Bailey Brown

Growing up watching Steve Irwin and Sir David Attenborough is probably what drew me to the natural world from a young age. At the age of five, I would tell people that I wanted either to work with fossils or become a marine biologist, and I guess five-year-old me was onto something. It just took me a while to realise it.

I began my journey at Edinburgh Napier University, studying for a BSc in Biological Sciences, thinking I would specialise in biomedical subjects. However, I soon realised that my true passion was understanding animal behaviour and ecology.

Inspired by my lecturers at Napier, I went on to complete an MSc in Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology at the University of Exeter, where I completed a research project on chestnut-crowned babbler vocalisations. While living in Cornwall, I certainly took advantage of being by the sea, going for a swim whenever I had the chance.

Between my studies, I volunteered with the Cetacean Research and Rescue Unit and worked for ORCA, gaining hands-on experience surveying cetaceans and learning more about marine conservation. It was during these experiences that I realised working at sea just clicked for me, and the opportunity to join OSC was a natural next step, combining my love of the ocean with the chance to contribute to the protection of marine life.

When I’m not at sea, you’ll usually find me behind a camera photographing wildlife, travelling somewhere new, or enjoying live music and concerts.