Combining molecular techniques with public outreach to better understand wild and captive populations of the short-beaked echidna for applications in their conservation and management

Abstract

Firstly, to my supervisor Frank. Words cannot describe how lucky I feel to have had you as a mentor, role model, teacher, and my biggest supporter. You have taught me more than I could ever have imagined, not only on how to be a great researcher, but how to be kind, collaborative and optimistic in an often competitive field. Thank you for always encouraging me to follow my passions and exploring new research areas. You never faltered your belief in my ability to achieve. Thank you to the Australian Government for the Research Training Program scholarship and thank you to the several funding bodies who provided much needed support to enable this research: The Environment Institute, Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife, Nature Conservation Society of South Australia and the Nature Foundation of South Australia. Thank you to the Australian Federation of University Women – South Australia and Adelaide University Graduate Centre who provided travel scholarships, which enabled me to visit Cambridge, UK, for a metagenomics workshop and North Carolina, USA, for an international Citizen Science conference. These were invaluable for my training and networks required for my research. To my lab members, who became my unofficial family, thank you for making the place we spend the majority of our time the most fun and supportive environment. Special thanks to Eunice, Ellen, Tash, Bella and Ella who have become some of my closest friends (and a special shoutout to amazing women in STEM). To Tas, thank you for guiding me through my first year of experiments; I know you often say I taught you as much as you taught me but that is definitely not true, your passion for research is inspiring. Peggy, your knowledge and passion for echidnas is unbeatable. Thank you for teaching me everything I know about the natural history of these amazing animals and being such a caring and supportive mentor. I wouldn’t have been able to communicate so effectively without your knowledge and I’m always stunned by how every time we talk, you still manage to shock me with another fact I didn’t know about echidnas. Thank you to every single person who has supported and participated in EchidnaCSI. To the EchidnaCSI team, who have made this project possible (Frank, Alan, Bella, Michelle, Ella, Imma & Mollie). To the citizen science community in South Australia who have guided and supported this project from the very beginning. To every person who downloaded the app, told a friend about the project, submitted a sighting or collected a scat sample, you have turned my PhD into something I could not have imagined it would be. This project gave me the opportunity to explore another side of research that I absolutely adore, and that is communicating science. To Rachel, Michelle and Raphael, thank you for taking the time to share resources, materials, and knowledge in the variety of fields that have now shaped my thesis. Your ongoing support and enthusiasm for my research is forever appreciated. To all of my friends, thank you for ensuring I still lived a somewhat normal and fun life outside of the lab. My best friend Dee, we have shared many highs and lows through our PhD journeys and I truly couldn’t have done it without you, thank you for being my coffee and wine buddy and for motivating me to get work done especially when it was hard. Kate, you have been my number one cheerleader ever since I met you, thank you for celebrating every single win with me, no matter how big or small. Special thanks to my housemates, Donny, Will and Renee who made coming home so much fun, who would eat, drink and watch awful reality TV shows with me and who regularly fed me when I was too busy or stressed to cook. To my family, who have been waiting for the day to finally call me Dr, thank you for always believing that I can do anything I put my mind to. I’m so lucky to be surrounded by loving, caring, amazing people who are always so proud of my achievements. I may be the first in the family to get a University degree, but I certainly won’t be the last. Lastly, to my Mum, who I dedicate this thesis to. You are the strongest and most caring person I know. You have always sacrificed so much in order to provide me with the opportunities to pursue what I love and I will forever be grateful.