Dr. Rebecca Wellard

Dr. Rebecca Wellard has a diverse work experience in the field of marine conservation and research. Dr. Rebecca is currently serving as the Program Manager for Ocean Conservation and Principal for Marine Protected Areas at the Minderoo Foundation since November 2022. Prior to this, they founded and served as the Head of Research at Project ORCA, a research organization dedicated to protecting marine mammals. Dr. Rebecca is also an avid science communicator and has been a presenter and guest scientist in documentaries and television series on National Geographic.

Dr. Wellard has also worked as a Development Executive at the Australian Wildlife Conservancy from November 2020 to November 2022. Dr. Rebecca has also held various roles at Curtin University, including Postdoctoral Researcher, Guest Lecturer, and Field Researcher at the Centre for Marine Science and Technology.

In their earlier career, they worked as a freelance Marine Wildlife Consultant, specializing in environmental consulting, research, and marine mammal observation. Dr. Rebecca has also served as a Marine Mammal Scientist at Cetacean Research WA and the Marine Mammal Conservation Foundation. Additionally, they have worked as a Field Research Assistant at the University of Queensland and as a Marine Mammal Scientist and Field Researcher at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW).

Overall, Dr. Rebecca Wellard has extensive experience and expertise in marine conservation, research, and science communication.

Dr. Rebecca Wellard completed their education history with a Bachelor of Science in Zoology, Marine Biology, and Conservation Biology from the University of Melbourne in 2005. Dr. Rebecca then pursued an Honors Bachelor of Science degree at Monash University from 2006 to 2007, focusing on the impact of boat traffic on the acoustic communication of cetaceans in Victoria. In 2015, they enrolled in Curtin University for a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Bioacoustics of Killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Australian region, which they completed in 2018.