Alexandra (PJ) Ikpe

PJ completed her Bachelor’s degree in Biology, Geography and Sustainability at San Diego State University in southern California. Her passion for the environment and animals began early on from her exposure to various parts of the world from family travels. She quickly developed a deep connection to the ocean and the marine creatures that make it home. She now is in the 2020–21 Masters of Conservation Science cohort.  

She is focusing her degree on marine megafauna with her research project to be undertaken in Professor Craig Franklin’s lab with PhD student Samantha Reynolds. Her research will analyse the impact tourist interactions have on whale sharks. This work parallels PJ’s career goals of working on human–marine megafauna interactions and finding better ways to coexist.