KEY RESEARCH INTERESTS

Conservation and management decisions for threatened Southern Hemisphere wildlife

One area that I am particularly focussed on is Antarctica, which currently has only one Marine Protected Area (the Ross Sea), and its protection is time-limited to 30 years. Several additional Marine Protected Areas have been proposed, but their establishment depends on complex international agreements. As the region faces increasing pressure from climate change and broader environmental impacts, there is a clear need for robust scientific evidence to inform conservation policy. This is the core target of my currently-held Ramsay Fellowship.

My research contributes to this effort by generating critical baseline data on species such as penguins and snow petrels, including genomic and geochemical techniques to better understand population size, diet, microbiome and their roles within wider ecosystem dynamics over time. These datasets are essential for defining what constitutes a healthy, functioning ecosystem and provide a scientific foundation for the design, implementation, and long-term monitoring of Marine Protected Areas. By integrating genomic, ecological, and longitudinal field data, my work helps bridge the gap between fundamental research and applied conservation outcomes in rapidly changing Antarctic environments.

Having grown up in Australia, I have long maintained a strong interest in Australian conservation, and now that I am based back in Adelaide, I am keen to contribute more actively to research and management efforts in this area. I have been involved in population genetics research on endangered freshwater fish in the Australian Murray–Darling Basin (as part of my Hons research), contributing to efforts aimed at understanding and conserving these vulnerable species within a highly impacted and variable ecosystem. I have also used genomics to assess invasive avian species management in South Australia.

Genomic adaptation to Antarctic climate and environmental change

My research has explored how seabirds have responded to past climate change, particularly for penguins, petrels and prions. Using population genomic and whole-genome datasets across multiple penguin species—particularly Antarctic and sub-Antarctic taxa within the genera Pygoscelis, Eudyptes, and Aptenodytes - I have identified patterns of refugia and subsequent recolonisation following the Last Glacial Maximum ~18,000 years ago. These processes were associated with rapid ecological shifts in both terrestrial and marine Southern Ocean environments as sea ice retreated and global temperatures rose.

Biogeography, speciation and phylogenomics of Southern Ocean assemblages

Using whole genomes and population genomic datasets, I have reconstructed the most comprehensive phylogenetic tree of penguins to date. This work revises the timing of key evolutionary events, demonstrates that Antarctic adaptations arose multiple times independently, and illuminates >50 million years of penguin biogeography. The study is highly collaborative, integrating morphological data from fossils with genomic evidence. I have also investigated speciation processes in penguins, showing that the emergence of volcanic islands around ~5 million years ago drove the diversification and splitting of many species, particularly within the Eudyptes genus. My work in population genomics has contributed to revising penguin systematics, particularly within the rockhopper complex and the macaroni/royal penguin group, helping to clarify species boundaries, evolutionary relationships and conservation decisions.

Comparative genomics and evolutionary biology of avifauna

I am particularly interested in how species evolve to adapt to their unique environments. Penguins provide a compelling example: they are remarkable animals, finely tuned to the extreme Antarctic environment, where survival depends on a suite of highly specialised physiological, morphological and behavioural traits. My highly collaborative research, using whole-genome analyses (as part of my postdoctoral research at the University of Copenhagen), has identified genes associated with key penguin-specific adaptations, including thermoregulation, underwater vision, diving capacity, taste perception, and osmoregulation.

These findings illustrate how strong environmental pressures can drive coordinated genetic changes across multiple biological systems. By integrating genomic data with ecological and functional perspectives, this work advances our understanding not only of which genes are involved, but also how they interact to produce complex adaptive traits. More broadly, it highlights the importance of linking molecular mechanisms with environmental context when interpreting the evolution of extreme specialisation in species such as penguins.

Southern Hemisphere extinctions, palaeoecology and species turnover

My research has led to the taxonomic description of two previously unrecognised penguin taxa (Eudyptes warhami and Megadyptes antipodes richdalei) from the New Zealand Chatham Islands, integrating ancient DNA analyses from both mitochondrial and whole genomes with detailed morphological approaches. By combining genetic and phenotypic evidence, this work provides a more comprehensive understanding of penguin diversity and evolutionary history in the region. I have also contributed to the description of other extinct avian and plant fauna from New Zealand and other Pacific islands.

Reconstructing what has been lost through extinction is critical for contemporary conservation, as it helps establish historical baselines and reveals the scale of biodiversity decline prior to modern monitoring. Such insights can inform more realistic conservation targets and improve our understanding of ecosystem resilience and function. In addition, I have contributed to research on other avifaunal extinctions, further expanding our knowledge of past biodiversity loss and its implications for present-day conservation strategies.

I have also been involved in a range of palaeoecological studies aimed at reconstructing past environments from significant sites in New Zealand, Chile, and Australia. In addition, I am engaged with the Australian Research Council Centre for Indigenous Environments, Histories and Futures, contributing to interdisciplinary research that connects environmental change with cultural and historical perspectives.

In Antarctica, my research has also contributed to understanding long-term ecosystem change and species turnover in the Ross Sea region. In particular, work integrating ancient DNA and ecological evidence has revealed a major shift in dominance from historical elephant seal populations to modern Adélie penguin populations. This transition reflects substantial reorganisation of marine vertebrate communities over time, likely driven by changing environmental and climate conditions and ecological interactions. These findings provide important context for interpreting present-day ecosystem structure and for anticipating how Antarctic communities may continue to respond to ongoing climate-driven change.

As part of my research, I have undertaken multiple field expeditions to Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions, and cave sites around Australia and New Zealand. This includes a voyage to the New Zealand sub-Antarctic islands (Enderby, Antipodes and Campbell Island) with Heritage Expeditions supported by an Enderby Scholarship, as well as three expeditions to the Antarctic Ross Sea, through the NSF Early Career Research Program in Antarctic Biology and twice to remote coastlines of Antarctica through the New Zealand Ross RAMP programme.