Gillian Rowan

Using space-based Earth Observation to map Australia’s kelp forests for a stronger Blue Carbon economy

The University of Queensland

Gillian Rowan is a PhD candidate at the University of Queensland studying how remote sensing technologies can be applied to kelp biomass mapping across spatial scales – from single forests to the global extent – accurately and efficiently.

Rowan completed both her Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences – Biodiversity and Conservation and her Master of Science in Geography at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Her Master’s thesis used laboratory and in-situ hyperspectral measurements to differentiate and map freshwater vegetation species. Before moving to Brisbane to study at UQ, Rowan was a member of the operations team at GHGSat, a methane monitoring company employing satellite and airborne technologies to detect fugitive methane.

Project Title: Using space-based Earth Observation to map Australia’s kelp forests for a stronger Blue Carbon economy

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