I am dedicated to repairing the sea and humanity’s relationship with it.

I work on the seafloor, in the lab, and with coastal communities to help ensure marine ecosystem restoration is both a social and ecological success. Despite centuries of damage to the world’s marine ecosystems, marine habitats like oyster reefs, seagrass beds, and kelp forests have shown they can be repaired with a little help.

I am particularly passionate about making marine ecosystem restoration accessible to everyone. I believe ecosystem restoration provide a means to repair nature and ourselves, and have dedicated myself to creating a more widespread culture of ecosystem restoration for a sustainable future.

I love science communication and inspiring people with the wonders of the marine world. I have an unusual (but healthy) obsession with oysters, and love sharing the surprising history of how oysters have shaped humanity’s relationship with the sea. 

Awards & Recognitions

    • Finalist in SA Science and Innovation Excellence Awards for Excellence in Science and Industry

    • Finalist, South Australian Environment Awards, Conservation Science Prize for restoration research

    • Subak Australia Fellowship, Subak

    • South Australian Climate Leaders Award, honourable mention, SA Premier’s Climate Change Council

    • University of Adelaide Publication Award for: McAfee et al. 2022. Turning a lost reef ecosystem into a national restoration program. Conservation Biology, 36 (6), e13958

    • Tall Young Poppy Award for South Australia, Australian Institute of Policy and Science

    • South Australian Tall Poppy of the Year, finalist, Australian Institute of Policy and Science: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7489fbQuVU

    • The University Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Excellence in Early-career Research, Uni of Adelaide

    • The Daniel Walker Medal for Early Career Research Excellence, Uni of Adelaide

    • Southwood Prizet for best 2021 paper published by the British Ecology Society, for McAfee et al. 2021. Multi-species restoration accelerates recovery of extinguished oyster reefs. Journal of Applied Ecology, 58(2), pp. 286–294.

    • Eureka Prize Award for Applied Environmental Research

      • Rebuilding Australia’s Lost Shellfish Reefs: youtube.com/watch?v=Drkl61DGqcM

    • Order of Merit for Early Career Research Excellence, Uni of Adelaide