Dr Katherine Dafforn – Curriculum Vitae

Distinguished Professor in environmental sciences at University of Massachusetts Boston with 15 years of experience researching coastal ecosystems and leads the Aquatic and Coastal Environmental Sciences (ACES) lab.
Co-founded the Living Seawalls project which designs habitat enhancement modules to boost native biodiversity in degraded urban seascapes
Major industry and government collaborator including consultancies for DP World, NSW DPE, UrbanGrowth NSW, Lendlease, Sydney Water, Hunter Water, Port Kembla Port Corporation and Bluescope Steel
Award-winning communicator in scientific and public arenas, represented Australian research at local and international workshops, symposia and conferences, > 1500 followers on Twitter
Committed to teaching excellence and innovation – coursework and supervision – with a supervision award, a graduate certificate in university learning and teaching and having led curriculum reviews and initial development of an undergraduate major in Marine Science

Education

2012 Graduate Certificate (University Learning and Teaching), University of New South Wales
2010 PhD (Biological Sciences), University of New South Wales
2005 BSc Hons. 1 and University Medal (Marine Biology and Spatial Information Systems), University of New South Wales

Employment History

2022-2024 Associate Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University
2018-2021 Senior Lecturer, Department of Environmental Sciences, Macquarie University
2014-2018 Senior Research Associate, University of New South Wales
2010–2013 Research Associate, University of New South Wales

Honours and Awards

2024 Finalist for the Blue Marine Foundation Ocean Awards (Living Seawalls)
2024 Biosecurity Science Award, New Zealand Biosecurity Awards (Biosecurity Toolbox)
2023 Finalist for the AFR Emerging Leader Award
2023 NSW Coastal Management Award for Innovation (Living Seawalls)
2022 Banksia National Biodiversity Award (Living Seawalls)
2021 Banksia NSW Biodiversity Award (Living Seawalls)
2021 Finalist in the “Revive our Oceans’ category of the Earthshot Prize (Living Seawalls)
2020 Faculty of Science and Engineering Excellence Award for Innovative Research Partnerships
2020 Emerging Leader in Marine Science Award, Australian Marine Science Association
2016 NSW Young Tall Poppy
2016 UNSW Representative for Universitas 21 Early Career Researcher Workshop, Edinburgh
2013 Evolution & Ecology Research Centre Supervisor Excellence Award
2012 Evolution & Ecology Research Centre Significant Collaboration Award
2009 John Holliday Conservation Award

Plenary/Keynote Presentations

2023 Keynote at 11th International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions, Baltimore MD, USA.
2023 Keynote at 13th International Temperate Reef Symposium, Tasmania, Australia.
2021 Plenary at the International Workshop on Environmental Genomics, Newfoundland, Canada.
2021 Emerging Leader in Marine Science Award Address at the Australian Marine Science Association Conference, Sydney, Australia.
2019 Keynote at 9th International Conference for Marine Pollution and Ecotoxicology, Hong Kong.
2019 Keynote at Australia New Zealand Marine Biotechnology Symposium, Sydney, Australia.
2018 Plenary at Fenner Conference, Canberra, Australia.
2018 Keynote at Boden Research Conference, Australian Academy of Sciences, Canberra, Australia

Research Metrics

Total research income: $23,211,000
Total peer-reviewed publications: 117
Total citations: 6772 (Google Scholar)
H-index: 40 (Google Scholar)

Grant Funding

Australian Research Council

2023 Gribben P; Marzinelli E; Dafforn K; Waycott M; Kjelleberg S. Do root microbiomes control seagrass response to environmental stress? Australian Research Council Discovery.
2021 Gribben P; Marzinelli E; Kendrick G; Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Fraser M, Martine B, Verges A, Glasby T, Kilminster K, Kjelleberg S, Ow X-Y, Wright J. Utilising plant-sediment feedbacks to enhance seagrass restoration. Australian Research Council Linkage.
2020 Dafforn KA; Bishop MJ; Mayer-Pinto M; Potts J; Walpole S. Environmentally-friendly shoreline protection strategies for coastal lakes. Australian Research Council Linkage Project.
2019 Gribben P; Bishop MJ; Figueira W; Dafforn KA; Vila-Concejo A; Ross P; Bugnot AB; Gillies C; O’Connor W; Russell K; Brennan A. Developing a framework for effective oyster reef restoration. Australian Research Council Linkage Project.
2014 Dafforn KA; Johnston EL; Airoldi L; Glasby TM; Mitchell A. Marine urban development: how can ecology inform the design of multifunctional artificial structures. Australian Research Council Linkage Project.

Other Government

2024 Dafforn KA; Sherman C; Schaefer N; Davidson I; Fletcher L. Didemnum vexillum research and development for improved management. Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.
2024 Bishop MJ; Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Goad A; Joyce S; Doureihi A; Stone L; Panada J. Living Boulders for reviving marine life on coastal defences. NSW Environmental Trust.
2022 Bishop MJ; Booth D; Dafforn KA; Doblin M; Mayer-Pinto M; Marzinelli E; Verges A. Project Restore. NSW DPE.
2021 Dafforn KA; Schaefer N; Hoey A; Sherman C; Bishop M; Mayer-Pinto M; Vozzo M; Bugnot AB. Ecological engineering solutions for marine pest management (Phase 3). Biosecurity Innovation Program, Department of Agriculture.
2020 Dafforn KA; Schaefer N; Hoey A; Sherman C; Bishop M; Mayer-Pinto M; Vozzo M; Bugnot AB. Ecological engineering solutions for marine pest management (Phase 2). Biosecurity Innovation Program, Department of Agriculture.
2020 Vozzo M; Bishop MJ; Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M. Fish friendly seawalls. Action Grants (Large), NSW Department of Primary Industries.
2020 Cresswell T; Dafforn KA; Chariton A; Penrose B. Developing an ecological framework for closure of offshore petroleum structures. ANSTO.
2019 Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Bishop MJ; Vozzo M; Bugnot AB. Ecological engineering of marine infrastructure. Biosecurity Innovation Program, Department of Agriculture.
2019 Vozzo M; Bishop MJ; Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M. Living Seawalls at Rushcutters Bay. City of Sydney Innovation Grants.
2019 Bugnot AB; Gribben P; Coleman R; Dafforn KA. Developing end-of-pipe bioremediation for stormwater pollution. City of Sydney Innovation Grants.
2019 Floerl, O; Zaiko, A; Hopkins, G; Cahill, P; Pochon, X; Wood, S; Davidson, I; South, P; Vennell, R; Atalah, J; Newton, M; Smeaton, M; Gemmell, N; Stanton, J; Guen, M. JL; Welsh, M; Yao, R; Treml, E; Dafforn, KA; Badyal, JP; Chetham, J. A toolbox to underpin and enable tomorrow’s biosecurity system. Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (NZ).
2018 Bishop MJ; Strain EMA; Steinberg P Dafforn KA; Lennon DP; Goad A. Scaling up green seawall designs. NSW Environmental Trust.
2018 Dafforn KA; Bishop MJ; Strain E; Mayer-Pinto M; Johnston EL; Lowe R; Hoey A; Lennon D; Todd P; Heery E; Loke L; Friess D; Liu P; Siang K; Yaakub S; Marzinelli E; Steinberg P. Singapore Marine Science Eco-design Urban Marine Development. Commonwealth Grant, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
2018 Bishop MJ; Haeusler MH; Fabbri A; Dunn K; Zavoleas Y; Dafforn KA; Lennon D; Goad A; Stevens P. Designing Bio-Shelters: Improving water quality and biodiversity in the Bays Precinct through designing novel bio-shelters using dynamic data-driven approaches. Landcom Collaborative Learning.

