Dr Christopher Keneally
Grant Funded Researcher (A)
School of Biological Sciences
Faculty of Sciences, Engineering and Technology
Chris is a microbial ecologist and post-doctoral researcher in the Freshwater & Ecophysiology lab, passionate about how microbes influence human, animal, and ecosystem health through their central roles in the environment. His multidisciplinary research explores microbial community dynamics in aquatic ecosystems, combining remote boat-based fieldwork, wet lab microbiology, and bioinformatics. By answering questions about complex systems, Chris aims to inform policy and decision-making.
- My Research
- Career
- Publications
- Grants and Funding
- Teaching
- Supervision
- Professional Activities
- Contact
Salinity-Dependent Microbial Ecology and Biogeochemical Dynamics in a Degraded Hypersaline Coastal Lagoon
Chris' PhD research was concerned with the functional genetics and ecology of microbial communities controlling nutrient and carbon cycling in hypersaline environments. His study site is the Coorong National Park, at the Murray-Darling Basin Estuary in South Australia - an internationally important migratory bird habitat, and a Ramsar-listed wetland ecosystem.
This research aims to find pathways to bioremediation of the study site, and inform policy and management in the region. It also aims to contribute to the scientific literature on similar 'extreme' systems on a broader scale - e.g. microbial stress adaptation, climate, early earth evolution and astrobiology.
PhD Research Summary video, winner of a communication award at The University of Adelaide's Ingenuity 2021 - Accompanying research poster
Honours research seminar
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Appointments
Date Position Institution name 2024 - ongoing Post-doctoral Researcher University of Adelaide 2021 - 2024 PhD Candidate University of Adelaide 2020 - ongoing Lecturing & Demonstration The University of Adelaide 2019 - 2020 Research Assistant The University of Adelaide -
Education
Date Institution name Country Title 2020 - 2025 The University of Adelaide Australia PhD 2019 - 2020 The University of Adelaide Australia Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science 2015 - 2018 The University of Adelaide Australia Bachelor of Science (Microbiology & Immunology) -
Research Interests
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Journals
Year Citation 2025 Huang, J., Lam-Gordillo, O., Mosley, L. M., Keneally, C., Brookes, J., & Welsh, D. T. (2025). Understanding sediment nutrient cycling in a hypersaline coastal lagoon using hydrogel-based passive sampling techniques. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 214, 15 pages.
2025 Keneally, C., Chilton, D., Dornan, T. N., Kidd, S. P., Gaget, V., Toomes, A., . . . Brookes, J. D. (2025). Multi-omics reveal microbial succession and metabolomic adaptations to flood in a hypersaline coastal lagoon. Water Research, 280, 11 pages.
Scopus12025 Zhou, Y., Zhang, T., Zhou, L., Zhang, Y., Xu, H., Jang, K. S., . . . Jeppesen, E. (2025). Terrestrial Organic Matter Inputs Modulate Methane Emissions from a Mega-Reservoir. Environmental Science and Technology, 59(13), 6590-6599.
Scopus12025 Keneally, C., Gaget, V., Chilton, D., Kidd, S. P., Mosley, L., Welsh, D. T., . . . Brookes, J. (2025). Microbial ecology in hypersaline coastal lagoons: A model for climate-induced coastal salinisation and eutrophication. Earth-Science Reviews, 266, 105150.
2024 Keneally, C., Southgate, M., Chilton, D., Gaget, V., Welsh, D. T., Mosley, L., . . . Brookes, J. (2024). Organic matter accumulation drives methylotrophic methanogenesis and microbial ecology in a hypersaline coastal lagoon. Limnology and Oceanography, 69(9), 1970-1983.
Scopus42024 Keneally, C., Gaget, V., Kidd, S. P., & Brookes, J. (2024). Sample Preservation Solution Increases Nucleic Acid Yield and Environmental RNA Quality in Sediments Across an Estuarine Salinity Gradient. Environmental DNA, 6(5), e70016-1-e70016-11.
Scopus22023 Brookes, J. D., Busch, B., Cassey, P., Chilton, D., Dittmann, S., Dornan, T., . . . Gibbs, M. (2023). How well is the Basin Plan meeting its objectives? From the perspective of the Coorong, a sentinel of change in the Murray-Darling Basin. Australian Journal of Water Resources, 27(2), 223-240.
