Association of Polar Early Career Scientists - Oceania

15/09/2026

I’m an Antarctic and environmental scientist, who has recently completed my PhD on micro and nanoplastics in the air and Antarctica, and the ways we can detect and analyse them. I’ve been fortunate to do fieldwork in both Antarctica and the Arctic, and polar science is very much my happy place! I’ve been involved in APECS for a few years now and have met some incredible people and had some wonderful opportunities as a result!

You can find me on:
📝 Orcid: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6251-3747
🧊 Linked in: https://nz.linkedin.com/in/alexaves
📸 Instagram: Alex Aves 🌹

14/09/2026

Helllooo! My name is Clarissa and I am an Honours student with Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future (SAEF) at Monash University. I have a background in ecology and earth science and am interested in understanding the impact of anthropogenic threats (eg. climate change, non-native species, tourism) on terrestrial biodiversity and the interdisciplinary applications of ecology and geomorphology to the polar sciences. My previous projects have been on building a biodiversity database of Signy Island, Maritime Antarctic, cetacean citizen science along the Victorian coastline as well as the environmental seismology of the Vaughan Lewis Icefall, Juneau Icefield. My Honours project uses GIS and remote sensing to map the retreat of the McLeod Glacier and investigate current and potential species colonisation of the newly deglaciated New Beach, Signy Island.

You can find me on:
🧊LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/clarissahee
📸Instagram: clarissa

13/09/2026

Garvit is an Honours student at SAEF with majors in Mathematics and Zoology, and he completed a semester abroad at the University of Oxford in 2024. His previous research examined the effects of pharmaceutical pollution on animal behaviour and disease dynamics. More broadly, Garvit’s interests span theoretical, quantitative, and field ecology. At SAEF, he is investigating ecological regime shifts and tipping points in Antarctic and sub-Antarctic ecosystems.

You can find him on:
🧊 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/garvit-madan-04a8a91a5

10/09/2026

Ferdinand is a PhD researcher at Adelaide University, specialising in polar geodynamics, geochronology and tectonics. He completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Bremen in Germany, followed by a Master of Science at the University of Bergen in Norway, where he applied low-temperature thermochronology to investigate the topographic evolution of Svalbard and western Norway, respectively. His current PhD research focuses on the Southern Hemisphere, where he investigates the thermotectonic framework of East Antarctica and the long-term evolution of its continental margin. His work combines geochemical analysis with a variety of proven and novel geochronological tools to better constrain East Antarctica’s role during the assembly and disintegration of supercontinents as well as its implications for adjacent continents within Gondwana.

You can find him on:
📝 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6787-2514
🧊 LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/ferdinand-mayer-ullmann-2a2b31237
📸 Instagram: Ferdinand Mayer-Ullmann

09/09/2026

Yingpu Xiahou is a postdoctoral researcher at ENS Lyon, where she studies ice-ocean interactions using large-eddy simulation methods. She has recently completed her PhD in Physics at the University of Auckland. Her PhD research focused on ocean circulation and variability within the Ross Ice Shelf cavity, using multi-year in situ observations to investigate ice–ocean interactions. She is also a recipient of the 2026 Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research INSTANT Fellowship and has been selected as a council member of APECS Oceania. Her work has been published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans and Geophysical Research Letters.

You can find her on:
🐦Bluesky: .bsky.social

09/09/2026

I am a penguin ecologist with a remote sensing background. My research combines population ecology with GIS to explore the population dynamics of Adélie penguins in the Ross Sea, using very high-resolution satellite imagery and complimentary aerial census methods. I have spent over 100 days on Ross Island, Antarctica, studying Adélie penguins in the field. I am also involved in the monitoring of little blue penguins, Kororā, on Banks peninsula in Aotearoa New Zealand. My research interests are the conservation and welfare of New Zealand’s and the Southern Ocean’s seabird populations!

You can find me on:
🧊 LinkedIn: Alexandra Strang
📸 Instagram: Alexandra Strang

08/09/2026

My name is Jeremy and I’m from Melbourne, Australia. I graduated from Monash University in 2024, having studied Commerce and Science. I am currently working in consulting, primarily conducting climate reporting for private and government organisations. My interest in all things polar was sparked by a research expedition I completed in 2025 on the Juneau Icefield. It opened my eyes to the opportunities available in the area, as well as the range of research being done. Whilst my current job does not directly relate to the polar sciences, I’m excited to be apart of APECS and contribute to its success.

You can find me on:
🧊 LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeremystewartdtt
📸 Instagram: Jeremy Stewart

07/09/2026

❄️🐧Introducing the 2026 APECS Oceania Council!!!❄️🐧

Over the course of this week we will be introducing our very interesting, very lovely and very very clever APECS Oceania council!

Keep your eyes and ears peeled! 📢🐋

07/09/2026

03/08/2026

This message is on behalf of our friends at the Polar Impact Mentorship Initiative!🏔️🐧 Minorities in Polar Research

Apply to join the organizing team for the Polar Impact Mentorship Initiative🚨❄️

The Polar Impact Mentorship Initiative (PIMI) program is a volunteer-run, international program designed to offer support for anyone who identifies as belonging to a historically excluded racial or ethnic group and is involved with work in the polar regions.

Polar Impact is encouraging individuals to apply to join the PIMI organizing team. Organizing team volunteers are expected to commit to a two-year term with an average of approximately 5 volunteer hours each month. The goal is to have the new organizing team established by early- to mid- January 2027, solicit mentor / mentee applications in May 2027, and begin the new round of PIMI programming in August 2027. This is a great opportunity to help create an impactful mentorship program, expand your professional network, and build skills to list on your CV/resume!

Reach out to [email protected] with any questions.

Complete the application form by midnight (AEST/NZST) on August 14th, 2026. Applicants will be notified of decisions by September 15th, 2026.

🧊📋Find the form in our linktree!