Industry

2023 Dafforn KA. Benthic ecological assessment in Lake Macquarie. NSW DPE.
2022 Dafforn KA; Bishop MJ; Mayer-Pinto M; Goad A. Living Ports. DP World.
2021 Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Bishop M; Vozzo M; Lee A; Goad A. Ecological monitoring of biodiversity enhancements at Barangaroo South. Infrastructure NSW.
2018 Bishop MJ; Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Vozzo M. Monitoring of Volvo Living Seawall. Volvo Cars Australia.
2017 Johnston EL; Dafforn KA. Environmental specialist services to the Wet Weather Overflow Abatement monitoring program. Sydney Water.
2016 Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Bugnot AB; Morris RL; Coleman RA; Johnston EL. The Bays Precinct Baseline Assessment and Guiding Principles. UrbanGrowth NSW – Marine Ecology Advice and Study – The Bays Urban Transformation Program.
2016 Johnston EL; Dafforn KA; Birrer SC. Ecological linkages and ecotoxicological testing. Hunter Water.
2013 Dafforn KA; Mayer-Pinto M; Johnston EL. Baseline assessment of Globe Harbour. Lendlease – Barangaroo South.
2012 Knott N; Clark G; Dafforn KA; Johnston EL. Pollution Reduction Program 146: Assessment of the ecological condition of Port Kembla Inner Harbour and Allans Creek and a comparison with two reference estuaries. Bluescope Steel.
2010 Clark GF; Dafforn KA; Johnston EL. Port Kembla Outer Harbour Dredging Study.

Publications and Other Research Outputs

Book Chapters

1. O’Brien, AL, Dafforn, KA, Chariton, A, Airoldi, L, Schafer, RB & Mayer-Pinto, M 2022, Multiple Stressors. in (eds) Reichelt-Brushett, A & Chariton A (eds), Marine Pollution. Springer, Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland.
2. Birrer, SC, Dafforn, KA & Johnston, EL 2017, Microbial community responses to contaminants and the use of molecular techniques. in C Cravo-Laureau, C Cagnon, B Lauga & R Duran (eds), Microbial Ecotoxicology. Springer, Springer Nature, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 165-183.

