James Nankivell

I am broadly interested in the evolution, systematics and conservation of reptiles. I apply a range of techniques to conduct my research ranging form traditional field and museum based work through to modern genetic and imaging methods.My current Postdoctoral research is focussed around the role of prawn trawl bycatch in the conservation of sea snakes. I have worked closely with industry and government bodies in Western Australia improving the reliability of sea snake bycatch data recording. This has involved substantial time at sea on trawl vessels and is yielding new insights into sea snake conservation, population dynamics and ecology. I have ongoing projects on the population genetics and taxonomy of sea snakes as well as other groups of Australian terrestrial elapids. These projects make use of of the latest NGS sequencing techniques but also highlight the important role of natural history museums in cataloging and conserving biodiversity.