Sitemap
A list of all the posts and pages found on the site. For you robots out there is an XML version available for digesting as well.
Pages
Posts
Marine Science Departmental Seminar - Kelp in Command
Published:
On July 31st I was lucky enough to present the latest in the Department of Marine Science’s regular seminar series!
2025 Genetics Otago eDNA mini-symposium and careers panel
Published:
On July 28th, the Genetics Otago eDNA Hub hosted our first mini-symposium and careers panel — an afternoon of engaging, informal presentations, discussion, and connection.
New Pre-print - Commensal skin bacteria interact with the innate immune system to promote tail regeneration in Xenopus laevis tadpoles
Published:
Commensal skin bacteria interact with the innate immune system to promote tail regeneration in Xenopus laevis tadpoles
New Paper - First published record of myxozoan parasites in the Australian Murray River turtle
Published:
Renal myxosporidiosis by an unknown Bivalvulidan myxozoan parasite in Murray River turtles (Emydura macquarii) in Australia
Blake Expedition to the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands
Published:
We’ve just returned from the 2025 Blake Expedition to sub-Antarctic Campbell Island and the Auckland Islands
West Coast Kelp Adventures
Published:
Inspecting bull kelp / rimurapa (Durvillaea antarctica, Durvillaea willana) on the West Coast amid concerns about marine heatwave related die offs
New Paper - How do microbiomes establish in Xenopus tadpoles?
Published:
The role of family and environment in determining the skin bacterial communities of captive aquatic frogs, Xenopus laevis
SCAR Conference 2024 - Pucón, Chile
Published:
XI Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research (SCAR) Open Science Conference 2024 “Antarctic Science: Crossroads for a New Hope”
codeportfolio
portfolio
Portfolio item number 2
Short description of portfolio item number 2 
publications
Rainbow rehabilitation: recreating waterways for native fishes.
Published in Wildlife Australia, 2004
A public interest article about the importance of habitat hetereogeneity in urban streams.
Postflood movements and population connectivity in gambusia (Gambusia holbrooki)
Published in Ecology of Freshwater Fish, 2006
A mark-recapture study of the invasive mosquitofish finds limited voluntary mixing of populations inhabiting small connected ponds, and significant susceptibility to flood events.
Molecular analysis of the genera Hapalotrema Looss, 1899 and Learedius Price, 1934 (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) reveals potential cryptic species, with comments on the validity of the genus Learedius
Published in Systematic Parasitology, 2015
Phylogenetic analysis of Hapalotrema and Learedius, genera of spirochiid trematodes infecting sea turtles, indicates geographic cryptic speciation and suggests that re-examination of the validity of Learedius as a genus may be justified.
Molecular characterization of coccidia associated with an epizootic in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) in south east Queensland, Australia
Published in PLoS One, 2016
The first molecular characterisation of coccidian parasites causing mass mortality events in sea turtles, revealing several tissue-specific genotypes.
Ultrastructural and molecular characterisation of an Heterosporis-like microsporidian in Australian sea snakes (Hydrophiinae)
Published in PLoS One, 2016
Molecular, morphological and pathologial characteristics of microsporidian parasites infecting sea snakes are described in detail.
Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism for the identification of spirorchiid ova in tissues from the green sea turtle, Chelonia mydas
Published in PLoS One, 2016
The development of a cost-effective and accurate molecular method to identify mixed infections of spirorchiid blood flukes from sea turtle tissue samples, using Terminal Restriction Fragment Length Polymoprhism (T-RFLP).
Report of the presence of ‘Hapalotrema synorchis’ and ‘H. postorchis’ (Digenea: Spirorchiidae) in marine turtles (Reptilia: Cheloniidae) in Northern Territory waters
Published in Northern Territory Naturalist, 2016
Two species of spirorchiid blood fluke are reported from sea turtles residing in Northern Territory (Australia) waters for the first time.
Elucidation of the first definitively identified life cycle for a marine turtle blood fluke (Trematoda: Spirorchiidae) enables informed control
Published in International Journal for Parasitology, 2017
The life cycle of a marine spirorchiid blood fluke, a significant parasite of endangered sea turtles, is uncovered for the first time, leading to opportunities for improved control and elucidation of life cycles for further spirorchiid species. Featuring my design on the issue cover!
