Andrea Phillott

Andrea began her career as a biologist studying sea turtles, after volunteer experience as an undergraduate student led to a strong attraction to marine and freshwater turtles and her postgraduate studies on the fungal invasion of sea turtle nests. This in turn fostered an interest in wildlife diseases and her positions as Postdoctoral and Senior Research Fellows with the Amphibian Disease Ecology Group at James Cook University, Townsville, Australia. Andrea’s current studies on the epidemiology of amphibian chytridiomycosis have awakened her to the wonders and intricacies of amphibian biology, and she is currently trying to locate the overwintering sites of the Australian lace lid (Nyctimystes dayi) and document interactions among waterfall frogs (Litoria nannotis).

Andrea still maintains an active research profile in sea turtle biology as a Director of Sea Turtle Foundation (www.seaturtlefoundation.org) and as an Honorary Research Fellow at Central Queensland University. Her current turtle projects involve tracking flatback turtle (Natator depressus) hatchling dispersal from the natal beach using her sea kayak, and determining post-nesting migration pathways of green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtles. Andrea does as much white water kayaking, rock climbing, mountain biking trail running and hiking as possible between field trips._{^{(Photo credits on this page C. Svensson/A. Zimny)}}

Resumé

Name            Dr. Andrea Dawn Phillott
Address        School of Public Health, Tropical Medicine and Rehabilitation Sciences,                           James Cook University, Townsville Qld 4810, Australia
Phone              +61 7 4781 5556
Email            andrea.phillott@jcu.edu.au
Skype            andrea.phillott

Qualifications
•    1994 B.Appl.Sci. (Biol)(Hons), Central Queensland University, Australia.
•    2003 PhD, Central Queensland University, Australia.

Employment History
•    2008-09 Senior Research Fellow, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Australia. Epidemiology of the Emerging Infectious Disease Amphibian Chytridiomycosis.
•    2005-08 Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, James Cook University, Australia. Epidemiology of the Emerging Infectious Disease Amphibian Chytridiomycosis.
•    2003-05 Lecturer, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central Queensland University, Australia. Subjects included Foundation Animal Biology, Invertebrate Zoology, Chordate Zoology, Comparative Physiology, Biometry, Human Anatomy, Human Physiology, Disease Management and Control, Field Biology.
•    2000-02 Lecturer, Nulloo Yumbah, Place of Indigenous Learning and Research, Central Queensland University, Australia.
•    1994-2001 Teaching Assistant and Laboratory Demonstrator, School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Central Queensland University, Australia.

Publications
Peer-reviewed Articles
Garland S., Baker A., Phillott A.D. and Skerratt L.F. 2009. BSA reduces inhibition in a TaqMan® assay for the detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. doi:10.3354/dao02053.

Hyatt A.D., Boyle D.G., Olsen V., Boyle D.B., Berger L., Obendorf D., Dalton A., Kriger K., Hero M., Hines H., Phillott A., Campbell R., Marantelli G., Gleason F. and Colling A. 2007. Diagnostic assays and sampling protocols for the detection of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 73:175-192.

Kenyon N., Phillott A.D. and Alford R.A. 2009. Evaluation of the photographic identification method (PIM) as a tool to identify adult Litoria genimaculata (Anura: Hylidae). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. In Press.

Kenyon N., Phillott A.D. and Alford R.A. 2009. Temporal variation in dorsal patterns of juvenile green-eyed tree frogs, Litoria genimaculata (Anura: Hylidae). Herpetological Conservation and Biology. In Press.

Phillott A.D. 2008. An observation of interspecific aggression by a male Nyctimystes dayi toward a sympatric male Litoria rheocola (Anura: Hylidae). Herpetofauna 38:75-77.

Phillott A.D. 2001. Pisonia grandis does not harbour fungi known to invade sea turtle nests at Heron Island, eastern Australia. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 125:69-70.

Phillott A.D. 2002. Minimizing fungal invasion during the artificial incubation of sea turtle eggs. Herpetological Review 33:41-42.

Phillott A.D. 2004. Penetration of the egghell and invasion of embryonic tissue by fungi colonising sea turtle eggs. Herpetofauna 34:44-47.

Phillott A.D. 2005. Dipteran invasion of green (Chelonia mydas) sea turtle nests at Heron Is. Herpetofauna. 35:50-53.

Phillott A.D. and Elsmore S.A.M. 2004. Black noddies (Anous minutes) and wedge-tailed shearwaters (Puffinus pacificus) as potential hosts for fungi invading sea turtle nests at Heron Island, Queensland. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 125:69-70.

Phillott A.D. and Parmenter C.J. 2000. Spotted barramundi predation upon Emydura krefftii and Chelodina expansa hatchlings in Central Queensland. Herpetofauna 30:22-25.

