Dr. Merry Crowson
Startup Stipend for Postdoc Projects from the Research Initiative of the State of Rhineland-Pfalz
My work combines cutting-edge science with policy and conservation objectives. I use remote sensing data along with diverse biodiversity datasets to help inform environmental management, and mitigate against climate change and biodiversity loss.
My work during my PhD explored the use of big data to operationalise national environmental policy in England, and I have also worked in international collaborations, comparing data fusion methods (optical and radar satellite data) to map deforestation in tropical peatland forests.
Areas of interest:
- Satellite remote sensing
- Monitoring
- Science-backed policy solutions
- Ecosystem services
- Spatially targeted management
Professional History and Education
2018- 2024: PhD Researcher, ZSL Institute of Zoology and University of Reading
2017-2018: Remote Sensing Technician, ZSL Institute of Zoology
2014-2017: MSc in Geography, Freie Universität Berlin
Selected Publications
Pettorelli, N., Williams, J., Schulte to Bühne, H., and Crowson, M. (2024) Deep learning and satellite remote sensing for biodiversity monitoring and conservation. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 11: 123-132. doi.org/10.1002/rse2.415
Crowson, M., Pettorelli, N., Isaac, N.J.B., Norris, K., and Wade, A. J. (2024) Quantifying the relative importance of agricultural land use as a predictor of catchment nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations. Science of The Total Environment, volume 954,176589. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176589
Crowson, M., Warren-Thomas, E., Hill, J.K., Hariyadi, B., Agus, F., Saad, A., Hamer, K.C., Hodgson, J.A., Kartika, W.D., Lucey, J., McClean, C., Nurida, N.L., Pratiwi, E., Stringer, L.C., Ward, C. and Pettorelli, N. (2019) A comparison of satellite remote sensing data fusion methods to map peat swamp forest loss in Sumatra, Indonesia. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation, 5: 247-258. https://doi.org/10.1002/rse2.102
Crowson, M., Hagensieker, R., and Waske, B. (2019) Mapping land cover change in Novo Progresso, northern Brazil, with limited training data. International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation, 78, 202–214. https://doi.org/S0303243418306214
