I completed my BSc in Marine Biology at the University of Plymouth (2009–2012), where I first became interested in the ecological and behavioural processes that shape interactions between fishes. I developed my skills in studying animal behaviour during an MSc in Animal Behaviour at the University of Exeter (2014–2015), before undertaking a PhD at Cardiff University (2015–2019) investigating the factors that influence the outcomes of cooperation between cleaner fish and their client species in the Caribbean.

Since my PhD, I have held a Junior Research Fellowship at Christ’s College, University of Cambridge (2020–2024), where I continued to explore the mechanisms that promote cooperation among fishes, and a postdoctoral position at the University of Oxford (2024–2025) examining how fish colouration influences social and anti-predator behaviour. Most of my research has been field-based and largely observational, but as a BBSRC Fellow at Oxford, I am now experimentally testing how behavioural signals shape cooperative outcomes in fishes.

Like humans, fish form cooperative, affiliative, and antagonistic relationships that shape their roles and connections within underwater communities. Some species, for example, run “cleaning stations”, offering client fish a spa-like service by removing parasites, while others act as security guards, aggressively controlling access to specific habitat areas. But what drives these different social roles, and how do they shape entire ecosystems? My research integrates field observations, experiments, artificial intelligence for automated behavioural tracking, and bio-robotics to examine how fish presence and behaviour influence social interactions.

A core focus of my research is cleaning interactions, where cleaner fish cooperatively remove parasites from client fish and may even reduce their stress through a massage-like service. These interactions are essential for maintaining healthy, diverse fish communities, with some cleaner species performing thousands of cleaning events each day. Without cleaners, iconic aquatic habitats such as coral reefs would be at serious risk. A particularly fascinating aspect of cleaning behaviour is that most cleaner species are facultative, or part-time, cleaners, meaning they do not rely on cleaning to survive and can choose whether or not to clean each client. While cleaning interactions often benefit clients, they are not always cooperative: cleaners sometimes bite clients instead of removing parasites, and some species adopt this “cheating” behaviour entirely. This means cleaners must decide not only whether to clean but also how (to help or to harm their clients) raising the question of why they so often choose to cooperate, even when harming could bring greater immediate rewards. My research seeks to uncover the factors shaping these decisions.