Phillott A.D. and Parmenter C.J. 2001. Influence of diminished respiratory surface area on survival of sea turtle embryos. Journal of Experimental Zoology 289:317-321.

Phillott A.D. and Parmenter C.J. 2001. The distribution of failed eggs in sea turtle eggs in green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle eggs at Heron Island, Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 49:713-718.

Phillott A.D. and Parmenter C.J. 2007. Deterioration of green (Chelonia mydas) eggs after known embryo mortality. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 6:262-266.

Phillott A.D. and Parmenter C.J. 2006. The eggshell ultrastructure of sea turtles does not contribute to interspecies variation in fungal invasion of the egg. Canadian Journal of Zoology 84:1339-1344.

Phillott A.D., Parmenter C.J. and Limpus C.J. 2001. Mycoflora identified from failed green (Chelonia mydas) and loggerhead (Caretta caretta) sea turtle eggs at Heron Island, Australia. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 4:170-172.

Phillott A.D., Parmenter C.J. and Limpus C.J. 2004. The occurrence of mycobiota in eastern Australian sea turtle nests. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 49:701-703.

Phillott A.D., Parmenter C.J. and McKillup S.C. 2006. Calcium depletion of eggshell after fungal invasion of sea turtle eggs. Chelonian Conservation and Biology 5:146-149.

Phillott A.D., Parmenter C.J., Limpus C.J. and Harrower K.M. 2002. Mycobiota as acute and chronic cloacal contaminants of female sea turtles. Australian Journal of Zoology 50:687-695.

Phillott A.D., Garland S and Skerratt L.F. 2009. Eastern water dragons (Physignathus leseurii) (Reptilia: Agamidae) are not important alternate hosts of the frog chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Herpetological Conservation and Biology. In Press.

Phillott A.D., Skerratt L.F., McDonald K.R., Lemckert F.L., Hines H.B., Clarke J.M., Alford R.A. and Speare R. 2007. Toe-clipping as an acceptable method of identifying individual anurans in mark recapture studies. Herpetological Review 38:305-308.

Phillott A.D., Skerratt L.F., McDonald K.R., Lemckert F.L., Hines H.B., Clarke J.M., Alford R.A. and Speare R. 2008. Toe clipping of anurans for mark-recapture studies: acceptable if justified. That’s what we said! Herpetological Review 39:149-150.

Phillott A.D., Speare R., Hines H.B., Meyer E., Skerratt L.F., McDonald K.R., Cashins S.D., Mendez D. and Berger D. 2009. Minimizing exposure of amphibians to pathogens during field studies. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. In Press.

Phillott A.D. and Young S. 2009. Occurrence of cloacal prolapse in wild hylids in the Wet Tropics, Australia. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. In Press.

Skerratt L.F., Berger L., Speare R., Cashins S., McDonald K., Phillott A.D., Hines H., Rowley J., Voyles J. and Kenyon N. 2007. The spread of chytridiomycosis has caused the rapid global decline and extinction of frogs. EcoHealth 4:125-134.

Theissinger K., FitzSimmons N.N., Limpus C.J., Parmenter C.J. and Phillott A.D. 2009. Mating system, multiple paternity and effective population size in the endemic flatback turtle (Natator depressus) in Australia. Conservation Genetics. 10:329-346.

Van Sluys, M., Kriger K.M., Phillott .A.D., Campbell R., Skerratt L.F. and Hero J-M. 2008. Storage of samples at high temperatures reduces the amount of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) DNA detectable by PCR assay. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms 81:93-97.

Theses
Phillott A.D.1994. The Influence of Diet, Age-class and Sex on Behavioural Thermoregulation in Krefft’s River Turtle, Emydura krefftii. Honours Thesis, Central Queensland University, Australia.
Phillott A.D.2003. Fungal Colonisation of Sea Turtle Nests in Eastern Australia. PhD Thesis, Central Queensland University, Australia.

Reports
Alford R.A., Skerratt L.F., Berger L., Speare R., Phillott A.D., Kenyon N., Rowley J.J.L., Hauselberger K., and Cashins S. 2006. Annual Report to Department of the Environment and Heritage on Work Completed in 2005 for RFT 43/2004 “Experimental Research to Obtain a Better Understanding of the Pathogenesis of Chytridiomycosis, and the Susceptibility and Resistance of Key Amphibian Species to Chytridiomycosis in Australia”.

Skerratt L.F., Cashins S., Puschendorf R., Phillott A.D., Windmiller B., Robbins A., James R., Webb R., Voyles J., Berger L., Speare R., Alford R.A., VanDerWal J. and Garland S. 2008. Progress Report 3 for the Australian Government Department of the Environment, Heritage, Water and the Arts for RFT 42/2004 “Experimental Research to Obtain a Better Understanding of the Epidemiology, Transmission and Dispersal of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus in Australian Ecosystems (Jan 2007 – June 2008)”.

