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Doctor

Linda Armbrecht

Senior Lecturer

Ecology and Biodiversity

Orcid identifier0000-0002-1213-1257
  • Senior Lecturer
    Ecology and Biodiversity
  • Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Ecology and Biodiversity, IMAS Salamanca, Hobart CBD Campuses, TAS

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Expertise

Sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA)
Paleo-genetics
Biological Oceanography
Phytoplankton biology and ecology
Marine Biology
Micropaleontology
Biostratigraphy
Antarctic and Southern Ocean research
Climate change
Bioinformatics
Field-work, sediment coring and sampling

Research Themes

Linda’s research aligns to the University’s research theme of Marine, Antarctic and Maritime and Environment, Resources and Sustainability. Her research revolves around improving our understanding of marine organisms, from the smallest plankton to fish and their predators, their interplay, and their evolution in concert with changing environmental conditions. Linda is particularly passionate about the Antarctic environment, where research into resilience and sustainability is critical due to climate change.

The key to pursuing this research is the use of state-of-the-art molecular genetic techniques, including the newest tools for the analysis of ancient DNA from the seafloor. These novel approaches allow her to track complex species-level and ecosystem-wide changes both in a modern context and over tens of thousands of years, knowledge that can be directly applied to predicting future changes and management of marine ecosystems, fisheries, and keystone species.

Support and Partners

Linda’s research is funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA21) DE210100929.

Additional support has previously been provided by the ARC (DP170100557), the CSIRO Marine National Facility (IN2023_V01) for participation in the RV Investigator voyage 'CANYONS' (Chief Scientist A. Post), and both the CSIRO MNF (MNF IN2017_V01) and the Australian Government’s Australian Antarctic Science Grant Program (AAS #4333) for participation in the 2017 RV Investigator 'Sabrina Seafloor Survey' (Chief Scientist L. Armand), as well as by the Australian and New Zealand IODP Consortium (ANZIC) for participation in IODP Exp. 382 (Co-chief Scientists M. Weber, M. Raymo, V. Peck, Staff Scientist T. Williams). ANZIC has provided Post Cruise Analytical Funding (PCAF0120) and Legacy Funding (AILAF21_14), and the Australian Academy of Science provided analytical funding (Thomas Davies Grant for Marine and Soil Science, 2021). Pilot studies were supported by an Australian Endeavour Postdoctoral Research Fellowship (PDR6834_2018), and 2016 ANZIC Special Analytical Funding (CI’s L. Armand, S. George, M. Ostrowski, L. Armbrecht).


Awards

Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) South Australian Young Tall Poppy Science Award, 2021
Edith Dornwell Medal for Early Career Research Excellence, Faculty of Sciences Research Awards, The University of Adelaide, 2020
Antarctica Service Medal of the USA, National Science Foundation, Arlington, 2017

