School of Science

Dr Amanda Hodgson

Amanda is a researcher focusing on marine megafauna within the Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research.

Background

Amanda’s core research objective is to develop innovative methods and technologies to research, monitor and conserve marine megafauna and their critical habitat. During her early career Amanda studied the behaviour of dugongs and response to human impacts (boats and pingers). She has since designed and conducted many aerial surveys to understand the distribution, abundance and habitat use of marine mammals (particularly dugongs). In 2007, Amanda was one of the first in the world to investigate the potential for using drones for fauna surveys. She partnered with Insitu Pacific Ltd (Boeing), who supplied their ScanEagle for field tests and this work demonstrated the feasibility of drone surveys and has investigated the probability of detecting marine megafauna in aerial imagery in order to transition to imagery surveys. Amanda also partners with AI experts to develop deep-learning models for processing drone images, and a photogrammetric engineer/software developer to create imagery survey tools. Amanda’s research is largely centred on dugongs, and her objective of developing innovative research techniques is motivated by the need to develop research tools that are accessible and affordable in developing / under-developed countries that form a large proportion of the dugongs’ range.

Professional Memberships

• 2013 – IUCN Sirenian Specialist Group – Pacific Region (Regional Co-Chair)
• 2015 – United Nations Environment Program / Convention on Migratory Species – Dugong Memorandum of Understanding (Dugong MoU) Technical Advisory Group (Invited Member)
• 2015 – Drone Systems and Applications (Associate Editor)

Awards and Recognition

National and International Awards

• 2022 - Enhancing the role of local communities in dugong and seagrass conservation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. Arab Regional Centre for World Heritage. Lead Investigator $24,713
• 2022 - Implementation Plan for Dugong Population Surveillance in the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. Co-investigator $42,130
• 2021 - National Guidelines for Survey of Cetaceans, Marine Turtle and Dugong. Department of Agriculture, Water and Environment. Lead investigator $60,000
• 2020 - Use of artificial intelligence to assess dugong aerial survey imagery. Department of Environment and Natural Resources, NT. Lead Investigator $45,175
• 2020 - Conservation of biodiversity, seagrass ecosystems and their services – safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable coastal communities in a changing climate. United Nations Environment / CMS Co-lead Investigator $192,706
• 2019 - Dugong Detector to Monitor Seagrass Health. Google.org Impact Challenge Australia 2018. Top 10 Finalist. Lead Investigator $250,000
• 2019 - Dugong Aerial Surveys of the Shark Bay Wooramel Banks in Summer, Autumn and Spring – Westaus Oysters Carnarvon Trial. Harvest Road (Westaus Oysters). Lead Investigator    $343,064
• 2019 - Feasibility study and experimentation on the use of drones for cetacean monitoring in the ACCOBAMS Agreement Area. ACCOBAMS (the Agreement on the Conservation of Cetaceans of the Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea and contiguous Atlantic area). Lead Investigator $22,611
• 2017 - Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to investigate visual detection probability of coastal dolphins during aerial surveys. Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc. Co-Investigator; Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions. Co-Investigator $49,432; $54,839
• 2016 - Conserving Critical Seagrass Habitat for Dugong: An Integrated Assessment Across the Pilbara. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions. Lead Investigator $473,672
• 2013 - Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to survey marine mammals: manual detection of dugongs in images to allow validation of alternative detection methods. Australian Marine Mammal Centre. Lead Investigator $53,623
• 2013 - Abundance estimation of breeding stock ‘D’ of humpback whales (Western Australia): a pilot study to determine optimal survey methods and location. Australian Marine Mammal Centre. Co-Investigator $199,400
• 2012 - Wheatstone Project: Dugong Aerial Surveys. Chevron (via URS). Lead Investigator $1,893,003
• 2011 - Using UAVs to survey marine mammals: development of methodology: Field trials 1 and 2. Woodside Energy. Lead Investigator $103,700
• 2010 - Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles to survey marine mammals: development of methodology and a comparison with manned aerial survey estimates. Australian Marine Mammal Centre (Bill Dawbin Postdoctoral Fellowship Award). $440,400

Research Areas and Interests

• Dugong biology and conservation
• Marine megafauna abundance, distribution, and habitat use
• Marine mammal ethology
• Human impacts on marine mammals
  • Boat disturbance and boat strikes
  • The efficacy of pingers
• Novel research and monitoring techniques
  • Using aerial platforms (drones, blimps) to conduct surveys and direct observations
  • Developing tools to support aerial surveys, e.g.,
    • Image processing software
    • AI (deep learning) solutions
    • Survey design tools
    • Reporting and analysis tools

Qualifications

• Doctor of Philosophy, James Cook University, 2005.

Research Outputs

Research Projects

• A partnership approach to filling key knowledge gaps on dugongs in northern Australia using novel technologies , Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, National Environmental Science Program, 2023 ‑ 2026, $58,540.
• NEOM Sindalah Island Ferry Route Dugong and Marine Megafauna Surveys , King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Grant, 2024 ‑ 2025, $196,681.
• Dugong and marine megafauna research program for mitigation of the impacts of vessels, NEOM, Grant, 2024 ‑ 2025, $720,627.
• IKI - Conservation of biodiversity, seagrass ecosystems and their services safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable coastal communities in a changing climate, The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, CMS Secretariat - Grant, 2023 ‑ 2024, $114,043.
• Monitoring the distribution and abundance of dugongs (and in-water, large marine turtles) within the GBRWHA using a combined aerial observer and imagery approach, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Grant, 2024, $27,500.
• Enhancing the role of local communities in dugong and seagrass conservation in the Kingdom of Bahrain , The Secretariat of the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, CMS Secretariat - Grant, 2023 ‑ 2024, $25,512.

Research Student Supervision