Gina Mondschein and Jessica Kneebone win the 2024 Peter Teasdale Memorial Award

  04 Dec 2024

SETAC AU and ACEDD are pleased to announce Gina Mondschein (RMIT) and Jessica Kneebone (University of Tasmania) as the joint 2024 Peter Teasdale Memorial Award winners.

Gina’s research aims to understand how long-term exposure to pollution affects aquatic ecosystems. Trace to high levels of contaminants are routinely detected in waterways globally. This research will use native shrimp (Family: Atyidae) as a proxy for ecosystem health due to their extensive distribution, broad diet, and importance as a food source for native vertebrates such as fish, turtles and platypus. Modelled data has been used to predict chronic toxicity to individual contaminants, however the sub-lethal effects are not yet understood. Gina’s research will be the first to experimentally test the sub-lethal effects of chronic exposure to environmentally-relevant concentrations of multiple contaminants on shrimp.

The award’s funding will be used to support a series of long-term laboratory and in-situ exposures. Species from two genera of native shrimp (Paratya australiensis and Caridina mccullochi) and multiple populations of P. australiensis will be used to test for genus- and population-level variation in sensitivity to pollution. Identifying population and genus-level resistance to pollution could be key in preventing local population extinction and maintaining ecosystem health and biodiversity. Gina's research is expected to provide insight into the sub-lethal effects of aquatic pollution and to inform management decisions regarding the release of recycled water and wastewater into aquatic ecosystems.

Jessica’s PhD project uses an interdisciplinary, mixed methods design to investigate the presence of targeted human-used pharmaceuticals in the Derwent Estuary. The project will also aim to gain an understanding of Tasmanian general practitioner perspectives on pharmaceutical pollution and sustainable prescribing strategies that could reduce the load and harm from environmental pharmaceutical pollution. Data is scant for pharmaceuticals in Tasmanian waterways and Australian health care perspectives on this topic have not yet been reported in the literature. These studies will contribute to our knowledge about the presence of pharmaceuticals in Australian waterways, as well as support the development of solutions in the health care sector. The award will be used to help cover the costs of laboratory analysis of Derwent Estuary surface water samples.

Congratulations Gina, Jess and all other 2024 award nominees.

This award has been established jointly by SETAC-Australasia and the Australian Council of Environmental Deans and Directors (ACEDD) in honour of Professor Peter Teasdale. Peter's contribution to environmental chemistry and water research spanned more than 25 years and included the passionate support of research students and early career researchers.  

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