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  • Head of Dr Rachele Bernasconi

    Dr Rachele Bernasconi

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Dr Rachele Bernasconi

Post Doctoral Research Fellow

Staff Member Details
Telephone: +61 8 6304 2034
Email: r.bernasconi@ecu.edu.au
Campus: Joondalup  
Room: JO19.322  
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7973-8803

Overview of role

Rachele is a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow within the Mine Water and Environment Research Centre in the School of Science.

Background/Employment History

  • August 2021 – ongoing: Post-Doctoral Research Fellow, Mine Water and Environment Research Centre, Edith Cowan University.
  • April – August 2021: Geneticist/Zoologist, Biologic Environmental.
  • August 2020 – August 2021: Laboratory Technician, Edith Cowan University.
  • October – December 2019: Research Assistant, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).
  • March – October 2019: Analytical Laboratory Assistant, Edith Cowan University.
  • February – July 2011/12: Research Assistant Endangered Wildlife Trust.
  • July 2011 – February 2012: Research Assistant/Coordinator, Fundacion Equilibrio Azul.

Awards and Recognition

  • 2022: ECU, School of Science Early Career Grant, ~$8,000
  • 2017/19: Ecological Society of Australia / Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. $12,000.’ Temporal and environmental patterns of Coral-Symbiodinium-bacteria.’
  • 2016: ECU, Conference Post Graduate Funding. ~$2,000. Temporal and environmental patterns of Coral-Symbiodinium-bacteria.’
  • 2016: Women Divers Hall of Fame (USA). ~$3,000
  • 2016: Morley Rotary Club donation. $500.
  • 2016: Combined Biological Sciences Meeting, Environmental Science Student Poster Award. $300.
  • 2015/16: ECU, Post Graduate Funding. $3,000
  • 2015/19: ECU, International Postgraduate Research Scholarship. ~$94,500.
  • 2011: Polytechnic University of Marche, Campus World Grant. ~$4,000.

Research Areas and Interests

  • Aquatic, microbial, and molecular ecology.
  • Environmental DNA
  • Restoration/Rehabilitation/Management/Closure of mining pit lakes.
  • Coral symbiosis.
  • Ecological interactions.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2019.
  • Doctor Degree in Marine Biology, Italy, 2010.
  • Doctor in Natural Sciences, Italy, 2008.

Research Outputs

2023

Journal Articles

  • Strydom, S., McCallum, R., Lafratta, A., Webster, C., O'Dea, C., Said, N., Dunham, T., Inostroza, K., Salinas Zapata, C., Billinghurst, S., Phelps, C., Campbell, C., Gorham, C., Bernasconi, R., Frouws, A., Werner, A., Vitelli, F., Puigcorbe Lacueva, V., D'cruz, A., McMahon, K., Robinson, J., Huggett, M., McNamara, S., Hyndes, G., Serrano Gras, O. (2023). Global dataset on seagrass meadow structure, biomass and production. Earth System Science Data, 15(1), 511-519. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-511-2023.

Conference Publications

  • Lund, M., Blanchette, ML., Bernasconi, R. (2023). International Mine Water Association. Water Column Profiles And Instrument Chains Provide Complementary Understanding Of Stratification In Pit Lakes (320 – 325). International Mine Water Association.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Bernasconi, R., Lund, M., Blanchette, ML. (2022). Non-Charismatic Waterbodies And Ecosystem Disservices: Mine Pit Lakes Are Underrepresented In The Literature. Frontiers in Microbiology, 13(29-Nov-22), article number 1063594. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1063594.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Phelps, C., McMahon, K., Bissett, A., Bernasconi, R., Steinberg, P., Thomas, T., Marzinelli, E., Huggett, M. (2021). The surface bacterial community of an Australian kelp shows cross-continental variation and relative stability within regions. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 97(7), Article number fiab089. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiab089.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Bernasconi, R., Stat, M., Koenders, A., Paparini, A., Bunce, M., Huggett, M. (2019). Establishment of Coral-Bacteria Symbioses Reveal Changes in the Core Bacterial Community With Host Ontogeny. Frontiers in Microbiology, 10(JULY), Article number 1529. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2019.01529.
  • Bernasconi, R., Stat, M., Koenders, A., Huggett, M. (2019). Global Networks of Symbiodinium-Bacteria Within the Coral Holobiont. Microbial Ecology: an international journal, 77(3), 794-807. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00248-018-1255-4.

2018

Journal Articles

  • Huggett, M., McMahon, K., Bernasconi, R. (2018). Future warming and acidification result in multiple ecological impacts to a temperate coralline alga. Environmental Microbiology, 20(8), 2769-2782. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.14113.
  • Phelps, C., Bernasconi, R., Danks, M., Gasol, J., Hopkins, A., Jones, J., Kavazos, C., Martin, B., Tarquinio, F., Huggett, M. (2018). Microbiomes of Western Australian marine environments. Journal of the Royal Society of Western Australia, 101(1), 17-43. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/ecuworkspost2013/5902.

2017

Journal Articles

  • Stat, M., Huggett, M., Bernasconi, R., Dibattista, JD., Berry, TE., Newman, S., Harvey, ES., Bunce, M. (2017). Ecosystem biomonitoring with eDNA: metabarcoding across the tree of life in a tropical marine environment. Scientific Reports, 7(1), Article No. 12240. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-12501-5.
  • Huggett, M., Kavazos, C., Bernasconi, R., Czarnik, R., Horwitz, P. (2017). Bacterioplankton assemblages in coastal ponds reflect the influence of hydrology and geomorphological setting. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 93(6), article no. fix067. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fix067.

Research Projects

  • Using large floating islands to promote aquatic and terrestrial biodiversity in pit lakes , Australian Coal Association, Australian Coal Association Research Program, 2024 ‑ 2027, $787,290.
  • Premier Pit Lakes - Water Quality and Biodiversity Assessment, Premier Coal Ltd, Grant, 2022 ‑ 2023, $47,559.
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