Colette Blyth

School of Biological Sciences

Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology

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I find my self most drawn to the application of science into management and practice, working directly with practitioners to close the gap between research and on-ground actions. I received my PhD from the University of Adelaide in January 2022, and I currently hold a duel position as a postdoc within the Environment Institute and as the project coordinator for DivSeek International Regional Hub for Australasia.

My current research is focused mainly on integrating genomics into restoration and conservation. I am working on a number of projects which analyse the variation of genetic diversity within threatened non-model plant species. I use this information to directly inform practitioners where to collect seed for conservation and revegetation projects to improve outcomes under environmental change.

In my position as project coordinator for DivSeek International Regional Hub for Australasia, I am responsible for planning, managing, and delivering a large-scale survey of plant genetic resources in Australia to develop a resource sharing tool for the scientific community. In this role, I have developed a comprehensive survey of genetic resources with leading researchers, and proactively communicate with various stakeholders which is currently underway.

I've had a varied career, starting out in practical conservation work in Scotland over a decade ago. I've since travelled and worked as a research assistant for various groups on projects ranging from ecosystem services in the Australian Wheat Belt (e.g., carbon sequestration) provided by agricultural restoration, to quantifying pollen deposition of native invertebrates of Israel. I have also held a number of positions outside of academia in practical conservation and horticulture.

Journals

Year	Citation
2023	Hodgson, R. J., Liddicoat, C., Cando‐Dumancela, C., Blyth, C., Watson, C. D., & Breed, M. F. (2023). Local and non‐local soil microbiota impede germination of the endangered Acacia whibleyana. Austral Ecology, 48(2), 339-358. DOI
2022	Minter, M., Nielsen, E. S., Blyth, C., Bertola, L. D., Kantar, M. B., Morales, H. E., . . . Leigh, D. M. (2022). What Is Genetic Diversity and Why Does it Matter?. Frontiers for Young Minds, 9, 656168-1-656168-9. DOI
2021	Blyth, C., Christmas, M. J., Bickerton, D. C., Breed, M. F., Foster, N. R., Guerin, G. R., . . . Lowe, A. J. (2021). Genomic, Habitat, and Leaf Shape Analyses Reveal a Possible Cryptic Species and Vulnerability to Climate Change in a Threatened Daisy. Life, 11(6), 1-32. DOI Scopus2 WoS2 Europe PMC1
2020	Blyth, C., Christmas, M. J., Bickerton, D. C., Faast, R., Packer, J. G., Lowe, A. J., & Breed, M. F. (2020). Increased genetic diversity via gene flow provides hope for Acacia whibleyana, an endangered wattle facing extinction. Diversity, 12(8), 1-18. DOI Scopus12 WoS10
2019	Hurren, A., Breed, M., Blyth, C., Mason, A., Cleeves, R., Lowe, A., & Bickerton, D. (2019). Community action across South Australia to secure the future of the Silver Daisy bush in a changing climate. Australasian Plant Conservation, 27(4), 8-10.
2019	Breed, M. F., Harrison, P., Blyth, C., Byrne, M., Gaget, V., Gellie, N., . . . Mohr, J. (2019). The potential of genomics for restoring ecosystems and biodiversity. Nature Reviews Genetics, 20(10), 615-628. DOI Scopus132 WoS113 Europe PMC37
2018	Baruch, Z., Jones, A., Hill, K. E., McInerney, F., Blyth, C., Caddy-Retalic, S., . . . Breed, M. (2018). Functional acclimation across microgeographic scales in Dodonaea viscosa. AoB Plants, 10(3), ply029-1-ply029-15. DOI Scopus3 WoS3 Europe PMC2

Conference Items

Year	Citation
2018	Hurren, A., Blyth, C., Mason, A., Cleeves, R., & Breed, M. F. (2018). Securing Silver Daisy – collaborative action to build resilience in a threatened daisy. Poster session presented at the meeting of 12th Australasian Plant Conservation Conference.

Bioplatforms Australia – Threatened Species Initiative partnership. Alongside Professor Andy Lowe, I have secured a partnership with Bioplatforms Australia to work on the conservation genomics of several threatened Australian plant species. 2021 – ongoing.

Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment – Defining restoration seed zones in the climate change era. 2018 – 2021.

Nature Foundation of South Australia PhD/Masters Scholarship Grant – Defining restoration seed zones with genomics, 2017.

Animal Identification II (ENV BIOL 2520) - Arid Recovery Field Camp (2021)

Email: colette.blyth@adelaide.edu.au

Colette Blyth

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