Agnes’s research mainly focuses on the use of cutting-edge and traditional molecular approaches for the conservation and protection of Australia’s unique aquatic and marine ecosystems. She also uses genomic tools to address the challenging issues and opportunities surrounding food security by informing selective breeding programs for the aquaculture Industry in Australia.

Agnes' current projects include:

• using environmental DNA (eDNA) to address a broad range of biosecurity and ecological conservation applications. In particular, Agnes has developed innovative eDNA methods for detecting aquatic and marine pest species (e.g. tilapia) and species of conservation concern (sawfish, hammerhead sharks) across Australia (SOSF) and in Guam (US Navy). She recently published a chapter on the use of eDNA techniques for the study of shark biology;

• working with farms and Industry to generate novel genomic resources to improve efficiencies in aquaculture production in Black tiger prawns (P. monodon) (ARC ITRH Advanced Prawn Breeding Hub);

• explore and evaluate the potential efficacy of coral restoration methods used globally on Australia's Great Barrier Reef (NESP TWQ Hub)

A complete list of publications is available here.

Experience

• 2020 to present - Senior Research Scientist, James Cook University (Townsville, QLD, Australia)
• 2016 to 2020 - Research Fellow, James Cook University (Townsville, QLD, Australia)
• 2010 to 2014 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Auckland (Auckland, New Zealand)

Research Disciplines

• Genetics (3105)
• Ecology (3103)
• Environmental management (4104)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Marine systems and management (1805)

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Budd A, Cooper M, Le Port A, Schils T, Mills M, Deinhart M, Huerlimann R and Strugnell J (2021) First detection of critically endangered scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) in Guam, Micronesia, in five decades using environmental DNA. Ecological Indicators, 127.
• Cooper M, Huerlimann R, Edmunds R, Budd A, Le Port A, Kyne P, Jerry D and Simpfendorfer C (2021) Improved detection sensitivity using an optimal eDNA preservation and extraction workflow and its application to threatened sawfishes. Aquatic Conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems, 31 (8). pp. 2131-2148
• Guppy J, Jones D, Kjeldsen S, Le Port A, Khatkar M, Wade N, Sellars M, Raadsma H, Jerry D and Zenger K (2020) Development and validation of a RAD-Seq target-capture based genotyping assay for routine application in advanced black tiger shrimp (Penaeus monodon) breeding programs. BMC Genomics, 21.
• Huerlimann R, Cooper M, Edmunds R, Villacorta-Rath C, Le Port A, Robson H, Strugnell J, Burrows D and Jerry D (2020) Enhancing tropical conservation and ecology research with aquatic environmental DNA methods: an introduction for non-environmental DNA specialists. Animal Conservation, 23 (6). pp. 632-645
• McLeod I, Bostrom Einarsson L, Creighton C, D'Anastasi B, Diggles B, Dwyer P, Firby L, Le Port A, Luongo A, Martinez-Baena F, McOrrie S, Heller-Wagner G and Gillies C (2020) Habitat value of Sydney rock oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) reefs on soft sediments. Marine and Freshwater Research, 71 (7). pp. 771-781
• Jones A, Lavery S, Le Port A, Wang Y, Blower D and Ovenden J (2019) Sweepstakes reproductive success is absent in a New Zealand snapper (Chrysophrus auratus) population protected from fishing despite "tiny" Ne/N ratios elsewhere. Molecular Ecology, 28 (12). pp. 2986-2995
• Roycroft E, Le Port A and Lavery S (2019) Population structure and male-biased dispersal in the short-tail stingray Bathytoshia brevicaudata (Myliobatoidei: Dasyatidae). Conservation Genetics, 20 (4). pp. 717-728
• Gillies C, McLeod I, Alleway H, Cook P, Crawford C, Creighton C, Diggles B, Ford J, Hamer P, Heller-Wagner G, Lebrault E, Le Port A, Russell K, Sheaves M and Warnock B (2018) Australian shellfish ecosystems: past distribution, current status and future direction. PLoS ONE, 13 (2).
• Le Port A, Montgomery J, Smith A, Croucher A, McLeod I and Lavery S (2017) Temperate marine protected area provides recruitment subsidies to local fisheries. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences, 284 (1865).
• Le Port A, Roycroft E, Thakur V and Lavery S (2016) Characterisation of eleven new polymorphic microsatellite markers for the coastal stingray Dasyatis brevicaudata (Dasyatidae Hutton 1875), and cross-amplification in seven dasyatid species. Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 65. pp. 234-237
• Le Port A, Montgomery J and Croucher A (2014) Biophysical modelling of snapper Pagrus auratus larval dispersal from a temperate MPA. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 515. pp. 203-215

Book Chapters

• Le Port A, Bakker J, Cooper M, Huerlimann R and Mariani S (2018) Environmental DNA (eDNA): a valuable tool for ecological inference and management of sharks and their relatives. In: Shark Research: emerging technologies and applications for the field and laboratory. Marine Biology Series. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, pp. 255-283

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 19+ research outputs authored by Dr Agnes Le Port from 2008 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Completed

• Resolving the global distribution of sawfishes (family Pristidae) using environmental DNA (2023, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.