Petrels Without Borders: How Giant Petrel Connectivity Shapes Pathogen Spread Across the Southern Ocean

About the research project

Giant petrels are among the most mobile scavengers in the Southern Ocean, linking Antarctica and the sub-Antarctic with Australia, South America, southern Africa and the Indian Ocean. Their extraordinary movements allow them to exploit resources across vast distances, but may also create pathways for pathogens to move between otherwise isolated wildlife populations. Recent events have highlighted this potential: giant petrels have been implicated in the arrival of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) in Australia, while changing disease and mortality patterns elsewhere in the Southern Ocean may be altering the resources and ecological conditions that shape their movements.

This PhD will integrate population genomics, animal tracking and pathogen data to determine how giant petrel populations are connected across the Southern Ocean and how this connectivity may contribute to pathogen transmission. The candidate will use genomic data from breeding populations across the species’ range to quantify population structure, gene flow and historical connectivity. The candidate will also combine existing satellite and geolocation tracking datasets with new tracking data collected during the far-ranging non-breeding and immature life stages, to generate novel insights into the circumpolar dispersal patterns of these species. Movement analyses will identify migratory corridors, regions of overlap among populations and environmental conditions associated with long-distance movements.

These ecological and genomic connectivity patterns will then be compared with pathogen data, including H5N1 genomic sequences and broader virome datasets, to test whether host movements and population connectivity help explain patterns of viral sharing and spread. The project will examine where and when giant petrels could act as epidemiological links between distant ecosystems and identify populations and regions that may be particularly important for disease surveillance.

The project will provide the first integrated, range-wide assessment of giant petrel connectivity and establish these poorly understood scavengers as a model system for understanding how highly mobile seabirds connect ecosystems, wildlife populations and disease processes across ocean basins.

The PhD can commence in early 2027 using existing telemetry, samples and funded analyses. The candidate will join a broader interdisciplinary team working across marine predator ecology, wildlife disease, viromics, genomics and animal tracking. The precise thesis plan will be refined with the candidate as data mature, while retaining movement-mediated pathogen transmission as the core focus.

Primary supervisor

Meet Doctor David Green

Funding

Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:

• a living allowance stipend funded by University of Tasmania of $34,315 per annum for 3.5 years
• a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
• a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)

A tuition fee offset may be offered to eligible international applicants following competitive assessment 

As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.

Other funding opportunities and fees

For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees for undertaking a research degree, please visit our Scholarships and fees on research degrees page.

Eligibility

Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.

Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.

Selection criteria

The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.

Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:

• Honours or Masters degree (or equivalent research experience) in ecology, marine biology, zoology, quantitative biology, molecular ecology, disease ecology, epidemiology or a related field
• Demonstrated capacity for quantitative data analysis and scientific programming
• Ability to work independently with large datasets and communicate research clearly in writing
• Strong interest in movement ecology, disease ecology and Southern Ocean systems
• Remote field experience

Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:

• Experience with animal tracking, spatial ecology, GIS, state-space modelling, network analysis or Bayesian/statistical modelling
• Familiarity with phylogenetics, pathogen genomics or disease ecology
• Experience with reproducible workflows and version control
• Willingness to participate in remote fieldwork and collaborative international research where opportunities arise

Application process

1. Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
2. Contact Doctor David Green to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
3. In your application:
   • Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
   • Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
4. Apply prior to 1 October 2026.

Full details of the application process can be found under the ' How to apply ' section of the Research Degrees website.

Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.

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