top of page
eDNA and technology
Technology is revolutionising the way scientists monitor, research and uncover new information about habitats and species.
We are at the forefront of testing the feasibility of new technologies, including eDNA, drones, artificial intelligence and advanced camera technology.
We are using metabarcoding and other innovative techniques to better understand how farming affects nutrient cycling in soils.
Assessing agricultural nutrient recycling using metabarcoding
Research
We are using DNA methods to identify what dugongs in the Townsville region are eating other than seagrass, and trialling a new eDNA approach.
Assessing dugong poo using eDNA
Research
We are using environmental DNA to understand the distribution of fish species, allowing us to identify structures that act as barriers to fish migration.
Using eDNA to detect barriers to fish in Australian waterways
Research, Monitoring
We employ eDNA technology to detect the presence of threatened species, such as frogs and turtles, without needing to sight them. This allows for more effective conservation efforts.
Using eDNA to find threatened species
Research
We are partnering with communities to understand species distribution and detect invasive species using environmental DNA (eDNA).
Community eDNA monitoring
Community
Environmental DNA (eDNA) research plays a vital role in for detecting and monitoring invasive species for biosecurity management.
eDNA technology revolutionises invasive species biosecurity
Monitoring, Research
We are using eDNA to detect the presence of invasive fish in waterways.
Using eDNA as a surveillance tool for invasive fish
Monitoring
Projects
Cecilia Villacorta-Rath
Senior Research Officer
Cecilia Villacorta Rath is passionate about using genetic tools towards the sustainable management of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Cecilia is currently leading multiple projects using environmental DNA (eDNA) methods for biosecurity and conservation purposes and is also trialling field methods and conducting laboratory experiments testing the persistence and detectability of eDNA in an array of species of conservation and management concern.
Cecilia’s work focuses on answering the questions that end-users want to address. She works in close collaboration with government agencies, Traditional Owners, consultancy companies, and community groups. Cecilia has previously worked across a wide variety of research topics, ranging from larval fish and seagrass ecology to invertebrate genomics.
At James Cook University Cecilia pursued a Master of Science in Marine Biology and then worked for the Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation of Queensland conducting seagrass monitoring along the northern and central Queensland coast. After spending some time in the tropics, Cecilia moved to Hobart to start a PhD at the University of Tasmania. Using next generation sequencing (NGS), she investigated the genetic connectivity of the southern rock lobster in south-east Australia to inform fisheries management.
Cecilia Villacorta-Rath
Senior Research Officer
Cecilia has a strong background in molecular ecology and genomics with experience spanning population genetics, environmental DNA (eDNA) and high-throughput sequencing technologies. Since joining TropWATER in 2018 Cecilia has led the establishment of northern Australia’s first purpose-built eDNA laboratory within TropWATER at JCU Townsville. She has developed laboratory capabilities and field-ready sampling protocols to support the detection of invasive species, threatened species monitoring and biosecurity surveillance across a range of tropical environments.
Cecilia collaborates extensively with government agencies, Traditional Owner groups and research institutions to design and implement eDNA-based monitoring programs tailored to northern Australia's unique environmental and management contexts. She is particularly interested in advancing non-invasive molecular methods to support species conservation and management including novel applications of eDNA to assess genetic connectivity in aquatic species.
As the leader of the TropWATER eDNA Laboratory, Cecilia oversees both research and commercial projects, providing scientific leadership, training, and quality assurance for molecular monitoring programs across tropical Australia.
Damien Burrows
Director, TropWATER Founder
Professor Damien Burrows is the founding director of TropWATER. He specialises in freshwater, estuarine and coastal aquatic ecosystems and catchment management, and has more than 30 years research experience in the tropics. Damien has spent most of his professional life studying freshwater, estuarine and coastal ecosystems; in particular, applied management in the context of development pressures. He has engaged extensively with industry, community and government from grassroots to policy level.
Damien is the co-Hub leader for the $47 million National Environment Science Programme (NESP) Marine and Coastal Hub (2021–2027). This follows his leadership of the NESP Tropical Water Quality Hub, a six-year $32 million research program (2015–2021) to improve water quality of the Great Barrier Reef and its catchments. The current program has an expanded focus to encompass Australia-wide marine and coastal issues. Damien coordinates research, engagement and knowledge-sharing across multiple and diverse stakeholders.
Damien is also a member of the Independent Expert Panel for the GBR, which advises the state and federal environment ministers about scientific matters. He is on the board of Directors for Townsville-Burdekin-focused natural resource management organisation NQ Dry Tropics and has served on several GBR-related steering committees and boards over his career.
