Originally from France, Manue has moved around the world to pursue her dream of being a marine biologist, specialising in cetology (the study of whales and dolphins). In addition to her tertiary education (BSc in Zoology, UK; MSc in Environmental Sciences, NZ; and PhD in Marine Science, NZ), she has gained extensive knowledge and expertise over the past 25 years as a Research Associate (NZ), Senior Scientist for an NGO (Australia, Hawai’i), Tutor (NZ), and Consultant (NZ). As a tutor at NorthTec (now Te Pūkenga), Whangārei, and taught many courses in the Environmental Management programme, including environmental issues, animal biology, plant biology, behavioural ecology, marine ecology, marine conservation, and restoration ecology. Although field trips and labs were the best part of teaching, hands-on learning is always way more fun! Manue is always eager to share her knowledge and empower tamariki (and teachers) to find what makes their hearts sing, especially if it involves science along the way, thanks to Field-based STEM.
Manue’s passion since an early age has always been marine mammals. It is always heartbreaking to witness how much we, as humans, are impacting their environment. As a result, she co-founded Te Tai Tokerau Debris Monitoring Project (TTTDMP) with Nick Bamford (Northland Regional Council) in 2019, a citizen-science based project open to all ages. TTTDMP aims at addressing marine debris and litter issues in Northland and enjoys working with schools by getting the younger generation involved in litter audits and inspiring them to find solutions to reduce this issue. In late 2022, Manue is also very excited to have teamed up with Project Jonah. Together they are keen to share their passion to better protect and help marine mammals in New Zealand thanks to PJ dedicated educational programme offered across the country and now available via Field-Based STEM too. How fintastic!
Manue is one of Field-based STEM coordinators for Northland, where she is based. She can also offer her expertise to tailor specific science-based lessons and/or design long-term projects for your school with the rest of the Field-Based STEM team. She is also a keen traveler, loving to discover new places, and can visit any school anywhere in the country.
You can follow Manue’s research and TTTDMP’s work here: