claudia.santori@unsw.edu.au
Claudia Santori
Postdoctoral Fellow
Centre for Marine Science and Innovation
Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences
Dr Claudia Santori is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Centre for Marine Science and Innovation (CMSI) at UNSW Sydney, coordinating Operation Crayweed, a marine restoration initiative focused on restoring underwater forests along the Sydney coastline. Her work combines marine ecology, community engagement, and science communication, with a particular interest in how people connect with and care for marine ecosystems. Claudia completed her PhD at the University of Sydney in freshwater turtle ecology and conservation, with research spanning biodiversity conservation, citizen science, and ecosystem health. Since then, she has worked across marine natural resource management, environmental consulting, and science outreach, with a focus on bridging ecological and social science approaches in applied conservation contexts. Claudia is passionate about restoring marine habitats, engaging communities in conservation, and communicating the wonders of marine ecosystems through fieldwork, education, and public outreach.
Contact Details
- Publications
Santori C., Marzinelli E.M., Webster C.L., Vitnell J.A., Martinez-Baena F., Bool T.R., Burd T.H., Ferretto G., McCosker E., Vergés A. (2026). Collaborative conservation: Engaging local communities to restore Sydney’s seagrass meadows. In Exploring Nature through Citizen Science. CSIRO Publishing.
Santori C., Rowe S., Smyth C. (2023). The impacts of the 2019–20 wildfires on marine species and ecosystems. In L. Rumpff, S.M. Legge, S. van Leeuwen, B.A. Wintle & J.C.Z. Woinarski (Eds.), Australia’s Megafires: Biodiversity Impacts and Lessons from 2019–2020 (pp. 78–91). CSIRO Publishing.
Santori C., Keith R.J., Whittington C.M., Thompson M.B., Van Dyke J.U., Spencer R-J. (2021). Changes in participant behaviour and attitudes are associated with knowledge and skills gained by using a turtle conservation citizen science app. People and Nature, 3(1), 66–76.
Santori C., Spencer R.J., Thompson M.B., Whittington C.M., Van Dyke J.U. (2021). Hatchling short-necked turtles (Emydura macquarii) select aquatic vegetation habitats, but not after one month in captivity. Aquatic Ecology, 55(1), 85–96.
Santori C. (2020). Ecology, behaviour and citizen science of Murray River turtles: implications for future conservation and management. PhD Thesis, University of Sydney.
Santori C., Spencer R.J., Thompson M.B., Whittington C.M., Burd T.H., et al. (2020). Scavenging by threatened turtles regulates freshwater ecosystem health during fish kills. Scientific Reports, 10, 14383.
Santori C., Thompson M.B., Van Dyke J.U., Whittington C.M., Spencer R.J. (2020). Smartphone citizen science for turtles: identifying motives, usage patterns and reasons why citizens stop participating. Australian Zoologist, 40(3), 438–448.
Santori C., Bussière L.F., Houslay T.M. (2020). Heightened perception of competition hastens courtship. Behavioral Ecology, 31(1), 239–246.
Santori C., Spencer R.J., Van Dyke J.U., Thompson M.B. (2018). Road mortality of the eastern long-necked turtle (Chelodina longicollis) along the Murray River, Australia: an assessment using citizen science. Australian Journal of Zoology, 66(1), 41–49.