Ana’s career began as a GIS officer before moving to geophysicist as field research assistant at University of New England (Armidale) and Southern Cross University (Coffs Harbour campus). Her passion for marine debris research, particularly plastics and microplastics started at Lord Howe Island in 2011 measuring and witnessing the impacts of plastics debris on bird populations. Her work led her from Australia to New Zealand, Samoa and across the Pacific as a plastic pollution consultant reviewing marine debris issues in the Pacific and collecting data for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP).

Her passion for good data and detailed analysis has been used by our subsidiary APWC since 2019 and with APC since 2022.  Ana holds a master’s degree in Marine Science and Management from Southern Cross University (Australia) and a PhD in Marine Science from the University of Auckland.