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New QMS students

Welcome to the new QMS students!

Five students began their PhD with the Quantitative Marine Science Program in 2010.  

Rafael Leon
Rafael Leon is a marine biologist from Chile. He began in August and is being supervised by Dr. Caleb Gardner (Institute of Marine and Antarctic Studies), Klaas Hartmann (TAFI), Ingrid van Putten (CSIRO), Rodrigo
M.Vargas Hernandez
Bustamante (CSIRO) and Wolfgang Stotz (Universidad Católica del Norte (UCN), Chile). His PhD will aim to carry out an analysis of biological, social and economic indicators for the lobster and abalone fisheries, and assessing these variables in light of the different management regimes in Australia and Chile.


Mauro Vargas Hernandez is a physicist from Costa Rica. He has three supervisors: Associate Professor Neil Holbrook (UTAS), Dr. Susan Wijffels (CSIRO) and Dr. Gary Meyers (CSIRO). His PhD will help to understand interannual and multi-decadal changes in global subsurface ocean temperatures.
Chris Jackett



Christopher Jackett will apply his computing skills to improve oceanographic satellite data. He is supervised by Dr. Jenny Lovell (CSIRO) and Dr. Robert Ollington (UTAS). His project aims to remove the instrument effects from satellite data by using mathematical processes.




Jenny Hochmuth
Jennifer Hochmuth comes from Luxembourg but completed her Bachelor of Science in Aberdeen in the UK. Her PhD is co-funded by QMS and the Luxembourg Government. She has four supervisors: Dr. Bridget Green (IMAS), Dr. Caleb Gardner (IMAS), Professor Tom Trull (IMAS) and Associate Professor Natalie Moltschaniwskyj (National Centre for Marine Conservation and Resource Sustainability – Australian Maritime College)


Chris Roach

A Tasmanian, Christopher Roach decided to stay in the state to pursue his studies in physics and Antarctic studies with a PhD. His supervisors are Helen Phillips (IMAS), Nathan Bindoff (IMAS – Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies) and Steve Rintoul (CSIRO). He will examine the interactions between the ocean and the atmosphere near the Kerguelen Plateau.



Already they have engaged in science events to build their networks and knowledge.

Jennifer always “wanted to come to Australia”. And she already had the opportunity to travel as she participated to the ANNIMS (Australian National Network in Marine Science) conference in Townsville the 21st and 22nd of July.

Christopher Roach went to Italy in June for the Alpine Summer School where he could improve his skills on buoyancy driven flows with specialists coming from all over the world.

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Cathryn Wynn Edwards in front of the Algae tanks at the Krill aquarium
water cycle schematic

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Authorised by CSIRO-UTAS Quantitative Marine Science PhD Program Director

June 6, 2011

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