Research Assistant
stefania.karlsdottir@biology.ox.ac.uk https://www.linkedin.com/in/stefan%C3%ADa-%C3%A1sta-karlsd%C3%B3ttir-b109a7286/

Stefania Asta Karsldottir

Background

Growing up by the coast in Iceland where I spent much of my time exploring the nearby beaches in search for marine “treasures”, my interest in the ocean, and nature more generally, is very long-standing. Taking part in a reforestation project with my family as I grew older then sparked an interest in conservation, and I became determined to make a difference for nature in my future career. Gradually I realised that I wanted to do so through interdisciplinary research aiming to address biodiversity loss by developing solutions that deliver beneficial outcomes for both marine biodiversity and coastal communities.

Research Interests

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I’m interested in combining approaches from ecology and social sciences to address biodiversity declines and inform policy development, particularly for marine habitats.

Current Research

In my current role, I lead the pilot of the NATURE Impacts initiative, a collaboration with WWF to track and prioritise country-level actions for nature recovery.

Brief CV

Employment/experience:

  • Research Assistant – The University of Oxford (2024-2025)
  • Consultant – The Nature Conservancy (2024)
  • Intern – Marine Stewardship Council (2024)
  • Research Assistant – Marine and Freshwater Institute of Iceland (2022)
  • Research Assistant – University of Oxford’s Bee Lab (2021)
  • Volunteer – Mt. Hekla Reforestation Project, Iceland (2009-2023)
  • Volunteer – Merazonia, Ecuador (2020)
  • Glacier Guide – Into the Glacier, Iceland (2019-2020)

Other experience:

  • Dive Master (2024)
  • President of Oxford Deep Blue (the Marine Biology & Conservation Society) (2023-2024)
  • Events Officer of Oxford University’s Vegetarian and Vegan Society (2021-2022)