Refereed Journal Articles

1. Palmer, J, Bugnot, AB, Filippini, G, Gribben, PE, Varkey, D, Erickson, K & Dafforn, KA 2024, ‘The influence of bioturbator activity on sediment bacterial structure and function is moderated by environment’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 201, 106702, pp. 1-15.
2. Ferguson, A, Filippini, G, Potts, J, Bugnot, AB, Johnston, EL, Rao, S, Ruszczyk, J & Dafforn, KA 2024, ‘Benthic processes are an important indicator of eutrophication in intermittently open and closed lakes and lagoons’, Estuaries and Coasts.
3. Vozzo, ML, Bishop, MJ, Dafforn, KA, Steinberg, PD, Strain, EMA & Pinto, MM 2024, ‘From experiment to intervention: a case study of scaling up marine eco-engineering from research to application’, Environmental Science and Policy, vol. 158, 103800, pp. 1-11.
4. Schaefer, N, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL, Clark, GF & Mayer-Pinto, M 2024, ‘Investigating the interactive effects of habitat type and light intensity on rocky shores’, Oecologia, vol. 205, no. 3-4, pp. 627-642.
5. Janssen, AR, Bishop, MJ, Mayer-Pinto, M & Dafforn, KA 2024, ‘Morpho-physiological traits and tissue burdens of Ecklonia radiata linked to environmental variation in an urban estuary’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 199, 106572, pp. 1-11.
6. Schaefer, N, Bishop, MJ, Bugnot, AB, Foster-Thorpe, C, Herbert, B, Hoey, AS, Mayer-Pinto, M, Nakagawa, S, Sherman, CDH, Vozzo, ML & Dafforn, KA 2024, ‘Influence of habitat features on the colonisation of native and non-indigenous species’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 198, 106498, pp. 1-11.
7. MacIntosh, A, Dafforn, K, Chariton, A, Koppel, D, Cresswell, T & Gissi, F 2024, ‘Response of microbial communities to naturally occurring radioactive material–contaminated sediments: a microcosm-based study’, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
8. Firth, LB, Bone, J, Bartholomew, A, Bishop, MJ, Bugnot, A, Bulleri, F, Chee, SY, Claassens, L, Dafforn, KA, Fairchild, TP, Hall, AE, Hanley, ME, Komyakova, V, Lemasson, AJ, Loke, LHL, Mayer-Pinto, M, Morris, R, Naylor, L, Perkins, MJ, Pioch, S, Porri, F, O’Shaughnessy, KA, Schaefer, N, Strain, EA, Toft, JD, Waltham, N, Aguilera, M, Airoldi, L, Bauer, F, Brooks, P, Burt, J, Clubley, C, Cordell, JR, Espinosa, F, Evans, AJ, Farrugia-Drakard, V, Froneman, W, Griffin, JN, Hawkins, SJ, Heery, E, Herbert, RJH, Jones, E, Leung, KMY, Moore, P, Sempere-Valverde, J, Sengupta, D, Sheaves, M, Swearer, S, Thompson, RC, Todd, P & Knights, AM 2024, ‘Coastal greening of grey infrastructure: an update on the state-of-the-art’, Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers: Maritime Engineering, vol. 177, no. 2, pp. 35-67.
9. Schaefer, N, Bishop, MJ, Bugnot, AB, Herbert, B, Hoey, AS, Mayer-Pinto, M, Sherman, CDH, Foster-Thorpe, C, Vozzo, ML & Dafforn, KA 2024, ‘Variable effects of substrate colour and microtexture on sessile marine taxa in Australian estuaries’, Biofouling.
10. Walker, LDA, Gribben, PE, Glasby, TM, Marzinelli, EM, Varkey, DR & Dafforn, KA 2024, ‘Above and below-ground bacterial communities shift in seagrass beds with warmer temperatures’, Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 11, 1374946, pp. 1-15.
11. Steinberg, RK, Turnbull, J, Ainsworth, TD, Dafforn, KA, Poore, AGB & Johnston, EL 2024, ‘Impacts of necrotising disease on the Endangered cauliflower soft coral (Dendronephthya australis)’, Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 75, no. 3, MF23144, pp. 1-13.
12. Filippini, G, Bugnot, AB, Varkey, DR, Siboni, N, Ferguson, A, Gribben, PE, Erickson, K, Palmer, J & Dafforn, KA 2023, ‘Nitrogen-cycling genes in oyster reefs and surrounding sediments: relationships with environmental factors and respective nitrogen rates’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 197, 115710, pp. 1-11.
13. Filippini, G, Bugnot, AB, Ferguson, A, Gribben, PE, Palmer, J, Erickson, K & Dafforn, KA 2023, ‘The influence of oyster reefs and surrounding sediments on nitrogen removal – an in-situ study along the East coast of Australia’, Environmental Research, vol. 237, no. Part 1, 116947, pp. 1-11.
14. MacIntosh, A, Dafforn, K, Penrose, B, Chariton, A & Cresswell, T 2023, ‘Assessing the ecological impacts of NORM-contaminated scale on marine infauna using sediment microcosms’, Chemosphere, vol. 340, 139939, pp. 1-15.
15. Gonzalez, SV, Dafforn, KA, Gribben, PE, O’Connor, WA & Johnston, EL 2023, ‘Organic enrichment reduces sediment bacterial and archaeal diversity, composition, and functional profile independent of bioturbator activity’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 196, 115608, pp. 1-13.
16. Trethewy, M, Mayer-Pinto, M & Dafforn, KA 2023, ‘Urban shading and artificial light at night alter natural light regimes and affect marine intertidal assemblages’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 193, 115203, pp. 1-12.
17. Bugnot, AB, Dafforn, KA, Erickson, K, McGrath, A, O’Connor, WA & Gribben, PE 2023, ‘Reintroducing a keystone bioturbator can facilitate microbial bioremediation in urban polluted sediments’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 324, 121419, pp. 1-10.
18. Schaefer, N, Mayer-Pinto, M, Johnston, EL & Dafforn, KA 2023, ‘Understanding the role of microhabitats in intertidal rock pools to guide future eco-engineering designs’, Marine Biology, vol. 170, no. 4, 44, pp. 1-11.
19. Mayer‐Pinto, M, Bugnot, AB, Johnston, EL, Potts, J, Airoldi, L, Glasby, TM, Strain, EMA, Scanes, P, Ushiama, S & Dafforn, KA 2023, ‘Physical and biogenic complexity mediates ecosystem functions in urban sessile marine communities’, Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 60, no. 3, pp. 480-493.
20. Bracewell, SA, Barros, TL, Mayer-Pinto, M, Dafforn, K, Simpson, SL & Johnston, E 2023, ‘Contaminant pulse following wildfire is associated with shifts in estuarine benthic communities’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 316, no. Part 1, 120533, pp. 1-13.
21. Filippini, G, Dafforn, KA & Bugnot, AB 2023, ‘Shellfish as a bioremediation tool: a review and meta-analysis’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 316, no. Part 2, 120614, pp. 1-12.
22. Stelling-Wood, TP, Gribben, PE, Birch, G, Bishop, MJ, Blount, C, Booth, DJ, Brown, C, Bruce, E, Bugnot, AB, Byrne, M, Creese, RG, Dafforn, KA, Dahlenburg, J, Doblin, MA, Fellowes, TE, Fowler, AM, Gibbs, MC, Glamore, W, Glasby, TM, Hay, AC, Kelaher, B, Knott, NA, Larkum, AWD, Parker, LM, Marzinelli, EM, Mayer-Pinto, M, Morgan, B, Murray, SA, Rees, MJ, Ross, PM, Roughan, M, Saintilan, N, Scanes, E, Seymour, JR, Schaefer, N, Suthers, IM, Taylor, MD, Williamson, JE, Vila Concejo, A, Whittington, RJ & Figueira, WF 2023, ‘A deep dive into the ecology of Gamay (Botany Bay, Australia): current knowledge and future priorities for this highly modified coastal waterway’, Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 74, no. 12, pp. 1003-1025.
23. Schaefer, N, Sedano, F, Bishop, MJ, Dunn, K, Haeusler, MH, Yu, KD, Zavoleas, Y & Dafforn, KA 2023, ‘Facilitation of non-indigenous ascidian by marine eco-engineering interventions at an urban site’, Biofouling, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 80-93.
24. Barros, TL, Bracewell, SA, Mayer-Pinto, M, Dafforn, K, Simpson, SL, Farrell, M & Johnston, EL 2022, ‘Wildfires cause rapid changes to estuarine benthic habitat’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 308, 119571, pp. 1-9.
25. Clifton, GA, Dafforn, KA & Bishop, MJ 2022, ‘The ecological benefits of adding topographic complexity to seawalls vary across estuarine gradients’, Ecological Engineering, vol. 182, 106735, pp. 1-16.
26. Bishop, MJ, Vozzo, ML, Mayer-Pinto, M & Dafforn, KA 2022, ‘Complexity-biodiversity relationships on marine urban structures: reintroducing habitat heterogeneity through eco-engineering’, Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, vol. 377, no. 1857, 20210393, pp. 1-12.
