Overview
Profile summary
My team explores the diversity of life on the seafloor, from subtidal and twilight depths (mesophotic zone) to the deep sea. While we work on a range of biodiversity (glass sponges, sea urchins, etc), crinoids (feather stars and sea lilies) are our main focus. They serve as important models for understanding the fundamental biology of how systems work. By unravelling every aspect of their biology and ecology, we gain insights into the biodiversity crisis and human health. Our work bridges ecology, paleobiology, and molecular biology through wide-ranging collaborations.
My team use a mix of lab and field techniques, from surveys to mesocosm experiments, to explore species interactions, adaptations, and ecological function. As a deep-water field ecologist, I study life accross depth gradients using both SCUBA diving, ROVs, and submersibles, to access these hard-to-reach habitats.
Through my involvement in the IUCN SSC (Species Survival Commission) Marine Star Specialist Group, Mesophotic.org, and DOSI's (Deep Ocean Stewardship Initiative) Challenger 150 and Biodiversity Task Force, I aim to contribute to biodiversity conservation and protection. Driven by a passion for connecting people with the natural world, I co-founded and co-lead the Wild Postcard Project, a community-driven initiative that uses art and creativity to inspire care, curiosity, and action for nature.
Academic qualifications
PhD Marine Ecology, Trinity College Dublin
… → 2015
MSc Biodiversity and Conservation, Trinity College Dublin
BSc Marine Biology and Chemistry, University of British Columbia
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 14 Life Below Water
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
Deep-sea ecosystems of the North Atlantic Ocean: discovery, status, function and future challenges
Allcock, A. L., Amon, D. J., Bridges, A. E. H., Colaço, A., Escobar-Briones, E., Hilário, A., Howell, K. L., Mestre, N. C., Muller-Karger, F. E., Priede, I. G., Snelgrove, P. V. R., Sealey, K. S., Xavier, J. R., Addamo, A. M., Amaro, T., Bandara, G., Bax, N., Braga-Henriques, A., Brandt, A. & Brix, S. & 52 others, , Dec 2025, In: Deep-Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. 226, 104580.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
Recent trends and biases in mesophotic ecosystem research
Radice, V. Z., Hernández-Agreda, A., Pérez-Rosales, G., Booker, R., Bellworthy, J., Broadribb, M., Carpenter, G. E., Diaz, C., Eckert, R. J., Foster, N. L., Gijsbers, J. C., Gress, E., Laverick, J. H., Micaroni, V., Pierotti, M., Rouzé, H., Stevenson, A., Sturm, A. B. & Bongaerts, P., 18 Dec 2024, In: Biology Letters. 20, 12, 20240465.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
REVIEW OF THE CENTRAL AND SOUTH ATLANTIC SHELF AND DEEP-SEA BENTHOS: SCIENCE, POLICY, AND MANAGEMENT
Bridges, A. E. H., Howell, K. L., Amaro, T., Atkinson, L., Barnes, D. K. A., Bax, N., Bell, J. B., Bernardino, A. F., Beuck, L., Braga-Henriques, A., Brandt, A., Bravo, M. E., Brix, S., Butt, S., Carranza, A., Doti, B. L., Elegbede, I. O., Esquete, P., Freiwald, A. & Gaudron, S. M. & 25 others, , 1 Jan 2023, Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 61. CRC Press, Vol. 61. p. 127-218 92 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
Open Access -
Feather Stars and Their Animal Invaders | Nat Geo Wild
Stevenson, A., 25 Aug 2018Research output: Practice research and digital outputs › Digital Object