Current Students
Nicola Rodewald- Dispersal of benthic invertebrates in the Southern Ocean
PhD, primary advisor Jan Strugnell, James Cook University
2022-present
PhD, primary advisor Jan Strugnell, James Cook University
2022-present
Chrissy Tustison- Addressing challenges in seadragon conservation with citizen science and artificial intelligence
PhD, primary advisor Nerida Wilson, University of Western Australia
2021-present
PhD, primary advisor Nerida Wilson, University of Western Australia
2021-present
Past Students
Paige Maroni- The evolution and ecology of an adaptive marine radiation of Antarctic sea slugs
PhD, primary advisor Nerida Wilson, University of Western Australia
2018-2023
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: One Antarctic slug to confuse them all: the underestimaed diversity of Doris 'kerguelenensis'
Chapter 3: Multiple Doris 'kerguelenensis' species span the Antarctic Polar Front
Chapter 4: Using exon capture to untangle the Doris 'kerguelenensis' species complex
Chapter 5: General conclusions
PhD, primary advisor Nerida Wilson, University of Western Australia
2018-2023
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: One Antarctic slug to confuse them all: the underestimaed diversity of Doris 'kerguelenensis'
Chapter 3: Multiple Doris 'kerguelenensis' species span the Antarctic Polar Front
Chapter 4: Using exon capture to untangle the Doris 'kerguelenensis' species complex
Chapter 5: General conclusions
Sally Lau- Molecular signatures of historical glacial events in Antarctic marine benthic taxa
PhD, primary advisor Jan Strugnell, James Cook University
2018-2022
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: Evolutionary innovations in Antarctic brittle stars linked to glacial refugia
Chapter 3: Target capture sequencing is better than ddRADseq for population studies
Chapter 4: Evolutionary divergence and innovation driven by a historical warm interglacial: genomic insights from Antarctic brittle stars
Chapter 5: Circumpolar and regional seascape drivers of genomic variation in a Southern Ocean octopus
Chapter 6: Genomic evidence of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse during the Last Interglacial Period
Chapter 7: General Discussion
PhD, primary advisor Jan Strugnell, James Cook University
2018-2022
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: Evolutionary innovations in Antarctic brittle stars linked to glacial refugia
Chapter 3: Target capture sequencing is better than ddRADseq for population studies
Chapter 4: Evolutionary divergence and innovation driven by a historical warm interglacial: genomic insights from Antarctic brittle stars
Chapter 5: Circumpolar and regional seascape drivers of genomic variation in a Southern Ocean octopus
Chapter 6: Genomic evidence of West Antarctic Ice Sheet collapse during the Last Interglacial Period
Chapter 7: General Discussion
Matt Nimbs- Taxonomy and systematics of the Australian Aplysiidae (Mollusca: Heterobranchia)
PhD, primary advisor Stephen Smith, Southern Cross University
2017-2020
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: Overview
Chapter 2: Is Port Stephens, eastern Australia, a global hotspot for biodiversity of Aplysiidae (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia)?
Chapter 3: An historical summary of the distribution and diet of Australian sea hares (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiidae)
Chapter 4: A molecular phylogeny of the Australian Aplysiidae Lamarck, 1809 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Aplysiida)
Chapter 5: Description of a new species of Bursatella, Blaineville, 1817 (Gastropoda, Aplysiida, Aplysiidae) from southern Australia
Chapter 6: Redescription of the sea hare Phyllaplysia viridis (Bergh, 1905) (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiida)
Chapter 7: Saved by the shell: molecular analysis deects the cryptic sea hare Aplysia concava G.B. Sowerby I, 1833, from Oceania
Chapter 8: Synthesis
PhD, primary advisor Stephen Smith, Southern Cross University
2017-2020
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: Overview
Chapter 2: Is Port Stephens, eastern Australia, a global hotspot for biodiversity of Aplysiidae (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia)?