27. Bugnot, AB, Gribben, PE, O’Connor, WA, Erickson, K, Coleman, RA & Dafforn, KA 2022, ‘Below‐ground ecosystem engineers enhance biodiversity and function in a polluted ecosystem’, Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 59, no. 8, pp. 2094-2105.
28. Ruprecht, JE, King, IP, Mitrovic, SM, Dafforn, KA, Miller, BM, Deiber, M, Westhorpe, DP, Hitchcock, JN, Harrison, AJ & Glamore, WC 2022, ‘Assessing the validity and sensitivity of microbial processes within a hydrodynamic model’, Water Research, vol. 218, 118445, pp. 1-16.
29. Mayer-Pinto, M, Jones, TM, Swearer, SE, Robert, KA, Bolton, D, Aulsebrook, AE, Dafforn, KA, Dickerson, AL, Dimovski, AM, Hubbard, N, McLay, LK, Pendoley, K, Poore, AGB, Thums, M, Willmott, NJ, Yokochi, K & Fobert, EK 2022, ‘Light pollution: a landscape-scale issue requiring cross-realm consideration’, UCL Open: Environment, vol. 4, 7, pp. 1-17.
30. Steinberg, RK, Ainsworth, TD, Moriarty, T, Bednarek, T, Dafforn, KA & Johnston, EL 2022, ‘Bleaching susceptibility and resistance of octocorals and anemones at the world’s southern-most coral reef’, Frontiers in Physiology, vol. 13, 804193, pp. 1-20.
31. Martinez, AS, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL, Filippini, G, Potts, J & Mayer-Pinto, M 2022, ‘Variations in benthic fluxes of sediments near pier pilings and natural rocky reefs’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 177, 105640, pp. 1-8.
32. Lowe, EC, Steven, R, Morris, RL, Parris, KM, Aguiar, AC, Webb, CE, Bugnot, AB, Dafforn, K, Connolly, RM & Mayer Pinto, M 2022, ‘Supporting urban ecosystem services across terrestrial, marine and freshwater realms’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 817, 152689, pp. 1-9.
33. Bugnot, AB, Dafforn, KA, Coleman, RA, Ramsdale, M, Gibbeson, JT, Erickson, K, Vila‐Concejo, A, Figueira, WF & Gribben, PE 2022, ‘Linking habitat interactions and biodiversity within seascapes’, Ecosphere, vol. 13, no. 4, e4021, pp. 1-14.
34. Esquivel-Muelbert, JR, Lanham, BS, Martínez-Baena, F, Dafforn, KA, Gribben, PE & Bishop, MJ 2022, ‘Spatial variation in the biotic and abiotic filters of oyster recruitment: implications for restoration’, Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 59, no. 4, pp. 953-964.
35. Ruprecht, JE, King, IP, Dafforn, KA, Mitrovic, SM, Harrison, AJ, Birrer, SC, Crane, SL & Glamore, WC 2022, ‘Implications of bacterial mineralisation in aquatic ecosystem response models’, Water Research, vol. 209, 117888, pp. 1-15.
36. MacIntosh, A, Dafforn, K, Penrose, B, Chariton, A & Cresswell, T 2022, ‘Ecotoxicological effects of decommissioning offshore petroleum infrastructure: a systematic review’, Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, vol. 52, no. 18, pp. 3283-3321.
37. Floerl, O, Atalah, J, Bugnot, AB, Chandler, M, Dafforn, KA, Floerl, L, Zaiko, A & Major, R 2021, ‘A global model to forecast coastal hardening and mitigate associated socioecological risks’, Nature Sustainability, vol. 4, no. 12, pp. 1060-1067.
38. Birrer, SC, Wemheuer, F, Dafforn, KA, Gribben, PE, Steinberg, PD, Simpson, SL, Potts, J, Scanes, P, Doblin, MA & Johnston, EL 2021, ‘Legacy metal contaminants and excess nutrients in low flow estuarine embayments alter composition and function of benthic bacterial communities’, Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 12, 661177, pp. 1-18.
39. Steinberg, RK, Johnston, EL, Bednarek, T, Dafforn, KA & Ainsworth, TD 2021, ‘Its what’s on the inside that counts: an effective, efficient, and streamlined method for quantification of octocoral Symbiodiniaceae and chlorophyll’, Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 8, 710730, pp. 1-11.
40. Ruprecht, JE, Birrer, SC, Dafforn, KA, Mitrovic, SM, Crane, SL, Johnston, EL, Wemheuer, F, Navarro, A, Harrison, AJ, Turner, IL & Glamore, WC 2021, ‘Wastewater effluents cause microbial community shifts and change trophic status’, Water Research, vol. 200, 117206, pp. 1-11.
41. Vadillo Gonzalez, S, Johnston, EL, Dafforn, KA, O’Connor, WA & Gribben, PE 2021, ‘Body size affects lethal and sublethal responses to organic enrichment: evidence of associational susceptibility for an infaunal bivalve’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 169, 105391, pp. 1-8.
42. Bracewell, SA, Dafforn, KA, Lavender, JT, Clark, GF & Johnston, EL 2021, ‘Latitudinal variation in the diversity–disturbance relationship demonstrates the context dependence of disturbance impacts’, Global Ecology and Biogeography, vol. 30, no. 7, pp. 1389-1402.
43. Shackleton, ME, Dafforn, KA, Murphy, NP, Greenfield, P, Cassidy, M & Besley, CH 2021, ‘How does molecular taxonomy for deriving river health indices correlate with traditional morphological taxonomy?’, Ecological Indicators, vol. 125, 107537, pp. 1-16.
44. Bergstrom, DM, Wienecke, BC, van den Hoff, J, Hughes, L, Lindenmayer, DB, Ainsworth, TD, Baker, CM, Bland, L, Bowman, DMJS, Brooks, ST, Canadell, JG, Constable, AJ, Dafforn, KA, Depledge, MH, Dickson, CR, Duke, NC, Helmstedt, KJ, Holz, A, Johnson, CR, McGeoch, MA, Melbourne-Thomas, J, Morgain, R, Nicholson, E, Prober, SM, Raymond, B, Ritchie, EG, Robinson, SA, Ruthrof, KX, Setterfield, SA, Sgrò, CM, Stark, JS, Travers, T, Trebilco, R, Ward, DFL, Wardle, GM, Williams, KJ, Zylstra, PJ & Shaw, JD 2021, ‘Combating ecosystem collapse from the tropics to the Antarctic’, Global Change Biology, vol. 27, no. 9, pp. 1692-1703.
45. Threlfall, CG, Marzinelli, EM, Ossola, A, Bugnot, AB, Bishop, MJ, Lowe, EC, Imberger, SJ, Myers, S, Steinberg, PD & Dafforn, KA 2021, ‘Toward cross-realm management of coastal urban ecosystems’, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 19, no. 4, pp. 225-233.
46. Vozzo, ML, Mayer-Pinto, M, Bishop, MJ, Cumbo, VR, Bugnot, AB, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL, Steinberg, PD & Strain, EMA 2021, ‘Making seawalls multifunctional: the positive effects of seeded bivalves and habitat structure on species diversity and filtration rates’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 165, 105243, pp. 1-12.
47. Critchley, L, Bugnot, AB, Dafforn, KA, Marzinelli, EM & Bishop, MJ 2021, ‘Comparison of wrack dynamics between mangrove forests with and without seawalls’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 751, 141371, pp. 1-11.
48. Bugnot, AB, Mayer-Pinto, M, Airoldi, L, Heery, EC, Johnston, EL, Critchley, LP, Strain, EMA, Morris, RL, Loke, LHL, Bishop, MJ, Sheehan, EV, Coleman, RA & Dafforn, KA 2021, ‘Current and projected global extent of marine built structures’, Nature Sustainability, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 33-41.
49. Airoldi, L, Beck, MW, Firth, LB, Bugnot, AB, Steinberg, PD & Dafforn, KA 2021, ‘Emerging solutions to return nature to the urban ocean’, Annual Review of Marine Science, vol. 13, pp. 445-477.
50. Mayer-Pinto, M, Dafforn, KA & Fobert, E 2020, ‘Knowledge exchange to improve research and management of the impacts of artificial light at night’, Austral Ecology, vol. 45, no. 8, pp. 1059-1061.
51. Steinberg, RK, Dafforn, KA, Ainsworth, T & Johnston, EL 2020, ‘Know thy anemone: a review of threats to octocorals and anemones and opportunities for their restoration’, Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 7, 590, pp. 1-18.
52. Borja, A, Andersen, JH, Arvanitidis, CD, Basset, A, Buhl-Mortensen, L, Carvalho, S, Dafforn, KA, Devlin, MJ, Escobar-Briones, EG, Grenz, C, Harder, T, Katsanevakis, S, Liu, D, Metaxas, A, Morán, XAG, Newton, A, Piroddi, C, Pochon, X, Queirós, AM, Snelgrove, PVR, Solidoro, C, St. John, MA & Teixeira, H 2020, ‘Past and future grand challenges in marine ecosystem ecology’, Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 7, 362, pp. 1-9.
53. Ruprecht, JE, Glamore, WC, Dafforn, KA, Wemheuer, F, Crane, SL, van Dorst, J, Johnston, EL, Mitrovic, SM, Turner, IL, Ferrari, BC & Birrer, SC 2020, ‘A novel real-world ecotoxicological dataset of pelagic microbial community responses to wastewater’, Scientific Data, vol. 7, 158, pp. 1-12.
54. Schaefer, N, Mayer-Pinto, M, Griffin, KJ, Johnston, EL, Glamore, W & Dafforn, KA 2020, ‘Predicting the impact of sea-level rise on intertidal rocky shores with remote sensing’, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 261, 110203, pp. 1-9.
