Paula Cartwright

§ Marine and Freshwater Ecology, Spatial Science and Oceanography: 

Dr Paula Cartwright is a coastal marine scientist whose research combines marine optics, remote sensing, environmental monitoring and quantitative data analysis to improve understanding of tropical coastal ecosystems. Her work focuses on how physical processes influence underwater light environments, water quality and ecosystem function, with applications spanning coral reefs, seagrass meadows, estuaries and coastal shelf environments.

Working across northern Australia, Dr Cartwright leads multidisciplinary research programmes that integrate autonomous environmental sensors, satellite observations, field measurements and advanced statistical modelling to investigate environmental variability over timescales ranging from tidal cycles to decades. Her research aims to bridge observational oceanography with ecological applications, translating complex environmental datasets into information that supports environmental management, restoration and climate adaptation.

A major focus of her current research is the development and interpretation of long-term underwater optical datasets collected from tropical coastal environments. These observations provide a rare opportunity to examine how underwater light quantity, quality and temporal variability respond to changing water-column conditions, and how these optical environments influence benthic ecosystems. She is particularly interested in developing transferable approaches for quantifying benthic optical exposure and integrating marine optics with ecological assessment.

Dr Cartwright has established collaborations across universities, government agencies and industry, and her research spans remote sensing, coastal oceanography, marine ecology and environmental data science. Her work has contributed to nationally significant monitoring programmes throughout the Great Barrier Reef and Gulf of Carpentaria and has been recognised through an Australia–India Institute Fellowship and an invitation to join the UTTHAN Pathways: Building Regional Research Partnerships Advisory Committee, supporting the development of international research collaborations between Australia and India.

As President of the Australian Marine Sciences Association, she is committed to strengthening Australia's marine science community while building international collaborations that advance both fundamental understanding and applied management of coastal marine ecosystems.