Chapter 3: An historical summary of the distribution and diet of Australian sea hares (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiidae)
Chapter 4: A molecular phylogeny of the Australian Aplysiidae Lamarck, 1809 (Gastropoda, Heterobranchia, Aplysiida)
Chapter 5: Description of a new species of Bursatella, Blaineville, 1817 (Gastropoda, Aplysiida, Aplysiidae) from southern Australia
Chapter 6: Redescription of the sea hare Phyllaplysia viridis (Bergh, 1905) (Gastropoda: Heterobranchia: Aplysiida)
Chapter 7: Saved by the shell: molecular analysis deects the cryptic sea hare Aplysia concava G.B. Sowerby I, 1833, from Oceania
Chapter 8: Synthesis
Kara Layton- Species delimitation and patterns of speciation in marine gastropods
PhD, primary advisor Nerida Wilson, University of Western Australia
2015-2018
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: Flexible colour patterns obscure identification and mimicry in Indo-Pacific Chromodoris nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Chromodorididae)
Chapter 3: Using exon capture to tease apart recently radiated mimetic sea slugs
Chapter 4: A newly-discovered radiation of endoparasitic gastropods and their co-evolution with asteroid hosts in Antarctica
Chapter 5: Erecting a new family for Spirostyliferina, a truncatelloidean microgastropod, with further insights into caenogastropod phylogeny
Chapter 6: General Discussion
PhD, primary advisor Nerida Wilson, University of Western Australia
2015-2018
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: Flexible colour patterns obscure identification and mimicry in Indo-Pacific Chromodoris nudibranchs (Gastropoda: Chromodorididae)
Chapter 3: Using exon capture to tease apart recently radiated mimetic sea slugs
Chapter 4: A newly-discovered radiation of endoparasitic gastropods and their co-evolution with asteroid hosts in Antarctica
Chapter 5: Erecting a new family for Spirostyliferina, a truncatelloidean microgastropod, with further insights into caenogastropod phylogeny
Chapter 6: General Discussion
Josefin Stiller- From syngnathid systematics to seadragon siblings - Investigating nested scales of divergence using novel molecular tools
PhD, primary advisor Greg Rouse, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
2012-2017
Google scholar
Awarded Scripps Institute of Oceanography Chancellor's Dissertation Award medal for 2018
Chapter 1: Phylogenetic relationships of Syngnathidae from 1000 genetic regions
Chapter 2: A spectacular new species of seadragon (Syngnathidae)
Chapter 3: First live records of the ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea, Syngnathidae)
Chapter 4: Barriers to gene flow in common seadragons (Syngnathidae: Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
Chapter 5: Genome-wide markers reveal latitudinal differences in seadragon diversity
Chapter 6: Genetic relationships of leafy seadragons in public aquaria
PhD, primary advisor Greg Rouse, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
2012-2017
Google scholar
Awarded Scripps Institute of Oceanography Chancellor's Dissertation Award medal for 2018
Chapter 1: Phylogenetic relationships of Syngnathidae from 1000 genetic regions
Chapter 2: A spectacular new species of seadragon (Syngnathidae)
Chapter 3: First live records of the ruby seadragon (Phyllopteryx dewysea, Syngnathidae)
Chapter 4: Barriers to gene flow in common seadragons (Syngnathidae: Phyllopteryx taeniolatus)
Chapter 5: Genome-wide markers reveal latitudinal differences in seadragon diversity
Chapter 6: Genetic relationships of leafy seadragons in public aquaria
Anne Winters- Understanding colour and chemical diversity in nudibranchs
PhD, primary advisor Karen Cheney, University of Queensland
2012-2016
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: Accumulation and distribution of defensive metabolites in nudibranch molluscs
Chapter 3: Weapons or signals: anti-predator activity of nudibranch secondary metabolites
Chapter 4: Geographic and individual variation of diterpene-based chemical defenses in the Australian nudibranch Goniobranchus splendidus
Chapter 5: Geographic divergence of warning signals in a nudibranch mollusc
Chapter 6: Marine butterflies: putative mimicry ring in red-spotted nudibranch molluscs
Chapter 7: General Discussion
PhD, primary advisor Karen Cheney, University of Queensland
2012-2016
Google Scholar
Chapter 1: General Introduction
Chapter 2: Accumulation and distribution of defensive metabolites in nudibranch molluscs
Chapter 3: Weapons or signals: anti-predator activity of nudibranch secondary metabolites
Chapter 4: Geographic and individual variation of diterpene-based chemical defenses in the Australian nudibranch Goniobranchus splendidus
Chapter 5: Geographic divergence of warning signals in a nudibranch mollusc
Chapter 6: Marine butterflies: putative mimicry ring in red-spotted nudibranch molluscs
Chapter 7: General Discussion
- Chloe Anderson, University of Western Australia, honours 2021
- Kiah Grogan, University of Western Australia, Masters 2019-2020
- Chrissy Tustison, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Masters 2018-2019
- Emily McLaughlin, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Masters 2017-2020
- Jenna Moore, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, PhD candidate 2011-2012
- Scherazada Umanzör-Rodriguez, New Mexico State University, Masters 2007-2008
- Lucy Turner, Marine Biological Association of the UK, Plymouth, Masters 2003-2004
- Vanessa Echavarria Mesa, University of Queensland, honours 2A 2004
- Melissa Cowlishaw, University of Queensland, honours, First Class 2002