55. Zavoleas, Y, Hank Haeusler, M, Dunn, K, Bishop, M, Dafforn, K, Schaefer, N, Sedano, F & Daniel Yu, K 2020, ‘Designing bio-shelters: improving water quality and biodiversity in the bays precinct through dynamic data-driven approaches’, Journal of Digital Landscape Architecture, vol. 2020, no. 5, pp. 521-532.
56. Lee, AL, Capa, M, Dafforn, KA, Hutchings, PA & Murray, A 2020, ‘New records of non-indigenous Branchiomma and Parasabella species (Sabellidae: Annelida) in South Australia highlight the continuing challenges for sabellid taxonomy’, Journal of Natural History, vol. 54, no. 39-40, pp. 2647-2673.
57. Filippini, G, Bugnot, AB, Johnston, EL, Ruszczyk, J, Potts, J, Scanes, P, Ferguson, A, Ostrowski, M, Varkey, D & Dafforn, KA 2019, ‘Sediment bacterial communities associated with environmental factors in Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons (ICOLLs)’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 693, 133462, pp. 1-12.
58. Ushiama, S, Mayer-Pinto, M, Bugnot, AB, Johnston, EL & Dafforn, KA 2019, ‘Eco-engineering increases habitat availability and utilisation of seawalls by fish’, Ecological Engineering, vol. 138, pp. 403-411.
59. Gaw, S, Harford, A, Pettigrove, V, Sevicke-Jones, G, Manning, T, Ataria, J, Cresswell, T, Dafforn, KA, Leusch, FDL, Moggridge, B, Cameron, M, Chapman, J, Coates, G, Colville, A, Death, C, Hageman, K, Hassell, K, Hoak, M, Gadd, J, Jolley, DF, Karami, A, Kotzakoulakis, K, Lim, R, McRae, N, Metzeling, L, Mooney, T, Myers, J, Pearson, A, Saaristo, M, Sharley, D, Stuthe, J, Sutherland, O, Thomas, O, Tremblay, L, Wood, W, Boxall, ABA, Rudd, MA & Brooks, BW 2019, ‘Towards sustainable environmental quality: priority research questions for the Australasian region of Oceania’, Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management, vol. 15, no. 6, pp. 917-935.
60. Mayer-Pinto, M, Dafforn, KA & Johnston, EL 2019, ‘A decision framework for coastal infrastructure to optimize biotic resistance and resilience in a changing climate’, BioScience, vol. 69, no. 10, pp. 833-843.
61. O’Brien, AL, Dafforn, KA, Chariton, AA, Johnston, EL & Mayer-Pinto, M 2019, ‘After decades of stressor research in urban estuarine ecosystems the focus is still on single stressors: a systematic literature review and meta-analysis’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 684, pp. 753-764.
62. Van den Brink, PJ, Bracewell, SA, Bush, A, Chariton, A, Choung, CB, Compson, ZG, Dafforn, KA, Korbel, K, Lapen, DR, Mayer-Pinto, M, Monk, WA, O’Brien, AL, Rideout, NK, Schäfer, RB, Sumon, KA, Verdonschot, RCM & Baird, DJ 2019, ‘Towards a general framework for the assessment of interactive effects of multiple stressors on aquatic ecosystems: results from the Making Aquatic Ecosystems Great Again (MAEGA) workshop’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 684, pp. 722-726.
63. Gonzalez, SV, Johnston, E, Gribben, PE & Dafforn, K 2019, ‘The application of bioturbators for aquatic bioremediation: review and meta-analysis’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 250, pp. 426-436.
64. Lachnit, T, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL & Steinberg, P 2019, ‘Contrasting distributions of bacteriophages and eukaryotic viruses from contaminated coastal sediments’, Environmental Microbiology, vol. 21, no. 6, pp. 1929-1941.
65. Macolino, AC, Dafforn, KA, Hedge, LH, Poore, AGB & Johnston, EL 2019, ‘Fine-scale effects of boat moorings on soft sediment communities masked in large-scale comparisons’, Frontiers in Marine Science, vol. 6, 101, pp. 1-10.
66. Bugnot, AB, Hose, GC, Walsh, CJ, Floerl, O, French, K, Dafforn, KA, Hanford, J, Lowe, EC & Hahs, AK 2019, ‘Urban impacts across realms: making the case for inter-realm monitoring and management’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 648, pp. 711-719.
67. Birrer, SC, Dafforn, KA, Sun, MY, Williams, RBH, Potts, J, Scanes, P, Kelaher, BP, Simpson, SL, Kjelleberg, S, Swarup, S, Steinberg, P & Johnston, EL 2019, ‘Using meta-omics of contaminated sediments to monitor changes in pathways relevant to climate regulation’, Environmental Microbiology, vol. 21, no. 1, pp. 389-401.
68. Schaefer, N, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL & Mayer-Pinto, M 2019, ‘Size, depth and position affect the diversity and structure of rock pool communities in an urban estuary’, Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 70, no. 7, pp. 1034-1044.
69. Heery, EC, Dafforn, KA, Smith, JA, Ushiama, S & Mayer-Pinto, M 2018, ‘Not all artificial structures are created equal: pilings linked to greater ecological and environmental change in sediment communities than seawalls’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 142, pp. 286-294.
70. Birrer, SC, Dafforn, KA, Simpson, SL, Kelaher, BP, Potts, J, Scanes, P & Johnston, EL 2018, ‘Interactive effects of multiple stressors revealed by sequencing total (DNA) and active (RNA) components of experimental sediment microbial communities’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 637-638, pp. 1383-1394.
71. Morris, RL, Golding, S, Dafforn, KA & Coleman, RA 2018, ‘Can coir increase native biodiversity and reduce colonisation of non-indigenous species in eco-engineered rock pools?’, Ecological Engineering, vol. 120, pp. 622-630.
72. Waltham, NJ & Dafforn, KA 2018, ‘Ecological engineering in the coastal seascape’, Ecological Engineering, vol. 120, pp. 554-559.
73. Bugnot, AB, Mayer-Pinto, M, Johnston, EL, Schaefer, N & Dafforn, KA 2018, ‘Learning from nature to enhance Blue engineering of marine infrastructure’, Ecological Engineering, vol. 120, pp. 611-621.
74. Mayer-Pinto, M, Dafforn, KA, Bugnot, AB, Glasby, TM & Johnston, EL 2018, ‘Artificial structures alter kelp functioning across an urbanised estuary’, Marine Environmental Research, vol. 139, pp. 136-143.
75. Lee, AL, Dafforn, KA, Hutchings, PA & Johnston, EL 2018, ‘Reproductive strategy and gamete development of an invasive fanworm, Sabella spallanzanii (Polychaeta: Sabellidae), a field study in Gulf St Vincent, South Australia’, PLoS ONE, vol. 13, no. 7, e0200027, pp. 1-13.
76. Tian, C, Doblin, MA, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL, Pei, H & Hu, W 2018, ‘Dinoflagellate cyst abundance is positively correlated to sediment organic carbon in Sydney Harbour and Botany Bay, NSW, Australia’, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, vol. 25, no. 6, pp. 5808-5821.
77. Marzinelli, EM, Qiu, Z, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL, Steinberg, PD & Mayer-Pinto, M 2018, ‘Coastal urbanisation affects microbial communities on a dominant marine holobiont’, npj Biofilms and Microbiomes, vol. 4, no. 1, 1, pp. 1-7.
78. Mayer-Pinto, M, Cole, VJ, Johnston, EL, Bugnot, A, Hurst, H, Airoldi, L, Glasby, TM & Dafforn, K 2018, ‘Functional and structural responses to marine urbanisation’, Environmental Research Letters, vol. 13, no. 1, 014009, pp. 1-17.
79. Strain, EMA, Olabarria, C, Mayer-Pinto, M, Cumbo, V, Morris, RL, Bugnot, AB, Dafforn, KA, Heery, E, Firth, LB, Brooks, PR & Bishop, MJ 2018, ‘Eco-engineering urban infrastructure for marine and coastal biodiversity: which interventions have the greatest ecological benefit?’, Journal of Applied Ecology, vol. 55, no. 1, pp. 426-441.
80. Sutherland, MD, Dafforn, KA, Scanes, P, Potts, J, Simpson, SL, Sim, VXY & Johnston, EL 2017, ‘Links between contaminant hotspots in low flow estuarine systems and altered sediment biogeochemical processes’, Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, vol. 198, no. Part B, pp. 497-507.
81. Lavender, JT, Dafforn, KA, Bishop, MJ & Johnston, EL 2017, ‘An empirical examination of consumer effects across twenty degrees of latitude’, Ecology, vol. 98, no. 9, pp. 2391-2400.
82. Lawes, JC, Dafforn, KA, Clark, GF, Brown, MV & Johnston, EL 2017, ‘Multiple stressors in sediments impact adjacent hard substrate habitats and across biological domains’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 592, pp. 295-305.
