Catherine Hay

Catherine Hay, iAtlantic Research Assistant

The University of Edinburgh

School of GeoSciences

Grant Institute, Room 352

Edinburgh, EH9 3FE

My research explores the spatial interaction of humans and cetaceans within Bermuda’s marine environment and seeks to evaluate whether new area-based management tools are required for cetacean conservation. I am also focusing on whether the shipping industry causes a large enough impact to warrant the designation of a Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA). I began this research for my Marine Systems and Policies MSc thesis and am continuing it as part of the H2020 iAtlantic Project. As part of my dissertation research, I completed an internship at the International Maritime Organization headquarters, London, in summer 2022. Here, I examined historic IMO policy documents and interviewed industry and policy experts to further learn about the PSSA process, its impacts, and the feasibility of implementation within Bermuda.  

I’m working with Andrew Stevenson from Whales Bermuda to form the first assessment of cetacean diversity and spatial distribution in Bermuda. My research will focus on building the existing database from my MSc thesis to show the spatial distribution of present and future human activities within Bermuda’s waters, and to publish a geodatabase of cetacean diversity, distribution, and socioeconomic importance within Bermuda’s EEZ to inform policy decisions.  

Prior to starting at the University of Edinburgh, I completed a BSc in Zoology (University of Bristol) and have volunteered with multiple marine conservation organisations, including Operation Wallacea, the Berwickshire Marine Reserve, and Whale and Dolphin Conservation.