Growing up in the mountains and oceans around Cape Town has fueled Ceinwen’s keen interest in the natural world and passion for surfing, hiking, climbing and photography. Her scientific interests include, ecology, botany, biodiversity and evolution in both the marine and terrestrial realms. She completed her honours in Oceanography and Environmental & Geographical Science in 2009 and attended a field biology camp at the University of Michigan in 2010, where she gained experience in freshwater algal taxonomy and awakened a curiosity for the microscopic world. Curiosity, enthusiasm and a keen eye for detail are qualities she believes are vital in pursuing a life in the natural sciences. Outside of her own research, she hopes to inspire these qualities in young scientists through field-based environmental education and outreach work.

Ceinwen’s recently submitted masters thesis explores the use of in situ bio-optical measurements of the ocean to investigate the dynamics of Southern Ocean phytoplankton community structure, physiology and primary production. The focus of her work is on the relationships between bio-optics, cell size, species dominance and physiology, which have implications for carbon export and provide insight into the role of the Southern Ocean’s biological carbon pump.