Jessica Marinovich

When do you hope to complete your qualification?

2025

What made you decide to pursue this qualification?

I’ve always been interested in the way the world works, specifically in relation to nature and its weird and wonderful creatures. I was the kid who would sit and watch seagulls and pigeons, observing their relationship with one another, absolutely fascinated and always wanting to know more. I’ve also always been interested in Marine science because the ocean is such an integral part of my life; however, it was never something I considered pursuing properly until I was already at university and needed to change majors. I picked up Marine as a ‘fun’ subject – but knew immediately that it was going to be more than that. Now, 6 years later, I am extremely happy to be studying something that can offer me both a career and a life full of fun adventures, exciting discoveries and lots of time in and around the sea.

I began my PhD project while completing my Master of Science degree. The results from one of my research papers indicated that snapper might play a more significant role in the control of kina on New Zealand rocky reefs than we had previously assumed, and my supervisors suggested I upgrade my project to a PhD. This allowed me to focus on a project that I am really interested in and look at it at a far more detailed level – making it a no-brainer at the time.

What made you choose to come to this university to study?

I grew up in Auckland, so the University of Auckland was the closest university which meant I could still live at home while completing my bachelor’s degree and save money. As I progressed further in the field of Marine Science, I had the opportunity to visit the Leigh Marine Laboratory and ended up settling here as it’s such a beautiful part of the country to live in!

Describe the area of study you are following.

My research focuses on the ecological role that snapper (tāmure, Chrysophrys auratus) play as predators of kina (sea urchins; Evechinus chloroticus) on northern New Zealand rocky reefs.

Snapper and crayfish (kōura, Jasus edwardsii) are the main predators of kina, a sea urchin species that feeds on macroalgal species. However, overexploitation of crayfish and snapper has resulted in significantly reduced abundances of these species. Concurrently, these depleted stocks have been observed alongside increases in abundance of kina on rocky reefs and large declines in macroalgal habitats and associated kelp forests resulting in a transition to relatively barren rocky areas known as ‘kina barrens’. This loss of kelp forest habitat is significant as kelp helps form important three-dimensional habitats that provide food and shelter for a range of associated species alongside important ecosystem services, including primary production, nutrient and carbon cycling, recruitment regulation, and wave attenuation to rocky reef ecosystems.

However, the role that snapper plays in this ecological pattern (known as a fishing-induced trophic cascade) has been largely assumed and never properly quantified or studied. My research aims to fill this gap by quantifying how much kina snapper eat and what size, figuring out which sizes of snapper are most important, and investigating how can we use this knowledge to potentially predict and explain patterns of ecosystem changes on northern rocky reefs.

What do you like most about the programme and why?

The best part of the programme is the awesome range of opportunities I’ve gained so far – lots of epic fieldwork (both my own and helping out others), I’ve massively progressed in my SCUBA diving (and have dived in some amazing places!), met really interesting people, made lots of connections with other students and researcher and had the opportunity to attend quite a few conferences in my field! It’s not all sunshine and rainbows, but these things definitely make the hard days worth it.

Where do you hope this qualification will lead you?

I’d like to pursue a career in Marine Science, either in something related to marine ecology, marine protection, or management of fishing practices. My PhD touches on all of these topics and they are all areas I am very passionate about. Ideally, I’d like to end up working in a space where I can contribute knowledge to our understanding of the unique relationships between marine species and figure out how we can use this knowledge to better inform and adapt our own practices to the benefit of both the ocean and people.

If you have a scholarship, what is the name of it and how it has helped you?

I received the University of Auckland Doctoral Scholarship, which has helped me pay for my tuition fees, as well as a fortnightly stipend, which assists in paying for my rent, food, expenses, etc. This allows me to fully commit to my PhD without having to have a job on the side (although I do have some contracts). I would highly recommend applying for a scholarship and/or funding if you are considering doing a PhD.