Anthony Gillis

Maps and marine life always captured my attention, have guided my life’s trajectory and defined my passion’s. Whether in the pages of National Geographic or repeat viewings of Cousteau’s films, my imagination always sent me to far-flung destinations, exploring mysterious habitats, and their wondrous creatures. Even now that sense of wonder and imagination has informed my career decisions and academic pursuits. Throughout my career, I’ve tried to answer various questions that leverage the use of spatial information better understand the current state of our natural world. Whether it’s answering how sea turtle diets change with home range sizes or prioritizing marine hotspot using various GIS modelling approaches, I’ve found so much joy transforming these passions and pursuits into a career that has traversed ecosystems and species. Fortunately, my pursuits have now brought me to New Zealand to explore the diversity of its coastal communities. I’m extremely grateful to continue this journey as a Ph.D. student working in the Tonkin Lab and Dr. Mads Thomsen’s Lab. My Ph.D. will explore the importance of direct and indirect interactions in rocky shore kelp and estuarine communities. Each chapter and project will provide a foundation for the next, ultimately leading to a deeper understanding of community assembly, interaction variability and dynamics. Pursuing the answers to these questions will help me build my quantitative skills from a foundation built on a deep interest in maps and marine ecology.