Marie Attard

Marie Attard
Born1987 (age 38–39)
Sydney, Australia
EducationUniversity of New South Wales, Macquarie University, Western Sydney University
Scientific career
Fields
WorkplacesBritish Antarctic Survey
Websitehttps://marieattard.com/

Marie Rosanna Gabrielle Attard (born 1987) is an Australian conservation biologist and ecologist. She is known for her research in biomechanics, evolutionary ecology, and the use of satellite remote sensing for wildlife monitoring. Her work spans extinct species such as the Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus), neanderthal (Homo neanderthalensis), Haast's eagle (Hieraaetus moorei) and moa (Dinornithiformes), as well as eggshell evolution and seabird conservation.

Attard's research on guillemot eggs and their unique eggshell properties was featured in David Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs episode for the Natural World TV series in 2018. The episode was promoted by the Natural History Museum at Tring.

Education

Attard was educated at Western Sydney University where she was awarded a BSc (Advanced Science) in Microbiology and Environmental Sciences in 2005, and Macquarie University where she did a MSc in Biological Sciences, conducting research on mate guarding behaviour of Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea).

She was awarded her PhD in 2013 from the University of New South Wales for her work using stable isotopes and biomechanics to reconstruct the diet of the extinct Tasmanian tiger (Thylacinus cynocephalus) and its close relatives. Stable isotope analysis of vibrissae was also used as a tool for temporal monitoring of wild Tasmanian devils (Sarcophilus harrisi).

Career and Research

Following her PhD, Attard held postdoctoral research positions at the University of New England, University of Sheffield, Royal Holloway, University of London and the British Antarctic Survey. As of 2021, she is employed at the British Antarctic Survey as a Remote Sensing Data Analyst to monitor threatened and endangered seabird populations.

Her earlier research used 3D Finite Element Analysis of biological structures to assess prey size limits and foraging behaviour of extinct birds and mammals. The shape and mechanical performance of the Haast's eagles skull and talons suggest it hunted like an eagle, but fed like a vulture. Her research on skull biomechanics of extinct marsupials advanced understanding of the Tasmanian tiger's hunting behaviour, suggesting its jaw mechanics and bite force restricted it to smaller prey, thereby challenging traditional views.

Her research also explores avian eggshell evolution, with attention to eggshell conductance, shell thickness, egg shape and mimicry, membrane structure, and surface texture.

Attard leads the "Albatrosses from Space" Darwin Plus project (DPLUS132) at the British Antarctic Survey, launched in 2022 on the GeoHive platform. This citizen science project initiative uses Very High Resolution (VHR) satellite imagery to monitor wandering albatross (Diomedea exulans) colonies across South Georgia. The project aims to establish population baselines, detect distribution changes, and inform conservation policies on threats such as bycatch.

In 2022, she was awarded a Darwin Plus grant (DPLUS187) to develop satellite-based monitoring of South Georgia seabird populations, including albatrosses, mollymawks, shags, and burrowing petrels.

