Rate My Professor Debra Stokes

Dr. Debra Stokes is a Lecturer in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Southern Cross University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from La Trobe University and a PhD from the University of Waikato, completed in 2010. Her doctoral research focused on the impacts of mangrove removal in New Zealand. After obtaining her PhD, she commenced her academic role at Southern Cross University, complemented by previous experience as an environmental consultant and coastal ecologist.

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).