.jpg)
Jamie Jones
Research Worker
An employee with TropWATER since 2021, Jamie assists in the development and optimization of methods and protocols for the processing, quality control and management of data obtained from marine data-logging instruments that TropWATER regularly uses. The finalised datasets from these instruments are crucial for the annual and technical reports that TropWATER produces and distributes to its long-term clients and project stakeholders. In addition, Jamie has optimized and developed further guidelines for the maintenance of marine data-loggers to ensure that they appropriately and regularly maintained for fieldwork.
Prior to being at TropWATER, Jamie has worked in research and technical positions with JCU since 2017 on various projects of which his work involved:
•processing, quality control and analysis of field-collected data.
•Development and optimization of computer code and software for data handling, analysis, and research.
•Research and development: assisting and undertaking research and experimentation to improve processes for data handling, analysis, and equipment usage and maintenance.
•Production of technical reporting for long-term project clients.
•Maintaining field equipment to ensure regulatory compliance for fieldwork.
Lucas Langlois
Research Officer
Originally from Paris, France, Lucas completed a Bachelor of Science in Biology in 2011 at University Pierre et Marie Curie, followed by a Master of Science in Marine Biology at James Cook University in 2013. Since finishing the Masters project on coral physiological acclimation, Lucas has been involved in several projects that have investigated seagrass productivity under various environmental gradients (light, temperature, CO2, nutrients).
Lucas is currently working on both the seagrass and water quality components of the Reef Rescue Marine Monitoring Program (MMP). The main tasks involve a combination of field work, including monitoring of seagrass intertidal habitat and lab work, along with data analyses and data management for reporting.
As an R (programming language) enthusiast, Lucas developed strong statistical skills especially in temporal and spatial modelling using Bayesian statistics (R INLA). He also uses machine and deep-learning models to assist with assessing seagrass photoquadrats and producing seagrass maps from imagery, including from unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and satellites.
Luke Buono
Research Worker
As a Research Worker, Luke plays a pivotal role in advancing scientific endeavours by offering technical support to research scientists. His responsibilities encompass the selection and configuration of environmental monitoring equipment, overseeing the logistical operations of research experiments and projects, as well as designing workflows related to post-processing of research data and data quality analysis. Notably, Luke has been directly involved in the maintenance and installation of over twenty real-time nitrate-nitrogen monitoring stations across the wet tropics, making significant contributions to the Great Barrier Reef catchment-to-reef monitoring projects.
Luke also strives to achieve cross-disciplinary visionary within project and research design by applying the theoretical and practical insights from various fields to generate novel and effective solutions to technical problems. His expertise further extends to designing data visualisation tools, establishing communication protocols and data acquisition services, programming embedded systems to achieve monitoring goals and the communication of scientific data back to relevant stakeholders and community members. Luke is interested in leveraging IoT technology to create cost-effective, large-scale sensing networks, enriching researchers with comprehensive water quality data for the region.
Mohammad Jahanbakht
Research Officer
Dr Mohammad Jahanbakht is an innovative software engineer with diverse skills and interests from code development and numerical modelling to web programming and cloud technologies, and further to data science and machine intelligence. In addition to computer sciences, Mohammad has a rich background in the simulation and design of electronic, electromagnetic, antenna, and microwave technologies.
The interdisciplinary research background has allowed Mohammad to participate in many research-based, as well as industrial-scale projects, including environmental studies, maritime research, and biodiversity monitoring.
Some of his research topics include: Marine environmental parameters estimation and forecasting. Edge processing of underwater image and video data. Maritime, as well as wetland biodiversity monitoring with both the IP cameras and aerial images. AI-powered land studies in drone surveys and remote sensing. Cloud-based database design and implementation.
Samantha Tol
Senior Research Officer
Samantha is an ecologist dedicated to unravelling the intricacies of marine ecosystems. Presently, her research encompasses seagrass and algal ecology. She has led investigations mapping benthic habitats within the Coral Sea Marine Park's deepwater lagoons, providing critical insights for habitat preservation and marine management. Simultaneously, her postdoctoral pursuits concentrate on pioneering environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques to detect Yellow Crazy Ants and their eDNA degradation, offering promising pathways for biosecurity enhancement.
Samantha’s journey began with the Seagrass Ecology Team at TropWATER since 2012, contributing to coastal seagrass monitoring for industrial sectors. In 2021, she successfully completed her PhD, studying the complex dispersal mechanisms of tropical seagrass, notably emphasizing the influential roles of dugongs and green sea turtles. This research has provided insight for conservation strategies, through emphasizing the crucial interplay between species interactions and ecosystem health.
Overall, Samantha's research is marked by a dedicated commitment to bridging academic exploration and practical applicability. Her work provides a synergy between theoretical insight and real-world impact, contributing to the preservation of marine environments and advancing the boundaries of ecological understanding.
bottom of page