She is interested in the influence of ocean dynamics on ecological processes. Her research investigated the transport of larvae along the Great Barrier Reef focusing on the effect of lee-reef eddies and organism’s life traits on the retention and supply of larvae close to reefs. Methods involved combining the use of hydrodynamic models and numerical experiments with theory and empirical data to disentangle physical mechanisms that drive larval transport. Paulina's work establishes mechanistic links between circulation patterns and the dispersal of larvae to envisage implications on population dynamics under different oceanic environmental conditions.