Michelle Heupel

About Michelle

Michelle Heupel is the Executive Director of Australia’s Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), based at the University of Tasmania in Hobart.  In this role she is responsible for planning and implementation of a large national collaborative research infrastructure program, which is deploying a wide range of observing equipment in the oceans around Australia and making all of the data openly available to the marine and climate science community and other stakeholders. 

Michelle is a research scientist with over 20 years’ experience working in marine science focusing on ecology, conservation and management of marine predators, predominantly sharks and fish. She has a BSc in Zoology from Colorado State University and a PhD in Marine Science from the University of Queensland. Michelle’s background includes leading research programs at Mote Marine Laboratory, James Cook University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science prior to coming to IMOS. Within IMOS Michelle played a key role in the IMOS Animal Tracking Facility prior to becoming the Director.

Michelle’s research expertise is in predator movement ecology and she is considered a pioneer in the application of acoustic tracking to study shark movement ecology. She has produced over 160 peer reviewed scientific publications, has held various editorial positions with scientific journals and previously or currently sits on several national and international committees relevant to science, conservation and management of marine systems. She is a former member of the Commonwealth Threatened Species Scientific Committee and member of the Australian Delegation to the Convention on Migratory Species Sharks MOU meetings. She is a long-term member of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature Shark Specialist Group (currently Vice Chair of Strategy) and an advisor for the Ocean Tracking Network based in Halifax, Nova Scotia.