Fields of Research

Fish pests and diseases
Fish physiology and genetics
Fisheries management
Aquaculture
Transgenesis
Environmental biotechnology diagnostics (incl. biosensors)
Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Comparative physiology
Reproduction
Animal developmental and reproductive biology
Biological control
Developmental genetics (incl. sex determination)
Post-harvest fisheries technologies (incl. transportation)
Environmental assessment and monitoring
Freshwater ecology
Animal growth and development
Animal systematics and taxonomy
Animal cell and molecular biology
Behavioural ecology
Medical biochemistry - nucleic acids
Gene expression (incl. microarray and other genome-wide approaches)
Biosecurity science and invasive species ecology
Aquaculture and fisheries stock assessment

Research Objectives

Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in fresh, ground and surface water
Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna)
Fisheries - wild caught
Other environmental management
Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in coastal and estuarine environments
Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in terrestrial environments
Biodiversity in Antarctic and Southern Ocean environments
Fisheries - recreational freshwater
Wild caught crustaceans (excl. rock lobster and prawns)
Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems
Clinical health
Environmentally sustainable animal production
Fresh, ground and surface water biodiversity
Assessment and management of freshwater ecosystems
Climate change models
Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean)
Fisheries - recreational marine
Expanding knowledge in the agricultural, food and veterinary sciences
Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Expanding knowledge in the environmental sciences

Career Best Publications

A compact cartilaginous fish model genome; Current Biology
A manual for carp control: The Tasmanian model. In management of carp in the Australian landscape. PestSmart Toolkit publication, Invasive animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra, Australia
Development of repressible sterility to prevent the establishment of feral populations of exotic and genetically modified animals; Aquaculture: An International Journal Devoted to Fundamental Aquatic Food Resources
Distinct cytochrome P450 aromatase isoforms in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio ) : Sexual dimorphism and onset of ontogenic expression; General and Comparative Endocrinology
Effects of bisphenol A and fadrozole exposures on cyp19a1 expression in the Murray rainbowfish, Melanotaenia fluviatilis; Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Expression and knockdown of primordial germ cell genes, vasa, nanos and dead end in common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) embryos for transgenic sterilization and reduced sexual maturity; Aquaculture
Sperm-mediated transfer of the recombinant plasmid pXGH5 into zebrafish; Third Asian fisheries forum
Sterile 'Judas' carp - Surgical sterilisation does not impair growth, endocrine and behavioural responses of male carp; General and Comparative Endocrinology
Tissue and sexually dimorphic expression of ovarian and brain aromatase mRNA in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes): Implications for their preferential roles in ovarian and neural differentiation and development; General and Comparative Endocrinology: An International Journal

