Originally from Brittany in France, Liz Laman Trip completed her MSc in Marine Biology at James Cook University under the supervision of Prof. Howard Choat. Her MSc work examined the demography and life history of a widely distributed coral reef fish (Ctenochaetus striatus) across the Indo-Pacific Ocean, and the growth mechanisms underlying male- and female-biased sexual size dimorphism in surgeonfishes (Acanthuridae). She applied new statistical methods for assessing differences in life history parameters (especially growth models) of fish populations. She then moved to the University of Auckland, New Zealand, to pursue a PhD under the supervision of Prof. David Raubenheimer (Massey University), Prof. Kendall Clements (Univ. of Auckland), and Prof. Howard Choat (JCU). Her PhD examined the life history of a temperate herbivorous wrasse (Odax pullus) and investigated whether the growth, development rate and lifespan of an herbivorous fish are constrained by temperature at higher latitudes. This work also explored the role of environmental temperature and physiological aging to explaining greater lifespans at higher latitude, by using the age-pigment lipofuscin. At KAUST, she turned her life history expertise towards understanding the demography and life history characteristics of Red Sea fishes, especially endemic (butterflyfishes and surgeonfishes), and fisheries-targetted (groupers) species.

Liz now works as a teaching postdoctoral research fellow at the Institute of Natural Sciences, Massey University, New Zealand.