The Ecological Society of Australia congratulates Maxime Marini, PhD candidate at the Centre for Conservation Science, University of Newcastle, as recipient of the Peter Fairweather Travel Grant.

Maxime’s research focuses on habitat selection in migratory and resident shorebirds, aiming to identify and protect the critical foraging grounds these species rely on for winter survival and migration success. His work will inform land management and restoration priorities across Australia’s estuarine ecosystems.

Reflecting on the award, Maxime said it ‘inspires me to push forward with my project and builds my confidence and self-belief in my personal aim to study spatial and movement ecology to enhance biodiversity conservation’.

He added that ‘receiving support from a nationally prestigious organisation like the ESA to talk at a national conference advances my professional development and enhances the project’s collective impact’.

The selection committee also highly commended the following applicants:

Oscar Jones, Curtin University – Scaling bio-cultural restoration outcomes in Southwest Western Australia