Frances is currently a PhD Candidate at the University of Adelaide and Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future. Her PhD is investigating the potential for marine invasive species to arrive in Antarctica through biofouling on vessels. Worldwide, Antarctica is one of the few remaining regions free of established marine non-native species, and Frances aims to identify the most effective biosecurity practices to prevent their arrival on vessels.

‘Antarctica is one of the few remaining regions worldwide free of established marine non-native species, and I aim to identify the most effective biosecurity practices to prevent their arrival on vessels,’ she said. ‘I recently spent nine weeks onboard the RSV Nuyina in East Antarctica, collecting eDNA samples to monitor for biofouling species present on the vessel, with the Jill Landsberg Trust funding assisting with the sequencing of these samples.’

Frances said that the resulting species detections will inform management strategies to mitigate biosecurity risks associated with Antarctic operations.

‘I work with the Environmental Stewardship team at the Australian Antarctic Division, so the results can be directly communicated to those responsible for undertaking environmental impact assessments of Antarctic activities. The findings will contribute to broader discussions on the management of biofouling in polar environments and enhance the capacity of all National Antarctic programmes to protect Antarctic biodiversity. This could include informing cleaning schedules and protocols, implementing eDNA monitoring programmes and developing risk assessments for voyages.’

The ESA thanks everyone who applied for this year’s funding prize, and we look forward to learning more about the outcomes of Frances’ research.