Dr Amelia Bridges is a marine spatial ecologist specialising in the distribution, structure, and conservation of deep-sea and mesophotic ecosystems. Her research integrates field-based seabed surveys, image analysis, and quantitative modelling to understand biodiversity patterns and predict the distribution of vulnerable marine habitats across complex environments such as seamounts and oceanic islands.
Her work focuses on translating ecological data into practical tools for marine spatial planning and conservation. She develops habitat suitability and spatial models to inform fisheries management, marine protected area design, and biodiversity policy, particularly in data-limited regions of the global ocean.
Amelia has extensive offshore experience as a benthic ecologist, camera operator, and survey trainer, with research spanning the South Atlantic, Northeast Atlantic, Cabo Verde, and Ascension Island. She contributes to international initiatives in deep-ocean observing, biodiversity assessment, and sustainable ocean management.
Alongside her research, she is actively engaged in capacity building and training, supporting early-career scientists in habitat mapping, ecological statistics, and survey design. Her work aims to improve access to deep-sea science and ensure its application in real-world conservation and management.
"The deep ocean is the largest ecosystem on Earth, yet it remains one of the least understood. I’m driven by turning limited and fragmented data into practical knowledge that supports conservation and sustainable management. At the Sharjah Marine Science Research Centre, I’m particularly excited to explore the region’s understudied ecosystems while continuing to work across ocean-basin scales."