References

  1. ↑ Attard, Marie R. G.; Phillips, Richard A.; Bowler, Ellen; Clarke, Penny J.; Cubaynes, Hannah; Johnston, David W.; Fretwell, Peter T. (8 February 2024). "Review of Satellite Remote Sensing and Unoccupied Aircraft Systems for Counting Wildlife on Land". Remote Sensing. 16 (4): 627. Bibcode:2024RemS...16..627A. doi:10.3390/rs16040627.
  2. 1 2 3 Bryan, Selina (31 August 2011). "Tasmanian tiger was no sheep killer". ABC News. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  3. 1 2 Attard, M. R. G.; Chamoli, U.; Ferrara, T. L.; Rogers, T. L.; Wroe, S. (2011). "Skull mechanics and implications for feeding behaviour in a large marsupial carnivore guild: The thylacine, Tasmanian devil and spotted-tailed quoll". Journal of Zoology. 285 (4): 292. doi:10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00844.x.
  4. 1 2 Attard, Marie R. G.; Parr, William C. H.; Wilson, Laura A. B.; Archer, Michael; Hand, Suzanne J.; Rogers, Tracey L.; Wroe, Stephen (2014). "Virtual Reconstruction and Prey Size Preference in the Mid Cenozoic Thylacinid, Nimbacinus dicksoni (Thylacinidae, Marsupialia)". PLOS ONE. 9 (4) e93088. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...993088A. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0093088. PMC 3981708. PMID 24718109.
  5. ↑ D'Anastasio, Ruggero; Wroe, Stephen; Tuniz, Claudio; Mancini, Lucia; Cesana, Deneb T.; Dreossi, Diego; Ravichandiran, Mayoorendra; Attard, Marie; Parr, William C. H.; Agur, Anne; Capasso, Luigi (18 December 2013). "Micro-Biomechanics of the Kebara 2 Hyoid and Its Implications for Speech in Neanderthals". PLOS ONE. 8 (12) e82261. Bibcode:2013PLoSO...882261D. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0082261. PMC 3867335. PMID 24367509.
  6. ↑ van Heteren, A. H.; Wroe, S.; Tsang, L. R.; Mitchell, D. R.; Ross, P.; Ledogar, J. A.; Attard, M. R. G.; Sustaita, D.; Clausen, P.; Scofield, R. P.; Sansalone, G. (8 December 2021). "New Zealand's extinct giant raptor (Hieraaetus moorei) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 288 (1964) 20211913. doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.1913. PMC 8634616. PMID 34847767. S2CID 244731381.
  7. ↑ Montanari, Shaena. "A Mummified Moa Helps Paleontologists Reconstruct Feeding Behavior". Forbes. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  8. ↑ Gary, Stuart (12 January 2016). "Australian cassowary and emu no replacement for New Zealand's missing moa". ABC News. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  9. ↑ Birkhead, Tim; Russell, Douglas; Garbout, Amin; Attard, Marie; Thompson, Jamie; Jackson, Duncan (October 2020). "New insights from old eggs – the shape and thickness of Great Auk Pinguinus impennis eggs". Ibis. 162 (4): 1345–1354. doi:10.1111/ibi.12820. hdl:10141/622680.
  10. ↑ "Attenborough's Wonder of Eggs". BBC. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  11. ↑ Pavid, Katie. "A journey through the largest egg collection in the world". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  12. ↑ Attard, MRG; Pitcher, BJ; Charrier, I; Ahonen, H; Harcourt, RG (2010). "Vocal discrimination in mate guarding male Australian sea lions: Familiarity Breeds Contempt". Ethology. 116 (8): 704. Bibcode:2010Ethol.116..704A. doi:10.1111/j.1439-0310.2010.01786.x.
  13. ↑ Holmes, Branden; Linnard, Gareth (2023). Thylacine: the history, ecology and loss of the tasmanian tiger. CSIRO PUBLISHING. ISBN 978-1-4863-1554-3.
  14. ↑ Attard, Marie R. G.; Lewis, Anna; Wroe, Stephen; Hughes, Channing; Rogers, Tracey L. (November 2021). "Whisker growth in Tasmanian devils ( Sarcophilus harrisii ) and applications for stable isotope studies". Ecosphere. 12 (11). Bibcode:2021Ecosp..12E3846A. doi:10.1002/ecs2.3846. hdl:1959.11/35345.
  15. ↑ "Marie Attard". British Antarctic Survey. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  16. ↑ van Heteren, A. H.; Wroe, S.; Tsang, L. R.; Mitchell, D. R.; Ross, P.; Ledogar, J. A.; Attard, M. R. G.; Sustaita, D.; Clausen, P.; Scofield, R. P.; Sansalone, G. (8 December 2021). "New Zealand's extinct giant raptor ( Hieraaetus moorei ) killed like an eagle, ate like a condor". Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 288 (1964). doi:10.1098/rspb.2021.1913. hdl:11380/1318364. PMC 8634616.
  17. ↑ Phillips, Nicky (9 April 2014). "Tasmanian tiger's cousin was a more ferocious killer". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  18. ↑ Gary, Stuart (10 April 2014). "Ancient marsupial tougher than Tassie tiger". ABC Science. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  19. ↑ Attard, Marie R. G.; Bowen, James; Portugal, Steven J. (July 2023). "Surface texture heterogeneity in maculated bird eggshells". Journal of the Royal Society Interface. 20 (204). doi:10.1098/rsif.2023.0293. PMC 10336372. PMID 37434502.
  20. ↑ Attard, Marie R. G.; Portugal, Steven J. (2022). "Global diversity and adaptations of avian eggshell thickness indices". Ibis. 166 (2): 534–550. doi:10.1111/ibi.13136.
  21. ↑ Attard, Marie R.G.; Sherratt, Emma; McDonald, Paul; Young, Iain; Vidal-García, Marta; Wroe, Stephen (27 June 2018). "A new, three-dimensional geometric morphometric approach to assess egg shape". PeerJ. 6 e5052. doi:10.7717/peerj.5052. hdl:1885/160488. PMC 6026453. PMID 29967731.
  22. ↑ Attard, M. R. G.; Medina, I.; Langmore, N. E.; Sherratt, E. (November 2017). "Egg shape mimicry in parasitic cuckoos". Journal of Evolutionary Biology. 30 (11): 2079–2084. doi:10.1111/jeb.13176. PMID 28898493.
  23. ↑ Birkhead, Tim R.; Attard, M.; Pilastro, A. (April 2019). "Subtle Egg-Shell Membrane Structures in Birds' Eggs". Molecular Reproduction and Development. 86 (4): 353. doi:10.1002/mrd.23103.
  24. ↑ McClelland, Stephanie C.; Attard, Marie R. G.; Bowen, James; Horrocks, Nicholas P. C.; Jamie, Gabriel A.; Dixit, Tanmay; Spottiswoode, Claire N.; Portugal, Steven J. (May 2023). "Eggshell composition and surface properties of avian brood-parasitic species compared with non-parasitic species". Royal Society Open Science. 10 (5). Bibcode:2023RSOS...1021023M. doi:10.1098/rsos.221023. PMC 10206472. PMID 37234505.
  25. ↑ "Bird eggshell study highlights potential risk to nest environments due to climate change". Open University. 13 October 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  26. ↑ "Water adhesive properties of bird eggshells linked to climate and nest environment". Royal Holloway. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  27. ↑ "Monitoring albatrosses using very high resolution satellites and citizen science". Darwin Plus. Retrieved 18 May 2025.
  28. ↑ "Watch birds from space". RSPB.
  29. ↑ "Albatrosses from space: wildlife detectives needed!". British Antarctic Survey. Retrieved 17 May 2025.
  30. ↑ Attard, Mrg; Phillips, Ra; Oppel, S; Bowler, E; Fretwell, Pt (4 April 2025). "Feasibility of using very high-resolution satellite imagery to monitor Tristan albatrosses Diomedea dabbenena on Gough Island". Endangered Species Research. 56: 187–199. doi:10.3354/esr01396.
  31. ↑ "Using satellite technology to monitor seabird populations at South Georgia". Darwin Plus. Retrieved 17 May 2025.