Ann Harding

Dr. Ann Harding (BSc, MSc, PhD) is a marine ecologist known for her research on seabirds in the North Atlantic and North Pacific oceans, including species such as puffins, murres and little auks (aka dovekies). Most of her research has conducted on the parental behavior of these long-lived seabirds and, in particular, understanding their flexibility and response to changes in prey availability. Her Masters research was focused on the breeding biology and feeding ecology of Horned Puffins in Alaska. Her work has some more applied aspects, including assessment of the the impacts of climate change and fishery exploitation on populations, and developing methods for the long-term monitoring of seabirds populations. Ann fell in love with seabirds and their marine environment after working as a volunteer on Skomer Island (Wales), and she feels very fortunate to have spent time working in some incredibly wild and remote seabird colonies in Britain, Alaska, Iceland, Norway, and Greenland. In addition to research and monitoring, Ann enjoys sharing her passion for seabirds and wild places with kids. She formed a close relationship with a Greenlandic community during her PhD study years, and she is currently coordinating a seabird education program for youth on the Pribilof Islands www.seabirdyouth.org and managing outreach for a handful of seabird research projects in Alaska.