MsSusan Byrne

I am a late-stage PhD candidate in the field of climate crisis communication and community risk perception, community news media and participatory mapping (using geographic information systems). The thesis, Environmental Communication for Climate Change Adaptation Using Participatory Mapping, has been approved for examination. Following examination, I will be sharing my research findings with the relevant coastal case study community and also publish these findings in suitable academic journals. This research has shown that it is possible to combine unique qualitiative data layers of a geographic information system with traditional quantitative map layers to communicate coastal risk from climate change and extreme weather events. Such visual communication tools, in this case embedded in an educational website, offers representation of local community voices with climate science and top-down, agency level discourse via news media.

I have a Master of Communication in journalism, digital media and visual communication design. The thesis explored bushfire risk communication and terse messaging for 'disaster social media' use. This thesis incorporated social media data network mapping using Gephi. It was determined that for the 2016 Fort McMurray, Canada wildfires and the 2018 Tathra, Australia bushfire, there was a significant, complex difference in the public discourse in the warning (prodromal) and acute stages of these crises, in media reporting of social media use for the Fort McMurray fires and available Twitter data in message themes and account interaction behaviour for the Tathra fires. 

I also have a Bachelor of Applied Science (Hons.) in Environmental Management, with majors in fisheries management, aquatic and freshwater ecologies, disturbance of aquatic ecosystems, national parks and coastal zone management, water chemistry, sustainability, aquaculture. For my Honours project, I conducted field work in the Glenelg River to formulate a native fish habitat rapid assessment tool based on five key variables. This tool was presented to the Arthur Rylah Institute.