83. Bishop, MJ, Mayer-Pinto, M, Airoldi, L, Firth, LB, Morris, RL, Loke, LHL, Hawkins, SJ, Naylor, LA, Coleman, RA, Chee, SY & Dafforn, KA 2017, ‘Effects of ocean sprawl on ecological connectivity: impacts and solutions’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 492, pp. 7-30.
84. Heery, EC, Bishop, MJ, Critchley, LP, Bugnot, AB, Airoldi, L, Mayer-Pinto, M, Sheehan, EV, Coleman, RA, Loke, LHL, Johnston, EL, Komyakova, V, Morris, RL, Strain, EMA, Naylor, LA & Dafforn, KA 2017, ‘Identifying the consequences of ocean sprawl for sedimentary habitats’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 492, pp. 31-48.
85. Lavender, JT, Dafforn, KA, Bishop, MJ & Johnston, EL 2017, ‘Small-scale habitat complexity of artificial turf influences the development of associated invertebrate assemblages’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 492, pp. 105-112.
86. Hedge, LH, Dafforn, KA, Simpson, SL & Johnston, EL 2017, ‘Uncovering hidden heterogeneity: geo-statistical models illuminate the fine scale effects of boating infrastructure on sediment characteristics and contaminants’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 119, no. 2, pp. 143-150.
88. Dafforn, KA 2017, ‘Eco-engineering and management strategies for marine infrastructure to reduce establishment and dispersal of non-indigenous species’, Management of Biological Invasions, vol. 8, no. 2, pp. 153-161.
89. Mayer-Pinto, M, Johnston, EL, Bugnot, AB, Glasby, TM, Airoldi, L, Mitchell, A & Dafforn, KA 2017, ‘Building ‘blue’: an eco-engineering framework for foreshore developments’, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 189, pp. 109-114.
90. Dafforn, K 2017, ‘Pollutants plumb the depths’, Nature Ecology and Evolution, vol. 1, no. 3, 0075, pp. 1-2.
91. Bolton, D, Mayer-Pinto, M, Clark, GF, Dafforn, KA, Brassil, WA, Becker, A & Johnston, EL 2017, ‘Coastal urban lighting has ecological consequences for multiple trophic levels under the sea’, Science of the Total Environment, vol. 576, pp. 1-9.
92. Johnston, EL, Dafforn, KA, Clark, GF, Rius, M & Floerl, O 2017, ‘How anthropogenic activities affect the establishment and spread of non-indigenous species post-arrival’, Oceanography and Marine Biology: an annual review, vol. 55, pp. 389-419.
93. Edge, KJ, Johnston, EL, Dafforn, KA, Simpson, SL, Kutti, T & Bannister, RJ 2016, ‘Sub-lethal effects of water-based drilling muds on the deep-water sponge Geodia barretti’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 212, pp. 525-534.
94. Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL, Ferguson, A, Humphrey, CL, Monk, W, Nichols, SJ, Simpson, SL, Tulbure, MG & Baird, DJ 2016, ‘Big data opportunities and challenges for assessing multiple stressors across scales in aquatic ecosystems’, Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 393-413.
95. Baird, DJ, Van Den Brink, PJ, Chariton, AA, Dafforn, KA & Johnston, EL 2016, ‘New diagnostics for multiply stressed marine and freshwater ecosystems: Integrating models, ecoinformatics and big data’, Marine and Freshwater Research, vol. 67, no. 4, pp. 391-392.
96. Tan, EL-Y, Mayer-Pinto, M, Johnston, EL & Dafforn, KA 2015, ‘Differences in intertidal microbial assemblages on urban structures and natural rocky reef’, Frontiers in Microbiology, vol. 6, 1276, pp. 1-13.
97. Dafforn, KA, Mayer-Pinto, M, Morris, RL & Waltham, NJ 2015, ‘Application of management tools to integrate ecological principles with the design of marine infrastructure’, Journal of Environmental Management, vol. 158, pp. 61-73.
98. Sim, VXY, Dafforn, KA, Simpson, SL, Kelaher, BP & Johnston, EL 2015, ‘Sediment contaminants and infauna associated with recreational boating structures in a multi-use marine park’, PLoS ONE, vol. 10, no. 6, e0130537, pp. 1-15.
99. Edge, KJ, Dafforn, KA, Simpson, SL, Ringwood, AH & Johnston, EL 2015, ‘Resuspended contaminated sediments cause sublethal stress to oysters: a biomarker differentiates total suspended solids and contaminant effects’, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, vol. 34, no. 6, pp. 1345-1353.
100. Dafforn, KA, Glasby, TM, Airoldi, L, Rivero, NK, Mayer-Pinto, M & Johnston, EL 2015, ‘Marine urbanization: an ecological framework for designing multifunctional artificial structures’, Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, vol. 13, no. 2, pp. 82-90.
101. Clark, GF, Kelaher, BP, Dafforn, KA, Coleman, MA, Knott, NA, Marzinelli, EM & Johnston, EL 2015, ‘What does impacted look like? High diversity and abundance of epibiota in modified estuaries’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 196, pp. 12-20.
102. Lavender, JT, Dafforn, K & Johnston, EL 2014, ‘Meso-predators: a confounding variable in consumer exclusion studies’, Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, vol. 456, pp. 26-33.
103. Edge, KJ, Dafforn, K, Simpson, SL, Roach, AC & Johnston, EL 2014, ‘A biomarker of contaminant exposure is effective in large scale assessment of ten estuaries’, Chemosphere, vol. 100, pp. 16-26.
104. Dafforn, KA, Baird, DJ, Chariton, AA, Sun, MY, Brown, MV, Simpson, SL, Kelaher, BP & Johnston, EL 2014, ‘Faster, Higher and Stronger? The Pros and Cons of Molecular Faunal Data for Assessing Ecosystem Condition’, Advances in Ecological Research, vol. 51, pp. 1-40.
105. Dafforn, KA, Kelaher, BP, Simpson, SL, Coleman, MA, Hutchings, PA, Clark, GF, Knott, NA, Doblin, MA & Johnston, EL 2013, ‘Polychaete richness and abundance enhanced in anthropogenically modified estuaries despite high concentrations of toxic contaminants’, PLoS ONE, vol. 8, no. 9, e77018, pp. 1-10.
106. Rivero, NK, Dafforn, KA, Coleman, MA & Johnston, EL 2013, ‘Environmental and ecological changes associated with a marina’, Biofouling, vol. 29, no. 7, pp. 803-815.
107. Sun, MY, Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL & Brown, MV 2013, ‘Core sediment bacteria drive community response to anthropogenic contamination over multiple environmental gradients’, Environmental Microbiology, vol. 15, no. 9, pp. 2517-2531.
108. Gall, ML, Holmes, SP, Dafforn, K & Johnston, EL 2013, ‘Differential tolerance to copper, but no evidence of population-level genetic differences in a widely-dispersing native barnacle’, Ecotoxicology, vol. 22, no. 5, pp. 929-937.
109. Dafforn, KA, Glasby, TM & Johnston, EL 2012, ‘Comparing the invasibility of experimental “reefs” with field observations of natural reefs and artificial structures’, PLoS ONE, vol. 7, no. 5, e38124, pp. 1-16.
110. Sun, MY, Dafforn, KA, Brown, MV & Johnston, EL 2012, ‘Bacterial communities are sensitive indicators of contaminant stress’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 64, no. 5, pp. 1029-1038.
111. Dafforn, KA, Simpson, SL, Kelaher, BC, Clark, GF, Komyakova, V, Wong, CKC & Johnston, EL 2012, ‘The challenge of choosing environmental indicators of anthropogenic impacts in estuaries’, Environmental Pollution, vol. 163, pp. 207-217.
112. McKinley, AC, Dafforn, KA, Taylor, MD & Johnston, EL 2011, ‘High levels of sediment contamination have little influence on estuarine beach fish communities’, PLoS ONE, vol. 6, no. 10, e26353, pp. 1-15.
113. Dafforn, KA, Lewis, J & Johnston, EL 2011, ‘Antifouling strategies: history and regulation, ecological impacts and mitigation’, Marine Pollution Bulletin, vol. 62, no. 3, pp. 453-465.
114. Dafforn, KA, Glasby, TM & Johnston, EL 2009, ‘Links between estuarine condition and spatial distributions of marine invaders’, Diversity and Distributions, vol. 15, no. 5, pp. 807-821.
115. Piola, R, Dafforn, K & Johnston, EL 2009, ‘The influence of antifouling practices on marine invasions’, Biofouling, vol. 25, no. 7, pp. 633-644.
116. Dafforn, KA, Johnston, EL & Glasby, TM 2009, ‘Shallow moving structures promote marine invader dominance’, Biofouling, vol. 25, no. 3, pp. 277-287.
117. Dafforn, KA, Glasby, TM & Johnston, EL 2008, ‘Differential effects of tributyltin and copper antifoulants on recruitment of non-indigenous species’, Biofouling, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 23-33.