Molecular epidemiology and pathology of spirorchiid infection in green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas)
Published in International Journal for Parasitology - Parasites and Wildlife, 2017
The eggs of spirchiid blood flukes lodge in sea turtle tissue and cause potentially harmful lesions. This study provides the first species level investigation of egg-associated pathology and spirorchiid epidemiology
Evidence of diversity, site, and host specificity of sea turtle blood flukes (Digenea: Schistosomatoidea: “Spirorchiidae”): a molecular prospecting study
Published in Journal of Parasitology, 2017
A detailed molecular examination of spirorchiid blood fluke infection in Florida sea turtles reveals extensive diversity and host/site specificity, as well as associated pathological effects.
Spirorchiidiasis in marine turtles: the current state of knowledge
Published in Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 2019
A comprehensive review of current knowledge in marine spirorchiid blood flukes, including diversity, taxonomy/phylogeny, pathology, epidemiology and diagnostics
Caryospora-like coccidia infecting green turtles (Chelonia mydas): an emerging disease with evidence of interoceanic dissemination
Published in Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine, 2019
A phylogenetic investigation of coccicia causing mass mortality in sea turtles finds no evidence of geographical structuring between the USA and Australia, suggesting recent interoceanic dissemination of these parasites, posing a risk to endangered sea turtle populations.
Pronocephaloid cercariae (Platyhelminthes: Trematoda) from gastropods of the Queensland coast, Australia
Published in Journal of Helminthology, 2020
Reports of pronocephaloid cercariae from gastropods in Queensland, Australia.
Coccidiosis in green turtles (Chelonia mydas) in Australia: pathogenesis, spatial and temporal distribution, and climate-related determinants of disease outbreaks
Published in Journal of Wildlife Disease, 2020
A meta-analysis of green turtle coccidiosis in Australia provides the first attempt to identify broader epidemiology and causative factors in mass mortality events.
Complete genome sequences of Kinneretia sp. strain XES5, Shinella sp. strain XGS7, and Vogesella sp. strain XCS3, isolated from Xenopus laevis skin
Published in Microbiology Resource Announcements, 2021
Complete genomes from three bacteria isolated from the skin of adult African clawed frogs, Xenopus laevis
Manipulating the microbiome alters regenerative outcomes in Xenopus laevis tadpoles via lipopolysaccharide signalling
Published in Wound Repair and Regeneration, 2022
Regeneration and CRISPR experiments along with 16S amplicon sequencing of microbial communities finds that bacterial lipopolysaccharides, through TLR4 signalling, play a role in tail regeneration in African clawed frog Xenopus laevis tadpoles.
Characterisation and automated quantification of induced seizure-related behaviours in Xenopus laevis tadpoles
Published in Journal of Neurochemistry, 2023
Automated detection of various types of seizure activity in Xenopus laevis tadpoles can be successfully achieved using Topscan software.
Paper Title Number 4
Published in GitHub Journal of Bugs, 2024
This paper is about fixing template issue #693.
Recommended citation: Your Name, You. (2024). "Paper Title Number 3." GitHub Journal of Bugs. 1(3).
Download Paper
The role of family and environment in determining the skin bacterial communities of captive aquatic frogs, Xenopus laevis
Published in FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 2024
Antibiotics are routinely used in Xenopus husbandry, yet bacteria play an important role in tissue regeneration. The first in-depth bacterial microbiome source and inheritance analysis for captive and non-antibiotic-treated Xenopus laevis suggests that vertical transmission plays an important role in establishing tadpole skin microbiomes, and should be considered in the context of colony husbandry and experimental regeneration studies.
Renal myxosporidiosis by an unknown Bivalvulidan myxozoan parasite in Murray River turtles (Emydura macquarii) in Australia
Published in International Journal for Parasitology: Parasites and Wildlife, 2025
The first published record of a myxozoan parasite in Murray River turtles (Emydura macquarii) in Australia
Commensal skin bacteria interact with the innate immune system to promote tail regeneration in Xenopus laevis tadpoles
Published in BioRxiv, 2025
The skin microbiome is essential in stimulating the regeneration response to injury in Xenopus laevis tapoles
talks
Molecular investigation of an epizootic event in green sea turtles associated with coccidiosis
Published:
teaching
Bachelor of Science (Zoology)
Undergraduate courses, University of Queensland, BSc, 2004
Bachelor of Veterinary Science
Undergraduate courses, University of Queensland, BVSc, 2015
GENE360 - Extension Topics and Research Skills
Undergraduate course, University of Otago, BSc Genetics, 2022
Teaching Fellow: MARI301 - Marine Ecology and Ecosystems
3rd Year Undergraduate Course, University of Otago, Department of Marine Science, 2025