Natalie Sinclair

Natalie Sinclair is a Scottish marine biologist and conservationist. Sinclair received her Master in Science degree from the University of Glasgow, for which she was awarded the Graham Kerr Memorial Prize for Excellence in Marine Science. She has worked with a diverse range of fauna, utilizing non-invasive technologies for animal behavior research and conservation monitoring. This process included the use of bioacoustics to aid conservation of threatened water bird and seal species in Scotland. Her work in conservation policy, alongside Scottish Natural Heritage, led to the implementation of remote time-lapse photography to monitor seabirds at a colony in the Northern Isles of Scotland, which unearthed unknown behavior patterns.

Sinclair’s passion for public engagement and diversity in science is evident in her extensive voluntary work across Scotland and abroad. With the Dundee Science Centre, she co-organized the 2018 International Women and Girls in Science Lecture at the University of St Andrews and established Wild Bannockburn, a grassroots community action group focused on protecting nature. The recipient of a Carnegie PhD Scholarship, Sinclair is currently pursuing a PhD at the University of St Andrews. Her research focuses on the fine-scale cultural evolution of humpback whale song in the North Atlantic and South Pacific oceans. Sinclair is a National Geographic Explorer with a 2019-2020 National Geographic Early Career Grant.