Supervision

I am currently lead supervisor for five PhD and 1 Masters students, and co-supervisor for 5 PhD students, and an additional 32 students have successfully completed degrees (12 PhD; 11 MRes; 9 Honours) under my supervision.

Leadership

Discipline-Specific Leadership Roles

2018 – ongoing Co-Lead, Living Seawalls, Sydney Institute of Marine Science
2017 – 2022 Deputy Director, Sydney Harbour Research Program, Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences
2020 – 2021 Vice President, Australian Marine Science Association National Council
2018 – 2020 AMSA NSW Branch President, Australian Marine Science Association
2018 – 2020 Deputy Director, MQ Marine, Macquarie University
2017-2019 Aquatic Cluster Representative, Science & Technology Australia
2017 Global Water Institute Leadership Team, University of New South Wales

Advisory Roles

2022-2023 Expert Panel, Sydney Water Sewage Treatment Impact Monitoring Program Review
2020 Expert Panel, Tuggerah Lakes Water Quality Review
2019 Advisory Panel, Victorian Coastal Monitoring Program
2019-2020 End User Working Group member, Australian Microbiome Project
2018-2021 Conservation Evidence Panel: Enhancing Biodiversity on Marine Artificial Structures
2017-2021 Member of the Marine Pest Sectoral Committee Task Group
2017 Sydney Harbour Estuary Processes Study Advisory Panel
2015 Expert panel, OEH Threat and Risk Assessment
2015 Expert panel, CSIRO Biofouling Risk Assessment

Invited Presentations and Panels

2024 World Harbour Project and Living Seawalls, Invited talk at NSW Coastal, Ocean and Ports Engineering Panel – Engineering with Nature, Sydney, Australia.
2024 Living Seawalls, Invited talk at the International Coastal Resilience Workshop, Canberra, Australia.
2024 Panellist, Bioplatforms Australia Strategy Day, Sydney, Australia.
2024 Eco-friendly shorelines for coastal lakes and lagoons, Invited talk at the Sydney Coastal Councils Sand Management Working Group Meeting, Sydney, Australia.
2023 Panellist, Ocean Business Leaders Summit, Sydney, Australia.
2022 Invasive species initiatives. Invited talk at the Ports Australia Environment, Planning and Sustainability Working Group, Sydney, Australia.
2022 Interspecies design. Invited panel session at Future Design Research Symposium – Experiments, Disruptions, Affordances, Melbourne, Australia.
2022 Coastal cities: Monitoring end-of-pipe stormwater impacts with environmental genomics. Invited panel session at the Franc.Sydney conference, Sydney, Australia.
2022 Ecological responses to eco-engineering from micro- to macro-scales and consequences for ecosystem function. Invited lecture at the Third International Workshop on Eco-shoreline Designs for Sustainable Coastal Development, Hong Kong.
2018 Living Seawalls. Invited talk at Untaming the Urban, Canberra, Australia.
2017 Advances in eco-engineering to manage NIS on marine infrastructure. Invited talk at ANZPAC Workshop on Biofouling Management, Melbourne, Australia.
2017 Ecological monitoring and engineering of urban marine environments. Invited talk at the First Australian Singapore Joint Strategic Dialogue on Innovation and Science, Singapore.
2016 Sediment, soil and sea: microbes as proxies for ecosystem health. Invited talk at Theo Murphy Australian Frontiers of Science “The Microbiome: Exploring the role of microorganisms in ecosystem processes and health”, Adelaide, Australia.
2016 Novel diagnostic tools to distinguish multiple stressors. Invited talk at Edith Cowan University Research Week, Perth, Australia.
2016 Impacts of coastal developments on marine environments and mitigation through solutions-based strategies. Invited talk at Ecological Consultants Association of NSW Conference, Berry, Australia.
2016 Identifying the consequences of ocean sprawl: impacts, diagnostic tools and solutions, Invited talk at PE Artificial Reefs Workshop, Flekkefjord, Norway.
2016 Testing the waters: impacts of contaminants on ecosystem structure and function in urban waterways. Invited talk and Convenor at National Estuary Network Conference, Sydney, Australia.
2015 Links between urban, coastal and offshore infrastructure and marine invaders. Invited talk at ANZPAC Workshop on Biofouling Management, Melbourne, Australia.
2014 Historical legacies and contemporary stressors in the marine environment. Invited talk at University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia; Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

