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Michaela E. Larsson

 

PhD Candidate - UTS - C3 - COAST Lab

 

Email: Michaela.E.Larsson@student.uts.edu.au

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Biography

 

I began my career in environmental science by firstly completing a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology degree at the University of Technology, Sydney (UTS). I then went on to complete a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours) Degree also at UTS, the focus of this research was understanding algal bloom dynamics in the lower Hawkesbury-Nepean Estuary, by investigating the nutrient, light and grazing characteristics. 

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I then moved into industry working in a variety of positions including a laboratory technician in the biofuels industry, an environmental representative in the oil and gas industry, a marine researcher for a Non-Government Organisation and a researcher for the ecotoxicology department of state government. I have since returned to UTS to complete a PhD candidature with the Coastal Oceanography and Algal reSearch Team (COAST) within the Climate Change Cluster (C3) at the University of Technology in Sydney.

 

Background

 

There are ~200 species of toxic microalgae species which produce potent biotoxins that can accumulate in fish and shellfish and once consumed by humans, can cause illness and death. In recent years, the geographical range of harmful algal species and frequency of harmful algal blooms has increased. There are several hypotheses for these changes including eutrophication, human assisted introductions and climate change. Resolving these hypotheses is a major research challenge, complicated by the enormous diversity of microalgae at the sub-species level, with strains of the same species showing divergent toxicity and responses to environmental conditions. It is becoming increasingly clear that a new approach is needed to understand the complex ecological processes by which harmful algal blooms form.

 

Many toxin-producing dinoflagellate species live in close association with a variety of macrophyte/seagrass hosts. There has been little investigation into why mobile dinoflagellate species select this niche and whether competitive mechanisms such as allelopathy are employed to facilitate survival and persistence.

Gambierdiscus sp.

Current Research

 

My current research is focused on understanding ecological niches of toxin producing dinoflagellates, assessing the association with their hosts and determining conditions (both environmental and community structure) that trigger or regulate toxin production. I am also interested in evaluating existing and potential impacts on the lower foodweb of tropical dinoflagellate species that have recently expanded into temperate regions of Australia.

This research will provide fundamental knowledge allowing more effective management of existing locations that harbour toxin-producing dinoflagellates, and evaluate feasibility of survivorship in new locations to assist in forecasting areas of potential future colonization.

Ostreopsis sp.

 Education

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  • 2014 – 2018         PhD (Doctor of Philosophy) Candidate, Climate Change Cluster (C3), University of Technology Sydney

  • 2010                       First Class Honours in Environmental Science, University of  Technology Sydney.

  • 2006 – 2009        Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology, University of Technology  Sydney.

Grants, Scholarships and Awards

2017

  • Travel Grant, Info-Pacific Fish Conference (IPFC).

  • Charles Boyden Research Fund, Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA).

2016

  • Student Travel Grant, Ecological Society of Australia (ESA).

  • Science Faculty Higher Degree Research Student Conference Travel Fund Award, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

  • Vice Chancellor Conference Fund Award, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

  • Student Bursary, The British Phycological Society (BPS)

  • Travel Award, International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA).

  • Research Grant, PADI Foundation.

2015

  • Best Student Presentation, 29th Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany (ASPAB) Conference, Hobart, Australia.

  • Student Travel Award, Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany (ASPAB).

  • William Macleay Microbiological Research Fund, Linnean Society of New South Wales.

2014

  • Science Faculty Higher Degree Research Student Conference Travel Fund Award, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

  • Research Excellence Scholarship, University of Technology Sydney (UTS).

  • Australian Postgraduate Award (APA).

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Professional Memberships

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  • Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO)

  • Australian Marine Science Association (AMSA)

  • Australian Society for Microbiology (ASM)

  • Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany (ASPAB)

  • British Phycological Society (BPS)

  • Ecological Society of Australia (ESA)

  • Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association (ECSA)

  • International Society for Applied Phycology (ISAP)

  • International Phycological Society (IPS)

  • International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae (ISSHA)

  • Phycological Society of America (PSA)

  • The Linnean Society of NSW

  • The Oceanography Society

Research Outputs

 

Publications

 

Larsson, M. E., Laczka, O. F., Suthers, I. M., Ajani, P. A., Doblin, M. A. (2018). Hitchhiking in the East Australan Current – Rafting as a Dispersal Mechanism for Harmful Epibenthic Dinoflagellates. (in press).