PROJECTS

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Showing page 1, grants 1 to 9 of 9
GRANT
Detecting responses of polar marine ecosystems to Quaternary climate change using ancient DNA and RNA
Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium1 Oct 2024 - 14 Jan 2027
People funded by this grant: Duxbury L, Armbrecht L, Noble T
Project Total: $39,988; (1) Palaeoenvironmental objectives. Using sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) shotgun metagenomics to reconstruct polar marine biodiversity during past warm periods across a north-south spatial transect of the West Spitsbergen Current. Aim to focus on high-resolution MIS 5/6 records from Sites U1618, U1620 and U1621. These records will be compared to similar records from Antarctica. Where possible compare sedaDNA data to traditional microscopic identification of key microfossil groups: foraminifera, calcareous nannofossils, dinocysts and diatoms. Collaboration with other Expedition 403 scientists on MIS 5/6 at U1621/23 to constrain sea surface temperature and sea ice proxies by using sedaDNA data to characterize the ecological communities producing GDGTs and alkenones. Collaboration with XRF working group to contextualize palaeoecology. (2) Taphonomic objectives. Preservation of sedaDNA in the Eastern Fram Strait: effects of sediment properties and age. Aim to leverage the longer low-resolution records from Sites U1618 and U1620 and the ‘oldest DNA’ test samples from Sites U1618, U1619 and U1620. Bioinformatic analysis will be used to assess patterns of DNA damage from shotgun metagenomic sedaDNA data and investigate the effects of sediment age (shipboard geochronology and biostratigraphy), mineralogy (XRD – post cruise research), chemical properties (shipboard geochemical and XRF data) and physical properties, with an emphasis on temperature (shipboard data and post cruise collaborations). (3) Methodological objectives. Development of a method to extract ancient RNA from polar marine sediments. Aim to focus on Holocene-Last Glacial Maximum at Site U1618. Ancient RNA has the potential to provide detailed insight into gene expression regulation in response to environmental change in the past. Should the recovery of ancient RNA fail, we may attempt to target modern RNA in the sediments to understand the living component of the sediment and the roles these organisms play in regulating biogeochemical cycles below the seafloor. Funded by: Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium - Grant ($39,988); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
Sensitivity of ancient Antarctic marine communities to 2C warming (SWAIS-2C)
Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium8 Sep 2024 - 31 Dec 2026
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L
Project Total: $27,963; Apply novel sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) techniques to provide a comprehensive picture of ecosystem-wide biodiversity changes through time. Funded by: Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium - Grant ($27,963); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
Probing ancient Antarctic krill populations
International Ocean Discovery Program20 Nov 2023 - 19 Nov 2026
People funded by this grant: Rout V, Armbrecht L
Project Total: $6,784; The overarching aim of this project is to investigate the dynamics of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) populations in rapidly warming regions around Antarctica over thousands of years. This will be achieved by: 1. Designing RNA probes (‘krill baits’) that capture ancient krill DNA sequences present in genetic samples (Stage I of this project), and 2. Applying these ‘krill baits’ to existing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) extracts from Antarctica, to investigate the dynamics of this species over a time span of ~25,000 years (Stage II). This project will capitalize on already established techniques in sedaDNA, modern molecular genetics and bioinformatics. The latter will be facilitated by a collaboration between Dr Leonie Suter, Australian Antarctic Division, and my supervisor Dr Linda Armbrecht, allowing us to utilize already existing modern krill DNA (Suter) to develop the RNA probes (Stage I) as well as sedaDNA extracts from Antarctica collected during previous Antarctic expeditions (Armbrecht) to which the newly designed probes will be applied (Stage II). Funded by: International Ocean Discovery Program - Grant-Student Research Grant Program; Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium ($6,784); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
Characterising radiolarian assemblage change through time: a paleo-genomics approach (IODP Exp. 382)
Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium1 Aug 2023 - 31 Dec 2024
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L
Project Total: $19,980; This project aims to understand how radiolarian assemblages respond to glacial-interglacial scale changes in ocean conditions and how sensitive the group is to these changes. This will be achieved by developing a new radiolarian specific DNA sequence database, which will be used to produce a record of radiolarian assemblages over the last ~500 ky using existing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) data from IODP Exp. 382 sites U1534, U1536 and U1538. This project will provide the first sedaDNA-derived record of radiolarian community responses to environmental perturbations in the Scotia Sea region, with implications for biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles in the Southern Ocean. Funded by: Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium - Grant ($19,980); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
INTERPALEOGENS (Intercalibrating new paleogenomic methods to investigate the vulnerability of the Antarctic trophic levels to past climate change)
