Natasha is an early-career social scientist with a background in psychology and sociology. Her research interests include Antarctic governance, Antarctic science-policy dialogues, and marine conservation in the Southern Ocean. Her PhD research is investigating the function of the Antarctic science-policy interface at both the national (New Zealand) and international (Antarctic Treaty System) levels. In particular, Natasha is interested in the drivers and barriers that contribute to ‘successful’ and ‘unsuccessful’ Antarctic science-policy interactions. She is using qualitative methods (interviews, surveys and focus groups) to address her research questions and is interrogating her data through a reflexive thematic analysis approach. Natasha is an advocate for transdisciplinary research approaches and seeks to engage with a broad range of experts, stakeholders, and knowledge systems through her work. Ultimately, she hopes to positively contribute towards the effectiveness of Antarctic science-policy interactions so that international decision-makers are able to responsibly and sustainably govern the region by taking precautionary actions on the basis of the best available knowledge.
Alongside her PhD, Natasha is a Policy Advisor for New Zealand's National Antarctic Programme,. In this role, she contributes to New Zealand’s work towards the Committee for Environmental Protection (CEP), which is the technical advisory body to the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meetings. She also serves as a steering committee member of, a Scientific Research Programme under the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR).
Natasha’s wonderful supervisory team includesAssociate Professor Daniela LiggettԻ. This research project is kindly funded by the
Working thesis title
Exploring the Antarctic science-policy interface.
Academic History
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology and Sociology, University of Otago
Postgraduate Certificate in Antarctic Studies, سԹ
Professional History
Publications
Gardiner, N. B., Gilbert, N., Liggett, D., & Bode, M. (2024). Measuring the performance of Antarctic Treaty decision-making. Conservation Biology, e14349.
Gardiner, N. B., Gilbert, N., & Liggett, D. (2023). Taming a ‘fuzzy beast’? stakeholder perspectives on Antarctic science-policy knowledge exchange practices in New Zealand.Plos one,18(11),
Hughes, K., Santos, M., Caccavo, J., Chignell, S., Gardiner, N., Gilbert, N… Terauds, A. (2022). Ant-ICON - ‘Integrated Science to Inform Antarctic and Southern Ocean Conservation’: a new SCAR Scientific Research Programme.Antarctic Science,1-10.
LaRue, M., Brooks, C., Wege, M., Salas, L., & Gardiner, N. (2022). High‐resolution satellite imagery meets the challenge of monitoring remote marine protected areas in the Antarctic and beyond.Conservation Letters, e12884.
Gardiner, N., Gilbert, N., Liggett, D. 2022. New سԹAntarctic Stakeholder Workshop 2022. ASP Report-004.
Gardiner, N., Gilbert, N., Liggett, D. 2021. Connecting Antarctic Science and Policy Workshop 2021. ASP Report-003.
Gardiner, N. B. (2020). Marine protected areas in the Southern Ocean: Is the Antarctic Treaty System ready to co-exist with a new United Nations instrument for areas beyond national jurisdiction?Marine Policy, 122, 104212.
Presentations
SAPEA Science for Policy Podcast :
Life on Planet A:
3 Minute Thesis:
