Projects
Project 1 - eDNA monitoring and conservation genomics of the Pilbara Olive Python
Aims to merge eDNA monitoring with whole genomic analyses to study the Pilbara Olive Python (Liasis olivaceus barroni), resulting in deep population genomic insights and evolutionary ecology information to guide conservation priorities. A key outcome in this study will be the generation of the first Olive Python reference genome.
Project 2 - Subterranean fauna detection and conservation
Develops new high-resolution eDNA tools for monitoring genetic diversity in subterranean animals across different sites, in order to facilitate their conservation and obtain new groundbreaking information into the evolutionary processes in this hidden world.
Project 3 - Fuctional ecology of Chilean precordillera lakes: towards a Wetland Health Index for birds
By uniquely combining eDNA technology with isotope analysis this project aims to not only investigate the wetland biodiversity but also characterize ecosystem web dynamics from sediment microbes to the migratory Chilean flamingos. This will allow us to understand the food chain and identify keystone species that are indicators of wetland health.
Project 4 - Improve Sensitivity and Specificity of eDNA metabarcoding tools for Invasive Marine Species detection
This project aims to develop crucial target information of invasive marine species (IMS) and native co-inhabitants from the North West Shelf of Western Australia. This will greatly enhance the ability of eDNA to detect IMS in ports, ballast and structural waters to become the first line of defence in the seas.
Project 5 - Benthic communities associated with port and harbour infrastructure in the Pilbara: Targeting invasive marine species
Environmental DNA samples will be collected from manmade assets and natural habitats across ports and harbours of the Pilbara region to identify patterns in the distribution of organisms and preferences for structure types and depth. Surveys will be made for invasive marine species and native biodiversity.
Project 6 - Terrestrial ecosystem biomonitoring with eDNA across the tree of life: the Olympic Dam case study
The objective of this project is to validate cutting edge molecular tools to assess terrestrial biodiversity (soil microbial communities, plants, invertebrates, and vertebrates) and commence development of an eDNA based metric for evaluating the condition of terrestrial ecosystems. This approach to ecosystem monitoring will advance the study of individual species to understanding entire ecosystems and how species interconnect.
Publications
2024
Wells F.E., Lukehurst S.S., Fullwood L.A.F., Harvey E.S. (2024). Distribution of intertidal rock oysters in the Pilbara, Western Australia. Management of Biological Invasions 15(1): 131–143. https://doi.org/10.3391/mbi.2024.15.1.08
Wells F.E., Duangdee T., Sanpanich K., Lukehurst S.S. (2024). Status of the invasive charru mussel Mytella strigata (Hanley, 1843) in the upper Gulf of Thailand five years after it was first surveyed. BioInvasions Records 13(1): 69–82. https://doi.org/10.3391/bir.2024.13.1.07
2023
Campbell, M. A., Laini, A., White, N. E., Allentoft, M. E., & Saccò, M. (2023). When nets meet environmental DNA metabarcoding: Integrative approach to unveil invertebrate community patterns of hypersaline lakes. Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, 41(4), 1331–1340. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00343-022-2151-9
Mousavi-Derazmahalleh M., Ellis R.J., D’Rozario B.L., Berry T.E., Peverley G., Dawkins K.L., Campbell M., White N.E. and Allentoft M.E. (2023). Rock pools as a source of environmental DNA for the detection of the threatened Pilbara olive python (Liasis olivaceus barroni). Front. Environ. Sci. 11:1187545. doi: 10.3389/fenvs.2023.1187545
Simpson T.J., Wellington C.M., Lukehurst S.S., Huerlimann R., Veilleux H., Snow M., Dias J., McDonald J.I.(2023). Development of a real-time PCR (qPCR) method for the identification of the invasive paddle crab Charybdis japonica (Crustacea,Portunidae). PeerJ 11: e15522. https://peerj.com/articles/15522/
Takahashi, M., Saccò, M., Kestel, J. H., Nester, G., Campbell, M. A., Van Der Heyde, M., … & Allentoft, M. E. (2023). Aquatic environmental DNA: A review of the macro-organismal biomonitoring revolution. Science of The Total Environment, 162322. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.162322
2022
Saccò, M., Blyth, A. J., Douglas, G., Humphreys, W. F., Hose, G. C., Davis, J., … & Halse, S. A. (2022). Stygofaunal diversity and ecological sustainability of coastal groundwater ecosystems in a changing climate: The Australian paradigm. Freshwater Biology, 67, 2007 – 2023. https://doi.org/10.1111/fwb.13987
Saccò, M., Guzik, M. T., van der Heyde, M., Nevill, P., Cooper, S. J., Austin, A. D., … & White, N. E. (2022). eDNA in subterranean ecosystems: Applications, technical aspects, and future prospects. Science of The Total Environment, 153223. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153223
Saccò, M., Campbell, M. A., Nevill, P., Humphreys, W. F., Blyth, A. J., Grierson, P. F., & White, N. E. (2022). Getting to the root of organic inputs in groundwaters: stygofaunal plant consumption in a calcrete aquifer. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 202. https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.854591
2021
Saccò, M., White, N. E., Harrod, C., Salazar, G., Aguilar, P., Cubillos, C. F., … & Allentoft, M. E. (2021). Salt to conserve: A review on the ecology and preservation of hypersaline ecosystems. Biological Reviews, 96(6), 2828-2850. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.12780
Saccò, M., White, N. E., Campbell, M., Allard, S., Humphreys, W. F., Pringle, P., … & Allentoft, M. E. (2021). Metabarcoding under brine: microbial ecology of five hypersaline lakes at Rottnest Island (WA, Australia). Water, 13(14), 1899. https://doi.org/10.3390/w13141899