Lianna Gendall (Research Associate).

Marine spatial ecology

Kelp forests are some of the most beautiful, diverse, and productive habitats on earth, yet they face significant threats from climate change and local scale anthropogenic impacts such as pollution, overharvesting and coastal development. These foundation species create vital habitats for marine life, support biodiversity, sequester carbon, enhance fisheries, and hold cultural significance for many coastal communities.

I am a Research Associate at the University of Western Australia with expertise in spatial modelling, GIS, and remote sensing. My research focuses on the conservation and spatial modelling of these incredible ecosystems, within the context of climate change. I am particularly interested in the impacts of marine heatwaves, the role of kelp forests in carbon sequestration, and translating spatial data and tools into actionable insights for managers and stakeholders. I hold a Master’s degree from the SPECTRAL remote sensing laboratory at the University of Victoria, Canada, where I explored the use of remote sensing to understand the spatio-temporal trends and drivers of change in a culturally significant region of the Haida Gwaii Archipelago, in collaboration with the Hakai Institute, the Marine Plan Partnership and the Council of the Haida Nation. At UWA, I continue to combine my passion for marine science with advanced spatial analyses and modelling tools to support marine ecosystem management, conservation, and climate change mitigation.

Qualifications

Education

2022: MSc Geography. University of Victoria, Canada. Thesis: Drivers of Change in Haida Gwaii Kelp Forests: Combining Satellite Imagery with Historical Data to Understand Spatial and Temporal Variability.

2020: NASA’s Applied Remote Sensing Training (ARSET) Program – Coastal Ecosystems

2016: BSc Biology. University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada, Specialization in Animal Biology; Focus on Marine Science

Other

2024: PATTA Commercial Scientific Diver

2022: Canadian Association of Underwater Science SCUBA Dive Certification

2015: PADI Divemaster & Discover Scuba Dive Leader

Peer reviewed papers

  1. Gendall, L., Hessing-Lewis, M., Wachmann, A., Schroeder, S.B., Reshitnyk, L., … & Costa M. (2025). From Archives to Satellites: Uncovering Loss and Resilience in the Kelp Forests of Haida Gwaii. Frontiers in Marine Science
  • Man, L., Barbosa, R.V., Reshitnyk, L., Gendall, L., Wachmann., L.,… & Costa, M. (2025) Canopy-forming kelp forests persist in the dynamic subregion of the Broughton Archipelago, British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science
  • Timmer, B., Reshitnyk, L. Y., Hessing-Lewis, M., Juanes, F., Gendall, L., & Costa, M. (2024). Capturing accurate kelp canopy extent: integrating tides, currents, and species-level morphology in kelp remote sensing. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 12, 1338483; https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1338483
  • Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G., … & Costa, M. (2024). Kelp dynamics and environmental drivers in the southern Salish Sea, British Columbia, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1323448: https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1323448
  • Mora-Soto, A., Schroeder, S., Gendall, L., Wachmann, A., Narayan, G., Read, S., … & Costa, M. (2024). Back to the past: long-term persistence of bull kelp forests in the Strait of Georgia, Salish Sea, Canada. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 1446380. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1446380
  • Gendall, L., Schroeder, S.B., Wills, P., Hessing-Lewis, M., Costa M. (2023) A Multi-Satellite Mapping Framework for Floating Kelp Time Series. Remote Sens. 2023, 15(5), 1276; https://doi.org/10.3390/rs15051276
  • Starko, S., Neufeld, C.J., Gendall, L., et al. (2022) Microclimate Predicts Kelp Forest Extinction in the Face of Direct and Indirect Marine Heatwave Effects. Ecological Applications, e2673. https://doi.org/10.1002/eap.2673
  • Cavanaugh, K.C., Bell, T., Maycira, C., Eddy, N.E., Gendall, L., et al. (2021) A Review of the Opportunities and Challenges for Using Remote Sensing for Management of Surface-Canopy Forming Kelps. Front. Mar. Sci. 8:753531.
  • doi: 10.3389/fmars.2021753531

Other publications

Gendall, L., Nelson, J.C., Martone, R., Slapcoff, L., Uduman, A., … & McPhie, R.(2022) Megafauna from Space: Using Very High Resolution (VHR) Satellite Imagery to Detect Whales and Sharks. Canadian Manuscript Report of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences 3248.

Links

GoogleScholar; LinkedIn