Scopus11 WoS12022 Priestley, S. C., Tyler, J., Liebelt, S. R., Mosley, L. M., Wong, W. W., Shao, Y., . . . Farkaš, J. (2022). N and C Isotope Variations Along an Extreme Eutrophication and Salinity Gradient in the Coorong Lagoon, South Australia. Frontiers in Earth Science : Geochemistry, 9, 1-14.
Scopus13 WoS2 -
Conference Items
Year Citation 2023 Keneally, C., Southgate, M., Chilton, D., Kidd, S., & Brookes, J. (2023). Microbial ecology & methane production in a hypersaline coastal lagoon. Poster session presented at the meeting of Freshwater Sciences 2023. Brisbane. 2022 Keneally, C., Southgate, M., Chilton, D., Dornan, T., & Brookes, J. (2022). Sediment microbial ecology and methane dynamics during resuspension events in a hypersaline coastal lagoon. Poster session presented at the meeting of Abstracts of the 36th Congress of the International Society for Limnology (SIL, 2022). Berlin, Germany: International Society of Limnology (SIL). -
Report for External Bodies
Year Citation 2022 Huang, J., Welsh, D. T., Erler, D. V., Ferguson, A., Brookes, J., Keneally, C., . . . Mosley, L. (2022). Coorong nutrient cycling and fluxes (22/7). Goyder Institute for Water Research. 2022 Huang, J., Welsh, D. T., Erler, D. V., Ferguson, A., Brookes, J., Keneally, C., . . . Mosley, L. (2022). Coorong nutrient cycling and fluxes (22/7). Goyder Institute for Water Research. 2021 Dornan, T. N., Mills, J. G., Shiel, R., Keneally, C., Dorji, T., Deane, D., . . . Brookes, J. D. (2021). Monitoring microinvertebrate response to environmental watering events in the SA River Murray in 2020. -
Theses
Year Citation 2020 Keneally, C. (2020). Towards Recovery of the Coorong: A Framework for Investigating Denitrification, Diversity & Other Functional Roles of Microbial Communities in Hypersaline Sediments. (Undergraduate Dissertation).
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2024 - 2026 Enhancing the predictive modelling platform and assessing the climate impacts on ecosystem services of the CLLMM to guide adaptation strategies. Grant from Cwth Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. CI: Brookes, J.D. Investigators: Hipsey, M.R., Huang, P., Zhai,S., Mosley, L., Keneally, C.C., Leterme, S., Ye, Q., Sarakinis, K.G., Earle, J., Bailleul, F., Howson, T., Bi, P., Anikeeva, O., Hansen, A., O'Connor, P., Wedderburn, S., Grigg, B. $999,000
- 2024 Max Day Environmental Science Fellowship (High Commendation) $20,000
- 2023 Student Travel Grant - Australian Freshwater Sciences Society (AFSS) $1000
- 2018 Global Learning Travel Grant $1000
Coursework teaching
- ENV BIOL 3004: Freshwater Ecology III (Semester 1 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024) - Contract lecturing, demonstrating & tutoring
- ENV BIOL 2502 - Ecology II (Semester 2 2024) - Guest lecturer
- BIOLOGY 1101: Molecules, Genes, & Cells (Semester 1 2022 & 2023) - Demonstrating
Informal supervision
- PPR3: Principles and Practices of Research (Semester 2 2021 & 2024) - Supervision of undergraduate research students
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Other Supervision Activities
Date Role Research Topic Location Program Supervision Type Student Load Student Name 2025 - 2025 Co-Supervisor Sulfide inhibition of methane oxidation in the Coorong, South Australia University of Adelaide Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science Honours Full Time James Hensel 2020 - 2020 Co-Supervisor Denitrification rates in sediments of the Coorong, South Australia University of Adelaide Principles & Practice of Research (Advanced) III Other Full Time Matilda Southgate
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Committee Memberships
Date Role Committee Institution Country 2024 - ongoing Member Biology Society of South Australia (BSSA) Biology Society of South Australia Australia 2022 - 2023 President Biology Society of South Australia (BSSA) Biology Society of South Australia Australia 2021 - 2022 Secretary Biology Society of South Australia (BSSA) Biology Society of South Australia Australia -
Memberships
Date Role Membership Country 2021 - ongoing Member Australian Freshwater Sciences Society Australia
Connect With Me
External Profiles