Skerratt L.F., Phillott A.D., Cashins S.D., Webb R., Puschendorf R., Windmiller B., James R., Robbins A., Berger L., Voyles J., Speare R., Alford R.A., McDonald K., Mendez D., VanDerWal J., and Garland S. 2009. Final Report to Department of the Environment and Heritage on RFT 42/2004 “Experimental Research to Obtain a Better Understanding of the Epidemiology, Transmission and Dispersal of Amphibian Chytrid Fungus in Australian Ecosystems”.

Conferences
Phillott A.D. 2005. Anti-fungal Properties of Sea Turtle Mucus and Albumen (Poster). Australian Society of Herpetologists, Springbrook, Queensland, 7-11 February 2005.

Phillott A.D. 2009. Dispersal Patterns and Swimming Behaviour of Hatchling Flatback Turtles (Natator depressus) (Oral). 29th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Brisbane, Australia, 17-19 February 2009.

Phillott A.D. and Parmenter C.J. 2002. Fungal Colonisation of Sea Turtle Nests in Eastern Australia (Poster). 22nd Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Miami, Florida, USA, 4-7 April 2002.

Phillott A.D., Parmenter C.J. and Limpus C.J. 2006. The Effect of Decreasing Rainfall as Climatic Change on Substrate Conductivity, Embryo Mortality and Fungal Invasion of Sea Turtle Nests (Oral). 26th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Island of Crete, Greece, 3-8 April 2006.

Phillott A.D. and Sinclair B. 2006. Microbiota Isolated from Sea Turtle Nests and Associated Health Risks for Turtle Researchers (Poster). 26th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Island of Crete, Greece, 3-8 April 200

Phillott A.D., Skerratt L.F., Berger L., Speare R., McDonald K.R., Cashins S., Mendez D., Hines H.B., Alford R.A., Rowley J., Kenyon N., Townsend S., Campbell R., Webb R., Voyles J., Puschendorf R. and Young S. 2006. Methodology for Investigating the Distribution and Determinants of Chytridiomycosis in Frogs (Oral). International Society for Veterinary Epidemiology and Economics, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 6-11 August 2006.

Phillott A.D., Skerratt L.F., McDonald K.R. and Campbell R.G. 2007. Infected Litoria rheocola Presenting Clinical Signs of Amphibian Chytridiomycosis have Comparable Detectable qPCR Values to Infected, Aclinical Frogs (Oral). 56th Annual Wildlife Disease Association Conference, Estes Park, Colorado, 12-17 August 2007.

Phillott A.D., Skerratt L.F., McDonald K.R., Speare R. and Berger L. 2006. Understanding the Epidemiology of Chytridiomycosis (Oral).Australian Society of Herpetologists, Healesville Wildlife Sanctuary, Victoria, 18-21 April 2006.

Research Experience and Interests
•    2005-2009 Frog biology and the disease amphibian chytridiomycosis
•    2008-2009 Physical and physiological responses of anurans to toe-tipping
•    2009 Physical interactions among waterfall frogs (Litoria nannotis)
•    1991-2009 General sea turtle biology
•    1994-2005 General freshwater turtle biology
•    1998 Crocodile monitoring
•    1997 Bat monitoring

Postgraduate Student Supervision
•    2006-2008 Nicole Kenyon, PhD candidate, James Cook University, Australia. Variable Susceptibility to the Emerging Infectious Disease Chytridiomycosis in Anurans.
•    2009 Veronique Mocellin, Grad.Dip. Research Methods. Nest Site Selection and Emergence Success of Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, on Heron Island, QLD, Australia.

Other Student Supervision
•    2006 Aaron Elliott, Undergraduate, Natural and Cultural Ecology Programme, World Learning Australia Pty Ltd. The Effect of Habitat Type on Nesting Success of the Flatback Sea Turtle, Natator depressus, on Peak Island, Queensland.
•    2009 Jenna Gersie, Undergraduate, Natural and Cultural Ecology Programme, World Learning Australia, Stories in Science Education: Raising Community Awareness of the Value and Endangerment of the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas).

Professional Activities
•    Board of Directors, Sea Turtle Foundation www.seaturtlefoundation.org.
•    Invited Review Editor, journal Endangered Species Research.
•    Invited reviewer for journals Applied Herpetology, Australian Journal of Zoology, Chelonian Conservation and Biology, Journal of Herpetology, Wildlife Research.
•    Member of Organising Committee, 29th Annual Symposium on Sea Turtle Biology and Conservation, Brisbane, Australia, 17-19 February 2009.