Emily is a Ph.D. student at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver. She is a CAUS-certified scientific diver who strives to understand how climate change and human activities affect the faunal biodiversity of eelgrass (Zostera marina) ecosystems. By combining field surveys and mesocosm experiments, she will identify key stressors that impact eelgrass biodiversity and ecosystem functions. This research will help improve conservation management of near-shore marine ecosystems throughout BC, Canada. After graduate school, she plans to continue in academia as a postdoctoral researcher to bridge policy gaps between scientists and conservation stakeholders.