Ana Bugnot remembers the very day she set her heart on a career in science which would ultimatey lead her to becoming a marine ecologist.

She was only eight years old – and watching Jurassic Park at the cinema.   

“There was the biologist there with the dinosaurs. I remember saying ‘I want to do that, but in the sea!” Bugnot says. 

Fast-forward a few decades and Bugnot has been named the Australian Marine Sciences Association’s 2024 Emerging Leader in Marine Sciences. 

Her ambitions have evolved a little since childhood too. She is now a researcher in our Management of Impacts of Biodiversity team, fighting for what she calls “the underdogs of ecology” – coastal and marine environments.

“A lot of the research and ecological theory has been developed on terrestrial systems,” Bugnot says. 

“For that reason, most people aren’t familiar with adaptation and mitigation measures for the oceans. Out of sight, out of mind.

“I’m a big advocate of the mudflats, which are underdogs within the marine environment. A lot of people really don’t care about them because they’re seemingly devoid of life and smelly, despite actually being very rich animal communities living in the mud.”

Bugnot and her team are studying the ecological impacts of human pressures on marine environments such as coastal hardening; the introduction of invasive species; climate change and pollution. They then test tools and strategies to mitigate them.

She’s also working on two federally funded projects. One is a National Climate Risk Assessment for coastal and marine environments, and the other on how the Australian government’s Nature Repair Market initiative would apply to coastal marine ecosystems.

Growing up in Buenos Aires, Bugnot completed her undergraduate degree in Argentina, then her doctorate at the University of Sydney. She worked there for several years before joining CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, in 2022.  She says the move magnified the impact of her research. 

“The aim of my research is to inform decision making in areas like adaptation and mitigation practises, policy directions and priorities. Sometimes access to policy makers, managers and the people that you hope will use your research can be more limited at universities.

“Working at CSIRO gives us career impact. We get direct access to industry and government managers and decision makers, so you get to know what they need. This then informs our research and what we deliver.” 

Bugnot felt privileged to receive the 2024 AMSA Emerging Leader in Marine Sciences award. 

“I feel very flattered. It’s a great opportunity to get this award because you get the opportunity to present a plenary session at the annual conference. This is typically attended by 500 plus marine scientists.

“I think it’s a recognition of the footprint of my work and my collaborations. 

“Every project I work on is highly collaborative. There is a list of colleagues that have worked together, and this is a good recognition of our collective contribution to the work, into the impact of our work beyond just academia and scientific papers.” 

Bugnot says the award also highlighted the importance of loving your job.  

“A career as a scientist is rewarding, but it can also be demanding and competitive. It can feel isolating. I have been able to navigate those challenges and get to where I am today thanks to the amazing mentors I had. I hope my students can say that of me one day.

“Supervising students is one of the great privileges of my job. It is an opportunity to shape the next generation of scientists and contribute to the future of science. 

“In the end, I believe you can thrive if you love what you do. It sounds like a cliché, but there are so many people that don’t do it. So, whatever it is that you love, just follow that.”

This article first appeared in CSIRO News

Previously marine biologist Ana Bugnot was in Sydney.