Dr Helen Pheasey

Teaching Fellow in Terrestrial Ecology

Biosciences

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Research Links

https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9320-8334

ResearchGate

About

I am a field biologist and social scientist with a background in wildlife trade and conservation. I love being in the field and spending time in local communities. I spent two years living on a nature reserve in Paraguay, undertaking species inventories and curating a natural history museum. In 2014, I moved to the Costa Rican jungle to work with sea turtles for what was meant to be nine months. I ended up staying five years and emerged with a PhD in Biodiversity Management. My most notable project involved deploying 3D printed, GPS enabled decoy turtle eggs to track illegal trade.

My other conservation work has been wide and varied, from interviewing chameleon exporters, poachers and drug users, to managing citizen science projects and collaborating with law enforcement officials and NGOs.

In 2024, I spent a year as a postdoctoral researcher with the Food and Nature Programme. My project aimed to better understanding the demographic variables driving purchasing habits of wildmeat in west Africa.

Areas Of Expertise

Wildlife trade
Sea turtle conservation
Neotropical fauna
Terrestrial ecology
Biodiversity conservation
Social sciences

Languages Spoken

Spanish

Career Highlights

Research

PUBLICATIONS

Singh, G.C., Frenkel, C., Pheasey, H., Bentley, J., Seary, R., Cisneros-Montemayor, A. M., Spalding, A., K., Gupta, R. and Ota, Y. 2026. Area based conservation tools have mixed effects across all SDGs but research may overstate effects. Communications Earth & Environment, 7, 1. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-025-03040-3

Pheasey, H., Albert Fonseca, A, Albertazzi, Federico, J., Griffiths, R.A. and Roberts, D.L. Tracing the origins of sea turtle eggs in the markets of Costa Rica. 2024. Conservation, Science and Practice, 6, e13125 https://doi.org/10.1111/csp2.13125

Pheasey, H., Griffiths, R.A. and Roberts, D.L. 2024. The legal and illegal supply chains of sea turtle eggs in Costa Rica. Environmental Development, 52, 101069. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envdev.2024.101069

Pheasey, H., Griffiths, R.A. Matechou, E., and Roberts, D.L. 2023. Motivations and sensitivities surrounding the illegal trade of sea turtles in Costa Rica. Ecology and Society 28: article 15 https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-14296-280415

Pheasey, H., Glen, G., Allison, N.L., Fonseca, L.G., Chacón, D., Restrepo Machado, J., Valverde, R.A. 2021. Quantifying illegal extraction of sea turtles in Costa Rica. Frontiers in Conservation Science https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2021.705556

Pheasey, H., Matechou, E., Griffiths, R.A. and Roberts, D.L. 2021. Trade of legal and illegal marine wildlife products in markets: integrating shopping list and survival analysis approaches. Animal Conservation 24: 700-708. https://doi.org/10.1111/acv.12675

Pheasey, H., Roberts, D.L., Rojas-Cañizales, D., Mejías-Balsalobre, C., Griffiths, R.A. and Williams-Guillen, K. 2020. Using GPS-enabled decoy turtle eggs to track illegal trade. Current Biology, 30, R1066-R1068. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2020.08.065

Pheasey, H., McCargar, M., Glinksy, A. and Humphreys, N. 2018. Effectiveness of concealed nest protection screens against domestic predators for green (Chelonia mydas) and hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata) sea turtles. Chelonian Conservation and Biology, 17, 263-270.

Taught Modules

BCG-001 Foundational Scientific Skills

TBC
BIO019 Techniques in Ecology and Biogeography

This module builds on the principles of ecology and biogeography, incorporating appropriate terminology and techniques required for field work. You will learn about the major biomes and their characteristics, and the techniques to survey the plants and animals within them. Alongside these topics, you will develop key skills to support you working safely and competently in the field, and the knowledge to plan and carry out robust surveys.
BIO109 Core Skills for Biological Sciences

This module is divided into three sections, scientific writing, data analysis and chemistry, which will equip students with the core skills needed throughout their degree program. The content of the module includes understanding the different types of data that can be measured and collected, the tools to formally present and analyse data and data analyses, and practical applications of spreadsheet software. There is a 'hands on' focus on dealing with data and developing basic mathematical and statistical analytical skills. Furthermore this module introduces first year undergraduates to the key skill of scientific writing, developing their ability to locate, understand, evaluate and communicate scientific information. Basic chemistry will be covered as a foundation to its importance to biological processes.
BIOM706 Species Conservation Planning in Tropical Marine Systems

This optional module provides students with a comprehensive exploration of conservation planning for threatened coastal and marine species, using the Red Sea as a model system for students to become engaged in species conservation planning. A range of marine flora and fauna are threatened in the Red Sea: the coral reefs are globally significant and threatened by natural and anthropogenic disturbances; mangroves are productive ecosystems yet are among the world¿s most endangered habitats; seagrass meadows are important nursery habitats, and foraging grounds for the endangered dugong and green turtle. A suite of lectures will teach students to assess threats, apply scientific techniques, and develop conservation strategies, culminating in a field-based research trip to Egypt for species and associated habitat observations and practical conservation experience. This module provides students with the opportunity to study a threatened tropical species within its natural environment to design a targeted species recovery plan.

Dr Helen Pheasey

Email address

Research Links

About

Areas Of Expertise

Languages Spoken

Career Highlights

Taught Modules

BCG-001 Foundational Scientific Skills

BIO019 Techniques in Ecology and Biogeography

BIO109 Core Skills for Biological Sciences

BIOM706 Species Conservation Planning in Tropical Marine Systems