Research Publications

5.1 Managing and eradicating carp: a Tasmanian experience; New Zealand Invasive Fish Management Handbook
A compact cartilaginous fish model genome; Current Biology
A manual for carp control: The Tasmanian model. In management of carp in the Australian landscape. PestSmart Toolkit publication, Invasive animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra, Australia
A novel testicular degenerative condition in a wild population of the common carp Cyprinus carpio (L); Journal of Fish Diseases
Age-, gender-, and tissue-dependent transcriptional responses of cyp19a1 and vtg in Murray rainbow fish Melanotaenia fluviatilis exposed to17β-estradiol; Indian Journal of Ecology
Amoebic gill disease (AGD) vaccine development phase II - Molecular basis of host parasite interactions in Amoebic Gill Disease
Aquatic invasive species management: what can we learn from Australia?; Symposium on Invasive Alien Species 2018
Assessment of pMTL construct for detection in vivo of luciferase expression and fate of the transgene in the zebrafish, Brachydanio rerio; Zoological Science
Ballast water service level agreement (SLA)- Part IV
Biomarker-assisted assessment of aquatic health using the cosmopolitan common carp, Cyprinus carpio. (L): a case study of bisphenol-A exposures; Environmental Science and Pollution Research
Bronze Award: Capture-Analyse-Predict (C.A.P): A Novel Method to Predict the Reproductive Output of Livebearing Fishes
Characterisation and aetiology of jelly-like gonad condition (JGC) in the common carp, Cyprinus carpio (L); Australian Society for Fish Biology - Oceania Chrondrichthyan Society Conference
Comparative gonad histology and semen quality of normal (XY) and neo-males (XX) of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar); Aquaculture Research
Daily ageing to delineate population dynamics of the invasive fish Gambusia holbrooki: implications for management and control; Biological Invasions
Development and deployment of sterile 'Judas fish' to assist carp eradication in Lake Sorell, Tasmania - Surgical and chemical sterilization
Development and evaluation of a PCR based test for detection of Asterias (Echinodermata: Asteroidea) larvae in plankton samples from ballast water; Marine and Freshwater Research
Development of repressible sterility to prevent the establishment of feral populations of exotic and genetically modified animals; Aquaculture: An International Journal Devoted to Fundamental Aquatic Food Resources
Distinct cytochrome P450 aromatase isoforms in the common carp (Cyprinus carpio ) : Sexual dimorphism and onset of ontogenic expression; General and Comparative Endocrinology
Effects of bisphenol A and fadrozole exposures on cyp19a1 expression in the Murray rainbowfish, Melanotaenia fluviatilis; Archives of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Effects of exposure to oestrogenic compounds on aromatase gene expression are gender dependent in the rainbowfish, Melanotaenia fluviatilis; Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology
Effects of transgenic sterilization constructs and their repressor compounds on hatch, developmental rate and early survival of electroporated channel catfish embryos and fry; Transgenic Research
Efficacy of estradiol in feminising the eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki: advance towards developing a genetic control option; Marine and Freshwater Research
Embryonic onset of sexually dimorphic heart rates in the viviparous fish, Gambusia holbrooki; Biomedicines
Eradication of the invasive common carp, Cyprinus carpio from a large lake: lessons and insights from the Tasmanian experience; Fishes
Evaluation and dose standardization of Metomidate hydrochloride (Marinil) for live transportation of fry and brood of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio; Third Asian fisheries forum
Exploiting seasonal habitat use of the common carp, Cyprinus carpio, in a lacustrine system for management and eradication; Marine and Freshwater Research
Exposure to Estrogenic Chemicals Induces Ectopic Expression of vtg in the Testis of Rainbowfish, Melanotaenia fluviatilis; Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology
Expression and knockdown of primordial germ cell genes, vasa, nanos and dead end in common Carp (Cyprinus carpio) embryos for transgenic sterilization and reduced sexual maturity; Aquaculture
Gravid spot predicts developmental progress and reproductive output in a livebearing fish, Gambusia holbrooki; PLoS ONE
Gravid spot: a surrogate for predicting progress of embryonic development and reproductive output in a live bearing fish (Gambusia holbrooki); Australian Society for Fish Biology - Oceania Chrondrichthyan Society Conference
Human liver-derived cells stably modified for regulated proinsulin secretion function as bioimplants in vivo; Journal of Gene Medicine
Lessons from Down Under: tackling Malaysia's alien invasive fish management
Light-cardiogram, a simple technique for heart rate determination in adult zebrafish, Danio rerio; Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A