Monash University1 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2023
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L, Etourneau J
Project Total: $20,000; Aus-France Cooperative Research Grant that will involve an exchange between IMAS and the Uni of Bordeaux. Dr Johan Etourneau and PhD student Mathilde Bourreau are seeking to funds to visit IMAS, and Dr Linda Armbrecht and PhD student Prashasti Singh are seeking to travel to France. We will be working on extracting ancient DNA from Antarctic seafloor samples (sedaDNA) at IMAS, results of which we intend to discuss in France and in preparation for an international sedaDNA symposium in Germany, June 2023. Funded by: Monash University - Grant - Australian-French Antarctic Research ($10,000); Ambassador of France in Australia ($10,000); University of Tasmania.
CONSULTANCY/CONTRACT RESEARCH
ANZIC Science Committee Chair Appointment
Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium1 Jan 2022 - 31 Dec 2022
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L
Project Total: $12,000; Role of the ANZIC Science Chair: * Serve as the face to enquiries on Committee roles, responsibilities, and decisions. * Lead, manage, and communicate with members of the Science Committee, and liaise with the Vice-Chair and emeritus Chair of the Science Committee as appropriate. * Organise, in consultation and collaboration with the ANZIC Director, at least two meetings of the Committee each year (one face-to-face, one teleconference). * Distribute participant/grant/bursary applications for assessment and ranking to the Science Committee or subcommittees. * Collate and summarise assessments and rankings of participant/grant/bursary applications from Committee or subcommittee members. * Provide recommendations, in consultation with the ANZIC Director, for submission to IODP/ECORD/JAMSTEC for expeditions or for ANZIC funding to be endorsed by the ANZIC Governing Council. Funded by: Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium ($12,000); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
Improving species identification from short sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) sequences: an addition to the sedaDNA assembly toolbox
Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium1 Jan 2022 - 30 Jun 2023
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L
Project Total: $19,622; This project aims to improve identification of species in metagenomic sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) data. This will be achieved by developing a new sedaDNA assembly tool ('sedaDNA-at-1.0'), which will assemble the typically very short sedaDNA sequences found in sedaDNA data into longer sequences, to allow a more robust comparison to modern reference sequences. Outputs will be compared between the traditional computational approach and one where 'sedaDNA-at-1.0' has been integrated, and species-level identification will be assessed. This project will provide a new, publicly available, bioinformatics tool that will be of great interest to sedaDNA researchers and an accompanying publication. Funded by: Australian and New Zealand International Ocean Drilling Program Consortium - Grant ($19,622); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
Probing ancient Antarctic krill populations
Australian Academy of Science1 Jan 2022 - 31 May 2024
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L
Project Total: $20,000; The overarching aim of this project is to investigate the dynamics of Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) populations in rapidly warming regions around Antarctica over thousands of years. This will be achieved by: 1. Designing RNA probes ('krill baits') that capture ancient krill DNA sequences present in genetic samples (Stage I of this project), and 2. Applying these 'krill baits' to existing sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) extracts from Antarctica, to investigate the dynamics of this species over a time span of ~25,000 years (Stage II). This project will capitalise on already established techniques in sedaDNA, modern molecular genetics and bioinformatics. The latter will be facilitated by a collaboration between Dr Leonie Suter, Australian Antarctic Division, and myself, allowing us to utilise already existing modern krill DNA (Suter) to develop the RNA probes (Stage I) as well as sedaDNA extracts from Antarctica collected during previous Antarctic expeditions (Armbrecht) to which the newly designed probes will be applied (Stage II). Funded by: Australian Academy of Science - Grant-Thomas Davies Research Grant ($20,000); University of Tasmania.
GRANT
Using ancient DNA to uncover climate change impacts on Antarctica
Australian Research Council23 Aug 2021 - 30 Jun 2025
People funded by this grant: Armbrecht L
Project Total: $462,948; Transfer of successful DECRA Fellowship, led by Dr Linda Armbrecht, from University of Adelaide to University of Tasmania. Fellowship to be undertaken at IMAS, from ~ August 2021 - August 2024 This project aims to utilise ancient DNA preserved in the seafloor to investigate how past Antarctic marine ecosystems have responded to past climatic changes, with a focus on the Holocene (last ~11,700 years). The study will generate the first-ever picture of marine community changes across the entire marine food web and unravel adaptation mechanisms of key marine organisms to climate shifts. Expected project outcomes will include significant knowledge advances into the evolution and resilience of Antarctic ecosystems over geological timescales. This will position Australia at the forefront of marine sedimentary ancient DNA research, and also provide valuable guidance for the conservation of Antarctica during ongoing climate change. Funded by: Australian Research Council - Fellowship-Discovery Early Career Researcher Award ($462,948); University of Tasmania ($231,380).