Blue Biophilia & Biophobia; Understanding people's connection to the ocean and ocean creatures

About this project 

Explore our connection to the marine world

If you are passionate about marine conservation and keen to take a unique approach to research in this space by applying a social science lens, the University of South Australia – Australia’s University of Enterprise – is offering a hands-on project-based PhD within UniSA STEM, in partnership with How To Give A Fish.

Our project employs environmental science, marine conservation, and conservation psychology, to explore peoples’ relationships with the marine world. 

Humans have a long-standing intimate and intricate relationship with the natural world, which can be summarised by the Biophilia Hypothesis. Biophilia is the psychological closeness to nature, but this only represents one aspect of people’s relationship to nature. People can also have strong negative emotions (e.g., fear or disgust) about nature, referred to as biophobia. 

Understanding biophobia is important because people who have a heightened fear or dislike of a species are less willing to support that species’ conservation and/or endorse actions aimed at eliminating or killing those species. 
Biophobia often negates biophilia which has negative impacts upon human health, given that spending time in, and being connected to, nature can lead to positive physical, psychological, and social wellbeing.

Our project will explore biophilia and biophobia in a marine context to answer some key unknowns in this space. We want to understand which marine species people fear and how we can reduce this fear. 

We also want to know how biophilia and biophobia are related and whether we can decrease people’s biophobia by getting them to interact with the ocean. We aim to understand if we can increase people’s wellbeing by increasing their biophilia.

You’ll be based within UniSA STEM, under a supervisory panel within the Brain, Body, and Behaviour Research Centre. There will be opportunities for you to engage with Centre activities and networking events. 

The research team has collaborations and networks with a range of marine science and marine conservation groups, including the Australian Marine Science Association and the Centre for Marine Socioecology. This means that you will have opportunities to attend national events to meet other students in the marine science space. 

What you’ll do

In this project-based research degree, you will be the lead researcher on at least three different research projects. With the support of your supervisory team, you will be involved in the end-to-end research process. This includes designing the research, creating a survey, applying for ethics, recruiting participants, analysing data, and then reporting and disseminating findings. You will have a considerable agency over the methodology and scope of the project.

Our project will require mixed methods research, so you will gain experience in quantitative, qualitative, and experimental techniques. Upon completion of the project, you will possess diverse and well-rounded research skills. 

You may have the opportunity to travel to various seaside locations around Australia to collect data from marine tourism experiences. There will also be opportunities for you to engage in both national and international conferences and various media engagements. 

Where you’ll be based

You will be based in UniSA STEM. We link engineering, mathematics, science, defence, cybersecurity, construction management, environmental science, aviation, information management, information technology, and project management, harnessing the connections across disciplines to bring big ideas to fruition. 

Our researchers deliver technical expertise and advice to industry, government and community groups to make commercially viable and sustainable impacts. The Future Industries Institute, Innovation and Collaboration Centre and Australian Research Centre for Interactive and Virtual Environments all provide consultancy and access to advanced technology. 

We integrate research into our teaching, with students working alongside researchers in first-class facilities. What’s discovered one day is taught the next.  

In an information-rich world, our people think big, combatting problems, testing solutions and making data-driven decisions. Our graduates are entrepreneurs and trailblazers, who design and build the world they want to live in. Financial Support

This project is funded for reasonable research expenses. Additionally, a living allowance scholarship of $35,200 per annum (2025 rate) is available to Australian and New Zealand citizens, and permanent residents of Australia, including permanent humanitarian visa holders. Australian Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander applicants will be eligible to receive an increased stipend rate of $52,352 per annum (2025 rate). A fee-offset or waiver for the standard term of the program is also included. For full terms and benefits of the scholarship please refer to our scholarship information.
 
Eligibility and Selection

This project is open to applications from Australian or New Zealand citizens, and Australian permanent residents or permanent humanitarian visa holders. International applicants are not invited to apply at this time.

Applicants must meet the eligibility criteria for entrance into a PhD. All applications that meet the eligibility and selection criteria will be considered for this project. 

Additionally applicants must meet the project selection criteria: 

• Hold an Honours or Master degree in Environmental Science, Psychology, Marine Biology, Social Science or a related field

The successful applicant is expected to study full-time and to be based at our Mawson Lakes campus in the north of Adelaide.

Essential Dates

Applicants are expected to start in a timely fashion upon receipt of an offer. Extended deferral periods are not available. Applications close on Tuesday 26 November 2024.