Staff profile

I completed my Master of Science degree in Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) in Canada. My thesis project was to create a seabed habitat map for Newman Sound fjord using multibeam sonar, video and grab sampling. I then worked for several years as a research associate for MUN’s Marine Habitat Mapping Group, creating seabed habitat maps for Protected Areas in Newfoundland and Labrador.
In 2008 I returned home to work as the Biodiversity Officer for the Government of Bermuda. This role involved endangered species recovery projects, habitat management, policy work and public outreach and education. Some of my key projects were the IUCN Red Listing of 9 Bermudian endemic plants with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and the Governor Laffan’s Fern recovery project with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.
I came to Durham in September 2022 to begin a PhD project investigating Bermuda’s vegetation communities; particularly the origin and ecology of the invasive plant species, and the unique communities they form with Bermuda’s indigenous flora in unmanaged habitats. My interests include endangered and invasive species mapping, threatened plant recovery, biodiversity surveys especially in protected areas, island endemics and translating science to policy.

Links
• ORCID#: 0000-0001-8549-5054 https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8549-5054
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alison-copeland-77ab48126/
• Scopus ID: 24824012400 https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=24824012400
• Durham Invasion Science webpage https://durhaminvasionscience.org/people/
• Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Alison_Copeland
• Oxford web page with photo: https://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/profiles/student-spotlight-alison-copeland
• Google Scholar ‪Alison Copeland‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬‬‬

Awards and Scholarships
o $3000 grant from Garden Club of Bermuda for first year PhD studies
o March 2022: Durham Doctoral Studentship (Faculty of Science), Durham University.
o July 2017: Bermuda Public Service Education Award from the Bermuda Public Services Union (for Oxford certificate course)
o October 2006: Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies, Memorial University of Newfoundland. https://www.mun.ca/sgs/current/scholarships/criteria.php

I completed my Master of Science degree in Geography at Memorial University of Newfoundland (MUN) in Canada. My thesis project was to create a seabed habitat map for Newman Sound fjord using multibeam sonar, video and grab sampling. I then worked for several years as a research associate for MUN’s Marine Habitat Mapping Group, creating seabed habitat maps for Protected Areas in Newfoundland and Labrador.

In 2008 I returned home to work as the Biodiversity Officer for the Government of Bermuda. This role involved endangered species recovery projects, habitat management, policy work and public outreach and education. Some of my key projects were the IUCN Red Listing of 9 Bermudian endemic plants with the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, and the Governor Laffan’s Fern recovery project with Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo.

I came to Durham in September 2022 to begin a PhD project investigating Bermuda’s vegetation communities; particularly the origin and ecology of the invasive plant species, and the unique communities they form with Bermuda’s indigenous flora in unmanaged habitats. My interests include endangered and invasive species mapping, threatened plant recovery, biodiversity surveys especially in protected areas, island endemics and translating science to policy.