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Larsson, M. E., Laczka, O. F, Harwood, D. T., Lewis, R. J., S. W. A. Himaya, Murray, S. A., Doblin, M. A. (2018). Toxicology of Gambierdiscus spp. (Dinophyceae) from Tropical and Temperate Australian Waters. Marine Drugs. 16(1): 7.

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Munday, R., Murray, S., Rhodes, L. L., Larsson, M. E., Harwood, D. T. (2017). Ciguatoxins and maitotoxins in extracts of Sixteen Gambierdiscus isolates and One Fukuyoa Isolate from the South Pacific and their toxicity to mice by intraperitoneal and oral administration. Marine Drugs. 15(7):208.

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Larsson, M. E., Ajani, P. A., Rubio, A. M., Guise, K., McPherson, R. G., Brett, S. J., Davies, K. P., Doblin, M. A. (2016). Long-Term Perspective on the Relationship Between Phytoplankton and Nutrient Concentrations in a Southeastern Australian Estuary. Marine Pollution Bulletin 114: 227-238. DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2016.09.011

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Ajani, A., Larsson, M. E., Rubio, A., Bush, S., Brett, S., Farrell, H. (2016). Modelling Bloom Formation of the Toxic Dinoflagellates Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis caudata in a Highly Modified Drowned River Valley. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science. Vol 183, Part A, 95-106. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecss.2016.10.020

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Conferences

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Larsson, M. E. and Doblin, M. A. (2017). Marine Microalgae on the Move: Assessing Temperate Range Extension of the neurotoxin producing genus Gambierdiscus. Oral Presentation. EcoTas17, Hunter Valley, Australia.

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Larsson, M. E. and Doblin, M. A. (2017). Managing the Risk of Ciguatera Fish Poisoning in Temperate Australia. Oral Presentation. 10th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Papeete, French Polynesia.

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Larsson, M. E., Laczka. O. F., Doblin, M. A. (2016). Hitchhiking in the East Australian Current – Is Rafting a Dispersal Mechanism for Harmful Epiphytic Microalgae? Poster Presentation. 2016 Conference of the Ecological Society of Australia, Fremantle, Australia.

 

Ajani, A., Larsson, M. E., Rubio, A., Bush, S., Brett, S., Farrell, H. (2016). Modelling Bloom Formation of the Toxic Dinoflagellates Dinophysis acuminata and Dinophysis caudata in a Highly Modified Estuary in South Eastern Australia. Australian Shellfish Quality Assurance Program’s Biennial Science Conference and Annual Meeting, Sydney, Australia.

 

Doblin, M. A., McInnes, A., Laczka, O. F., Davies, K. P., Alvarez, M., Baker, K. G., Clark, J., Laiolo, L., Larsson, M. E., Robinson, C. (2016). Physiological Limits of Marine Microbes Revealed by Live Cell Analysis at Sea. Australasian Cytometry Society Annual Cytometry Conference, Sydney, Australia.

 

Larsson, M. E., Bush, S. A., Baker, K. G., Murray, S. A., Doblin, M. A. (2016). Mechanisms for Temperate Range Extension of Gambierdiscus, the Causative Organism of the Human Illness Ciguatera Fish Poisoning. Oral Presentation. 17th International Conference on Harmful Algae. Florianopolis, Brazil.

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Larsson, M. E., Baker K. G., Laczka, O. F., Samardzic, K., Rodgers, K. J., Harwood, T. D., Murray, S. A., Doblin, M. A. (2015). Understanding the Ecological Niche of Toxin Producing Epibenthic Dinoflagellates. Oral Presentation. 29th Australasian Society for Phycology and Aquatic Botany Conference, Hobart, Australia.

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Larsson, M. E., Ajani P. A., Rubio, A., McPherson, R., Brett, S., Ralph, P. J. and Doblin, M. A. (2014). Long-Term Water Quality and Phytoplankton Dynamics in Response to a Reduction on Point Source Nutrient Delivery. Oral and Poster Presentation. 16th International Conference on Harmful Algae. Wellington, New Zealand.

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Edge, K. J., Chapman, J. C., Larsson, M. E., Hassell, K. L., King, S. C. and Roach, A. C. (2014). Rapid Assessment of Cumulative Stressors on Estuarine Fish Populations. Oral Presentation. Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Asia/Pacific 2014 Conference. Adelaide, Australia.

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Edge, K. J., Chapman, J. C., Larsson, M. E., Hassell, K. L. and Roach, A. C. (2014). Rapid Assessment of Cumulative Stressors on Fish Populations. Oral Presentation. Australian Marine Science Association 2014 Conference. Canberra, Australia.

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