Dr Mervi Kangas undertook her undergraduate studies at James Cook University, Townsville, then completed her PhD studies at the University of Adelaide. Her dissertation focused on a seven-year study of juvenile western king prawn dynamics in Gulf St Vincent related to the commercial fishery.
She joined Fisheries in 1998 and is currently Principal Research Scientist and program leader of the invertebrate trawl research section. Her team provides biological and research advice to management on the multi-species prawn fisheries and saucer scallop fisheries throughout WA and blue swimmer crabs in Shark Bay.
Dr Kangas has a 25-year research background in invertebrate fisheries in both South Australia and Western Australia. Her fields of interest and expertise include crustacean and molluscan biology, commercial fisheries stock assessment and management, and investigations of factors influencing recruitment of scallops, penaeid prawns and crabs.
She has significant knowledge of the biodiversity of trawled and untrawled habitats, and research experience of investigating ways to reduce trawl impacts on marine ecosystems as well as minimising resource sharing conflicts.
Dr Kangas is part of the collaborative management approach used by Fisheries and works closely with managers, industry and other stakeholders in working to keep WA’s trawl fisheries healthy, productive and viable.
Dr Mervi Kangas PhD
Principal Scientist, Invertebrates
E:
Mervi.Kangas@fish.wa.gov.au