
View Dr Joana Gafeira’s research profile here and on LinkedIn.
Dr Nemi Walding
Postdoctorate Research Fellow - Geoscience
Nemi is a post-doctoral research fellow at Kelpie Geoscience. Her research integrates high-resolution topographic models with photography and video analysis to investigate submarine volcano geomorphology and the characteristics of volcanic and volcaniclastic deposits to reconstruct the geological evolution of the seascape.
Nemi earned her PhD at the University of Hull, United Kingdom. Nemi’s research combined geotechnical experiments, analogue flume modelling, and fieldwork to investigate the geomechanical changes of pyroclastic material in response to moisture addition. Her findings highlighted the significance of even minimal moisture variations in influencing pyroclastic density current behaviour and resulting volcanic stratigraphy. In addition to her academic expertise, Nemi has prior experience working in the geotechnical industry, with proficiency in soil and rock logging, as well as environmental and geotechnical sampling.
View Dr Nemi Walding’s research profile here 0000-0002-4584-1319 and get in tough on LinkedIn.
Dr Devin Harrison
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Geoscience
Devin Harrison is a Marine Geoscientist at Kelpie Geoscience, adjunct to the Minderoo-UWA Deep-Sea Research Centre. His research utilizes high-resolution topographic models of the seafloor and complimentary geophysical and geospatial datasets to understand the geomorphic evolution and process landform relationship of the deep sea and the continental shelves.
Dr Harrison earned his PhD at Newcastle University, United Kingdom. His PhD research focused on the utilization of geophysical techniques (e.g. ground-penetrating radar) to characterize the evolution of terrestrial glacial ice-margins and outwash plains in southeast Iceland.
Devin’s research interests include the geomorphology of the deep sea, landform and landscape evolution, submarine landslides, glacial geomorphology and sedimentology.
View Dr Devin Harrison’s research profile here and on LinkedIn.
Dr Elin Thomas
Adjunct Research Fellow
Dr Elin Thomas is a marine biologist and conservationist working at the Deep-Sea Research Centre. Dr Thomas earned her PhD from Queen’s University Belfast, where her research focussed on the conservation of deep-sea benthic invertebrates. Prior to this, she graduated from the University of Southampton with a First Class Honours MSci Marine Biology degree.
Elin’s work involves addressing the need for improved fundamental knowledge about the systematics, distribution and relationships of understudied deep-sea species, and exploring how deep-sea conservation may be achieved with the limited data already available. This includes applying scientific criteria and tools from international organisations such as the IUCN to better understand the conservation needs of deep-sea environments.
Dr Prema Arasu
Postdoctoral Research Fellow - Arts & Humanities
Prema Arasu is a writer and poet interested in the phenomenology of the deep sea. They have an MLitt in Modern and Contemporary Literature and Culture from the University of St Andrews and a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Western Australia.
Dr Arasu is interested in how speculative fiction and experimental forms might provide us with new ways of talking about and conceptualising the oceans, particularly in the context of the Anthropocene. Their approach is interdisciplinary; integrating the methodologies of literary studies, creative arts, environmental humanities, philosophy, and science communication.
View Dr Arasu's research profile here.