Rate My Professor Debra Stokes

Dr. Stokes' research examines the interplay between human activities and geomorphological and ecological changes in coastal habitats. She utilizes non-invasive techniques, including drones, to monitor New South Wales marine turtle populations and behavior. Additional interests include interactions between estuarine vegetation and insect visitors and pollinators. She is affiliated with Southern Cross University's research clusters: Reefs and Oceans, and Catchments, Coasts and Communities, contributing to United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Her teaching portfolio encompasses introductory hydrology and climate, introductory geology, introductory marine science, coastal geomorphology, invertebrate biology, and Protected Area Management. Notable publications include "Expansion dynamics of monospecific, temperate mangroves and sedimentation in two embayments of a barrier-enclosed lagoon, Tauranga Harbour, New Zealand" (Journal of Coastal Research, 2010), "Changes in organic carbon accumulation driven by mangrove expansion and deforestation in a New Zealand estuary" (Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 2017), "The dynamics of expanding mangroves in New Zealand" (Threats to Mangrove Forests, 2018), "Beach-user perceptions and attitudes towards drone surveillance as a shark-bite mitigation tool" (Marine Policy, 2020), and "Carbon accumulation in Amazonian floodplain lakes: A significant component of Amazon budgets?" (Limnology and Oceanography Letters, 2017).