Conference Organisation

2021 Deputy Chair for the Australian Marine Science Association Conference, Sydney
2017 Organising Committee for the Australian Marine Science Association Conference, Darwin
2016 Co-convenor of the 30th National Estuaries Network Meeting and Conference Day, Sydney
2016 Local Steering Committee for the International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions, Sydney

Symposium Convenor

2018 Omics advances in estuarine research and applications, Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference, Perth, Australia.
2018 Microbial community ecotoxicology in environmental risk assessment and ecosystem monitoring, Society for Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry Conference, Rome, Italy.
2017 Exploring the nexus of marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems in urban landscapes, Ecological Society of Australia, Tasmania, Australia.
2017 Marine genomics, Australian Marine Science Association Conference, Darwin, Australia.
2016 Marine eco-engineering and restoration, Ecosummit, Montpellier, France.
2016 Land based impacts on coastal aquatic systems, Society for Conservation Biology, Brisbane, Australia.
2016 Anthropogenic factors promoting the establishment and spread of non-indigenous species post-arrival, International Conference on Marine Bioinvasions, Sydney, Australia.
2015 Urban sprawl in the marine environment, Estuarine and Coastal Sciences Association Conference, London, UK.
2015 Estuarine Ecosystems, Australian Marine Science Association Conference, Geelong, Australia.
2014 Urban sprawl in the marine environment, Australian Marine Sciences Association Conference, Canberra, Australia.
2014 Ports and Estuaries, Society for Ecotoxicology and Chemistry Asia Pacific/Australasia Conference, Adelaide, Australia.

Workshop Convenor

2020 Exploring the impacts and management opportunities for artificial light at night (ALAN), Sydney, Australia.
2019 Empowering female leadership in marine science, Sydney, Australia.
2018 Exploring the nexus of marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems in urban landscapes, Sydney, Australia.
2015 Marine Eco-engineering and Restoration, Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences, Sydney, Australia.
2014 New diagnostics for multiply-stressed marine and freshwater ecosystems: integrating models, ecoinformatics and Big Data, Sydney, Australia.

Editorial Roles

2018 – ongoing Academic Editor, PLOS One.
2018 – ongoing Associate Editor, Frontiers in Marine Science.
2017 – ongoing Deputy Editor-In-Chief, Management of Biological Invasions.
2013-2017 Associate Editor, Management of Biological Invasions.

Teaching

I currently convene and teach in two postgraduate and two undergraduate units at Macquarie University:
EESC1160 – Blue Planet (Convenor)
ENVS1018 – Environmental Management for a Changing World
ENVS8229 – Sustainable Cities (Convenor)
ENVS8418 – Environmental Planning

Outreach

Media

Nas Daily, 27 September 2023. They built a wall for fish. 1.3 million views as at 01/01/24.
This Arvo in Sydney, 11 May 2023. Project Restore.
The Guardian, 21 August 2022. Living Seawalls and kelp forests.
Sydney Morning Herald, 13th February 2021. Harbour sludge to be dug up for new tunnel contains alarming levels of toxins.
National Geographic, 10th January 2020. Australia’s raging fires will create big problems for fresh drinking water.
Sydney Morning Herald, 11th January 2020. How the unspoken rule of Sydney Harbour drove Victoria to high honours.
ABC Radio AM, 31st January 2020. Oysters, nippers and a bit of human responsibility to boost water quality.
SBS News, 12th February 2020. How can we prevent stormwater washing land-based pollution into oceans?
Daily Telegraph, 11th May 2020. Expert panel chosen to finally fix Tuggerah Lakes.
NSW Government, 1st October 2020. New piece of Barangaroo foreshore opens to the public.
Drive ABC Radio, 4th December 2020. Underwater garden at Barangaroo.
ABC TV, 4th December 2020. Underwater garden at Barangaroo
ABC News, 5th December 2020. Sydney Harbour underwater garden to mimic habitats destroyed by pollution.
ABC Radio AM, 5th January 2019. Restoring oyster reefs in Sydney Harbour.
The New Daily, 20th September 2019. Toxic fish, ‘dead’ sand, plastic and mattresses: Sydney Harbour in all its gory.
TOMRA Presents, 2nd September 2019. Sydney Harbour Above and Below.
2GB Radio, 20th September 2019. Clean Up Australia Day
News.com.au, 27th September 2019. Shocking truth about Australia’s greatest tourist drawcard.
ABC Radio National Future Tense, 6th October 2019. Offshore architecture and marine urban sprawl.
ABC Radio National, 11th October 2019. The ‘blue economy’ is changing how we see the ocean. But with opportunity comes risk.
UNSW Newsroom, 26th March 2018. Future ‘ocean cities’ need green engineering above and below the waterline.
Smithsonian Magazine, 28th September 2018. Can artificial islands solve overcrowding?
Sydney Morning Herald, 29th December 2018. Come on in: the harbour’s cleanest swimming spots, and the ones to avoid.
ABC Radio News, 14th February 2017. Even Earth’s most remote places affected by man-made pollution.
ABC Science, 14th February 2017. Earth’s deepest ocean trenches contain high levels of pollution.
The Sacramento Bee, 16th November 2017. Humans have dumped tons of plastic into the oceans. Now it’s reached the deepest depths, study finds.
Sydney Morning Herald, 8th August 2014. It’s war down there: Sydney Harbour a marine battleground between invasive and local species.

Public Seminars

2023 PIANC Envicom Webinar – Invasive Alien Species: Implications for waterbourne transport infrastructure in a changing climate, 7th February 2023.
2020 MQ Gender Equity Week 2020: MQ Women Shaping the Future Symposium, 12th March 2020. Concrete coastlines and living seawalls
2020 National Science Week 2020: Sydney Science Trails, 2nd August 2020. Virtual Tour: Living Seawalls
2020 National Science Week 2020: Chatswood High School, 21st August 2020. Deep Blue: innovations for the future of our oceans
2020 Sydney Coastal Councils Group, 16th September 2020. Greater Sydney Harbour Coastal Management Program
2019 Taronga Zoo, 6th July 2019. Science and Conservation Career Day
2019 Beached Az, 31st October 2019. Seismic Testing
2017 Sydney Cove Rotary Club, Marine life of Sydney Harbour
2015 Willoughby Environmental Protection Association, Marine life of Sydney Harbour
2015 Australian Maritime Museum IWD Forum, Women in Science Symposium
2015 Kincoppal Rose Bay Student Forum, Courage and Confidence in Leadership
2015 Sydney Institute of Marine Sciences, Marine eco-engineering and restoration
2013 NSW AMSA Careers Forum, Careers in marine biology
2013 Sydney Coastal Councils Group. Diverse Depths: See Beneath the Shallows
2013 Northside Forum. Plenty of Fish in the Sea? The Oceans Under Threat
2012 Port Kembla Harbour Environmental Group, Assessment of the ecological condition of Port Kembla Inner Harbour and Allans Creek
2008 Middle Harbour Yacht Club, Transport and establishment of marine invaders in estuaries

Dr Katherine Dafforn