Manuela joined the Cape York NRM team as the Western Cape Turtle Threat Abatement Alliance coordinator. Her scientific background is in applied wildlife management, human-wildlife interactions and spatial ecology, where she gained experience not only in Australia, but also in places like Africa, Central America and Germany.

After finishing her PhD on Phillip Island in Victoria and before she joined the NRM team in June 2023, Manuela worked for the Australian Wildlife Conservancy, based in Cairns. In her role as a Wildlife Ecologist, she collaborated with QPWS, NRM groups and gained substantial experience in working with Traditional Owner ranger groups to lead two large research projects on endangered mammal species.

In her free time, Manuela loves to explore the world or her backyard in Far North Queensland and regularly practices yoga.