Rate My Professor Crid Fraser

Professor Crid Fraser, also known as Ceridwen Fraser, is a Professor in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago, where she also serves as Associate Dean (Research) for the Division of Sciences. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Applied Science in Conservation of Cultural Materials from the University of Canberra in 2000, followed by a Bachelor of Marine Science with First Class Honours from Macquarie University in 2005, and culminated in a PhD in Zoology from the University of Otago in 2009. Before returning to Otago in 2019 on a prestigious Rutherford Discovery Fellowship, she held the position of Associate Professor at the Australian National University. She has conducted research or studied at multiple universities across Australia and Europe.

Fraser's research specializes in molecular ecology integrated with earth sciences disciplines such as oceanography and geology to investigate the drivers of global biodiversity patterns, with a particular emphasis on high-latitude ecosystems in the Southern Hemisphere, including New Zealand, sub-Antarctic islands, and Antarctica. Key areas include marine biogeography, mechanisms of long-distance dispersal for coastal organisms, parasites, and pathogens via rafting, the evolutionary and ecological impacts of natural disturbances like earthquakes and volcanic activity, and density-dependent processes structuring biodiversity. Her interdisciplinary Fraser Lab employs techniques like metabarcoding, phylogenomics, and environmental modeling. Highly cited publications include "Long-distance dispersal: a framework for hypothesis testing" (2012), "Founder takes all: density-dependent processes structure biodiversity" (2012), "The changing form of Antarctic biodiversity" (2015), "Antarctica’s ecological isolation will be broken by storm-driven dispersal and warming" (2018), and recent works such as "Towards a more nuanced understanding of long-distance rafting: Case studies from the Southern Ocean" (2025). Fraser has earned the 2018 Australian Academy of Science Early Career Researcher Medal in Biology, along with other national and international awards and fellowships. She leads major funded projects, maintains global collaborations, and contributes to teaching courses like MARI 204 Marine Ecology and Ecosystems, which she coordinates. Her findings on climate change effects, invasive species risks, and glacial refugia have influenced biodiversity conservation strategies and received widespread media coverage. Additionally, she participates in the Coastal People: Southern Skies initiative.