Alice Della Penna is an oceanographer and lecturer at Waipapa Taumata Rau University of Auckland where I divide my time between teaching and research. I grew up in Italy, where I studied Physics before starting a Ph.D. in Oceanography between the University of Tasmania (Australia) and the University of Paris Diderot (France). My focus is on investigating how organisms and ecosystems are affected by the ocean’s dynamic environment. I am particularly interested on physical/biological interactions at spatio-temporal scales ranging from few to hundreds of kilometers and a few hours to months, where ocean currents create a dynamic environment similar to that typical of atmospheric weather. I am excited to learn how our understanding of these interactions can help us design conservation and management policies that fit the dynamic nature of coastal and open ocean regions.