University of Oxford
11a Mansfield Rd
OX1 3SZ
UK
MSc student
Elizabeth Catalina Bock
Background
My passion for ecology began in an undergraduate herpetology class, traipsing through wetlands and turning over rocks and logs to search for amphibians and reptiles. It was the first course where I learned the names, faces, and vocalizations of my North Carolina neighbors. Listening in a noisy marsh, my waders squelching in the mud, I could recognize an upland chorus frog’s distinct “crrreek” and discern a green frog’s ambient banjo twang. This class opened my ears to the sounds of nature at my doorstep, teaching me to identify species by their calls and inspiring me to embark on rainy night herping adventures. Through herpetology, I discovered that the habitats available to North Carolina’s herps are shrinking due to human activity and climate change. I found I wanted to use the power of research and environmental policy to document the effects of anthropogenic disturbance and protect biodiversity, regardless of how charismatic or slimy the creature.
Research interests
I have explored the field of conservation primarily through a behavioral ecology lens. My senior thesis at Duke with the Shark Bay Dolphin Research Project cemented this interest. As a field intern in remote Western Australia, a nine-hour drive from the nearest city, I worked with a team of five conducting boat-based dolphin surveys. I investigated potential adaptations in dolphin social behavior following a destructive marine heatwave (MHW), drawing on social network analysis and over 20 years of observational data to assess whether social phenotypes influenced female calving success in a post-MHW ecosystem. I am fascinated by animal behavior and how plasticity may help insulate certain populations from extreme climate events and human disturbance.
In addition to research, I am passionate about promoting science-based environmental decision-making and have worked with several NGOs: Earthjustice, the Nature Conservancy, the Piedmont Environmental Council, and the Environmental Working Group.
Current research
At present, my Master’s research is aiming to understand the effects of habitat fragmentation and agricultural degradation on insectivorous bats in Southeast Asia.
Hydropower infrastructure is a significant driver of habitat loss and insular fragmentation, particularly in lowland tropical forests. These forests are typically located in regions with flat topography, where damming rivers leads to extensive flooding, creating isolated forest fragments. While there is increasing evidence of the negative impacts of dams on biodiversity, the specific effects of this insular fragmentation on species assemblages, especially Southeast Asian vertebrates, remain underexplored. This project aims to fill that gap by examining how insectivorous bats respond to habitat loss and fragmentation in the Vajiralongkorn Dam, Thailand. Acoustic surveys were conducted on 20 islands of varying sizes and isolation, alongside three mainland continuous forest sites. Key questions include how insectivorous bat diversity and activity (a surrogate for abundance) shift across these gradients of habitat fragmentation and agricultural use.
Brief CV
2025-Present: MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation, and Nature Recovery, University of Oxford
2023-2025: Environmental Educator
2019-2023: BS in Environmental Science & Biology, Duke University