Melodie McGeoch

Melodie McGeoch is a South African-Australian ecologist and biodiversity scientist, whose research focuses on the measurement and monitoring of biodiversity, spatial ecology, biological invasions, climate change impacts and the development of biodiversity indicators used in policy and conservation. , and is a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences.

Education McGeoch was born in Gauteng, South Africa She is Chief Investigator and Theme Lead within the Australian Research Council initiative Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future, and holds a professional adjunct appointment at La Trobe University .

McGeoch is Co-Chair of the Species Populations Working Group of the Group on Earth Observations Biodiversity Observation Network (GEO BON), Coordinating Lead Author for the IPBES assessment on invasive alien species (2019-2023), and First Vice Chair of the Science Committee of the Governing Board of the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) for the term 2021-2026.

McGeoch has played the leading role in the development of biodiversity indicators, including work underpinning Essential Biodiversity Variables, and has contributed to the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species.

Awards and recognition In 2014, McGeoch received the Australian Ecology Research Award (AERA) for her contributions to biodiversity monitoring. She was elected as a fellow of the African Academy of Sciences in 2021.

Selected publications