Amy Whitehead Email & Phone Number

Lincoln, Canterbury, New Zealand

Christchurch

Used a wide range of quantitative and spatial tools to inform environmental decision making in freshwater, estuarine and marine ecosystems for both commercial clients and as part of research projects.Work included:- national-scale assessments of water quality state and trends in New Zealand rivers and lakes, including predicting water quality across the entire New Zealand riverscape.- Developing an interactive webtool that allows users to map and interrogate estimates of environmental conditions across the NZ riverscape (https://shiny.niwa.co.nz/nzrivermaps)- assessing trends in freshwater bird populations- water quantity accounting to understand the quantity and spatial distribution of cumulative water consents- developing a suite of interactive webtools for the Estuarine Trophic Index (ETI) Toolbox to assess the susceptibility of NZ estuaries to eutrophication (e.g., https://shiny.niwa.co.nz/Estuaries-Screening-Tool-1/)- forecasting future yield of green-lipped mussels in Pelorus Sound to assist the commercial mussel industry (https://shiny.niwa.co.nz/musselforecast)

An ecological modeler using conservation planning tools, such as species distribution modelling and spatial conservation prioritisation, to identify areas of high conservation priority in the face of wide-scale urban and regional development.Responsibilities included:- working with large spatial datasets of species occurrences, environmental data and planning scenarios- producing species distribution models for ~2000 species and threatened ecological communities using MaxEnt and boosted regression trees - identifying high priority conservation areas for biodiversity within two large scale regions in Australia using the spatial conservation prioritisation, Zonation- evaluating the efficiency of current protected areas and identifying potential options for improvement- assessing the potential impact of future development scenarios on biodiversity- working closely with Federal, State and Local Government agencies, including planners and policy makers, to help incorporate biodiversity into planning processes - collaborating with ecologists, social scientists and urban planners from a number of institutions to integrate conservation planning theory into multi-disciplinary projects.

Christchurch, New Zealand

An ecological modeller working on a range of conservation-oriented projects, including:- the effects of livestock removal on native plant and invasive mammal biodiversity;- potential transmission functions of Tasmanian devil facial tumour disease; - relationships between habitat, burrow density, burrow occupancy and breeding success in grey-faced petrels;- demography, physiology and pathogens of Adelie penguins;- relationship between south polar skua population densities and Adelie penguin colonies; - resource allocation of masting trees in response to herbivory.

- Advised the Whio Recovery Group on effective whio conservation techniques.- Developed and maintained the National Whio Database.- Monitored whio in Fiordland to assess the effects of predator control.- Handraised captive whio from eggs to release into wild populations.

- Monitored kakapo nesting success on Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, providing supplementary food to enhance breeding potential.- Handraised kakapo chicks from hatching to wild release.

- Handraised takahe from eggs to release into wild populations.- Monitored wild populations of takahe to assess population recovery.

- Monitored wild kaki nests to identify and assess the impacts of predators.

Phd, Ecology, Deans List For Research Excellence

Activities and Societies: New Zealand Natural Sciences Journal - Editor in ChiefPublications: Whitehead, A.L., G.P. Elliott & A.R..

Msc, Forest Resources, Fisheries

Masters thesis: Whitehead, A. L. (2002). Optimal harvest of shovelnose sturgeon (Scaphirhynchus platorynchus Rafinesque) in the Wabash.

Bsc (Hons), Ecology & Zoology, First Class

Honours thesis: Whitehead, A.L. (2001). Habitat selection in drift-feeding fish: do giant kokopu play by the rules? BSc (Hons).