Masculinization of adult Gambusia holbrooki using 17α-methyltestosterone: a case of recapitulation of protogyny in a gonochorist?; Biology
Molecular genetic evidence for a new species of bream of the genus Acanthopagrus Peters (Perciformes: Sparidae); Asian Fisheries Science
Nuclear internalization of foreign DNA by zebrafish spermatozoa and its enhancement by electroporation; Journal of Experimental Zoology
Ontogenic and sexually dimorphic expression of cyp19 isoforms in the rainbowfish, Melanotaenia fluviatilis (Castelnau 1878); Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A: Molecular and Integrative Physiology
Peripheral olfactory structures and maturity-related crypt receptor neuron kinetics in the olfactory epithelium of carp Cyprinus carpio (L.): implications for carnal vulnerability and pest management; Marine and Freshwater Research
Preliminary observations of hypophysation and its effectiveness in controlling carp aggregations in Lakes Crescent and Sorell
Preliminary results on induced spawning of pond-raised Mahseer Tor Khudree; Journal of Aquaculture in The Tropics
Preventing Genetic Pollution and the Establishment of Feral Populations: A Molecular Solution; Ecological and Genetic Implications of Aquaculture Activities
Primordial germ cell development in the poeciliid, Gambusia holbrooki, reveals shared features between lecithotrophs and matrotrophs; Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology
Production of monosex progeny of the tilapia Oreochromis mossambicus by hormonal sex reversal and selective breeding; Third Asian fisheries forum
Reproductive viability of paradoxically masculinised Gambusia holbrooki generated following diethylstilbestrol (DES) treatment; Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B
Sex biased expression of anti-Mullerian hormone (amh) gene in a live bearing fish, Gambusia holbrooki: evolutionary implications and potential role in sex differentiation; Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part B
Specific amplification of mt-COI gene of the invasive gastropod Maoricolpus roseus in planktonic samples reveals a free-living larval life-history stage; Marine and Freshwater Research
Sperm-mediated gene transfer: A review
Sperm-mediated transfer of the recombinant plasmid pXGH5 into zebrafish; Third Asian fisheries forum
Stages of embryonic development from zygote to hatching in the viviparous fish, Gambusia holbrooki; Australian Society for Fish Biology Conference 2018
Stages of embryonic development in the live-bearing fish, Gambusia holbrooki; Developmental Dynamics
Sterile 'Judas' carp - Surgical sterilisation does not impair growth, endocrine and behavioural responses of male carp; General and Comparative Endocrinology
Sterile Judas carp set to betray their own in Tasmania; Australian Veterinary Journal
Suppression and restoration of primordial germ cell marker gene expression in channel catfish, Ictalurus punctatus, using knockdown constructs regulated by copper transport protein gene promoters: potential for reversible transgenic sterilization; Theriogenology
Tissue and sexually dimorphic expression of ovarian and brain aromatase mRNA in the Japanese medaka (Oryzias latipes): Implications for their preferential roles in ovarian and neural differentiation and development; General and Comparative Endocrinology: An International Journal
Trojan Y genetic control of the invasive fish Gambusia holbrooki: rationale, progress, challenges and management realities; Australian Society for Fish Biology - Oceania Chrondrichthyan Society Conference
Ultrastructural in situ hybridization and autoradiographic detection of foreign DNA in zebrafish spermatozoa; Biochemistry and Molecular Biology International
Use of melatonin as an inhibitor of apoptotic process for cryopreservation of zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryos; Brazilian Journal of Biology
Validation of mark-recapture population estimates for invasive common carp, Cyprinus carpo in Lake Cresent, Tasmania; Journal of Applied Ichthyology

Research Projects

Control and production of an alien species of fish: Bridging enviornmental and economic dichotomy through novel genetic approaches; Australian Academy of Science (AASc)
NESP MaC 1.33: Application of environmental DNA (eDNA) to survey Bathurst Harbour Tasmania for the endangered Maugean skate; Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment (DAWE)
Trojan Y as a genetic solution for controlling and eradicating the Eastern mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki; Australian Research Council (ARC)
Urgent Need for Generation and Deployment of Sterile 'Judas Fish' to Assist Carp Eradication in Lake Sorell, Tasmania; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Bush Heritage Purchasing Agreement
Impacts and population demographics of an invasive pest fish Gambusia holbrooki : inferences from a localized eradication event in Mt Gambier South Australia and a field site in Tasmania

Research Candidate Supervision

Molecular Investigations on Sex Determination and Differentiation Pathways in the Common Carp, Cyprinus carpio
Sex Reversal and Determination of Gamity in the Eastern Mosquito Fish Gambusia holbrookii