Name: Adele Romagnano
Institution: RMIT University
Supervisors: Dr Claudette Kellar, Professor Vincent Pettigrove and Dr Melody Serena
Expected Completion: October 2026
Email: s3430374@student.rmit.edu.au
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adele-romagnano/
About Adele:
I am a third-year PhD student at RMIT University, working within the AQUEST Research Group (Aquatic Environmental Stress Research Group). My academic journey in environmental science began in an unexpected place — with a Bachelor of Applied Science (Psychology), followed by Honours in Psychology. After receiving first-class Honours, I realised my passion for aquatic ecology was something I wanted to pursue as a career. I returned to RMIT to study Environmental Science as an undergraduate, with the goal of progressing to a PhD.
My involvement in platypus research began in the third year of that degree when I undertook a project assessing whether a constructed wetland could support a small platypus population living in the downstream river. That project confirmed my interest in freshwater ecology and helped shape the direction of my current research.
Now, under the supervision of Dr Claudette Kellar, Professor Vincent Pettigrove, and Dr Melody Serena, my PhD investigates how platypus are exposed to environmental pollutants via their diet. Being part of an aquatic pollution research group has allowed me to combine my interests in ecology, macroinvertebrates, and platypus biology to address a critical gap in our understanding of contaminant exposure in this species.
Throughout my PhD, I’ve had the opportunity to present my research at a range of academic events — an aspect of research I particularly enjoy. I was awarded runner-up in the RMIT Science 3-Minute Thesis (3MT) heats and received the People’s Choice Award for my oral presentation at the WETT HDR Symposium at RMIT. I was also the recipient of a Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, which supported contaminant screening in my second year. Later this year, I will be delivering an oral presentation at the SETAC Australasia Conference in Wellington. I look forward to connecting with you all in August!
Research summary:
Platypus inhabit freshwater systems, many of which are increasingly vulnerable to pollution. Contaminants in these aquatic environments can accumulate in organisms and vegetation; however, we still know very little about the types and concentrations of pollutants that platypus may be exposed to. A central question of my research is whether the platypus—a semi-aquatic monotreme —is exposed to environmental contaminants and whether this exposure may be contributing to population declines.
My focus is on diet as a primary contamination pathway. Platypus are voracious feeders, consuming large quantities of aquatic macroinvertebrates each day. To investigate this, I have conducted extensive macroinvertebrate sampling across Victoria and am currently analysing tissue samples for a range of contaminants, including PFAS and heavy metals. Measuring contaminant concentrations in prey provides an indication of the potential exposure risk to the platypus via their diet. In addition, I am comparing macroinvertebrate biomass at sites where platypus are present and absent, to evaluate whether prey availability is limiting habitat suitability.
The second component of my PhD involves comparing contaminant levels in prey to those found in platypus tissue. I am collecting platypus carcasses to measure tissue contaminant loads directly, with carcasses reported to me through my supervisor, Dr Melody Serena, at the Australian Platypus Conservancy. Through this work, I’ve been fortunate to engage with members of the public who assist in reporting and collecting specimens. Their involvement has been invaluable, and I am deeply grateful for the community interest and support for improving outcomes for this iconic species.
Together, these components form the basis of a comprehensive assessment of pollutant exposure risk in platypus populations. By linking feeding ecology with contaminant profiles across habitats, this research provides important insights into the pathways through which pollutants may affect this species. Understanding these risks is essential for informing effective conservation and management strategies, particularly as urbanisation and land-use change continue to alter freshwater ecosystems. Protecting the platypus will require evidence-based approaches that account for both ecological behaviour and environmental stressors. The findings aim to support targeted habitat management and science-informed policy decisions for freshwater biodiversity conservation.
I will be presenting my research on the accumulation of PFAS in aquatic macroinvertebrates at the SETAC Australasia Conference in Wellington. My presentation is scheduled for Wednesday at 11:30 AM in Session 4B: Contaminants of Emerging Concern. I hope to see you there!
