Subterranean Ecology Staff
Subterranean Ecology comprises a highly competent and committed team
of scientists and technical experts. Besides our core team of
employees, we have well developed working relationships with numerous
other scientists and taxonomists based in museums, universities and
research institutions across Australia and overseas, including for
example:
Western Australian Museum, University of Western Australia, South
Australian Museum, University of Adelaide, Australian Museum,
University of Sydney, CSIRO Division of Entomology Canberra, British
Museum of Natural History, Paris Museum of Natural History, Valencia
Museum of Natural History, Turin Civic Museum of National History,
Florence Institute for the Study of Ecosystems.
Some of our team members are profiled below.
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Dr Stefan
Eberhard,
BSc., MSc., PhD is one of Australia’s leading scientists in his field,
with more than 22 years experience in the research of subterranean
fauna, groundwater-dependent ecosystems, and caves. Stefan completed
his BSc and MSc at the University of Tasmania, where he undertook the
first systematic survey of Tasmanian cave fauna. His PhD (via Murdoch
University) applied the emerging discipline of eco-hydrogeology to
studying groundwater decline and threatened groundwater-dependent
ecosystems in the Margaret River region. Stefan is a contributing author to more than 100 publications and reports, including four book chapters, more than 20 papers in peer reviewed scientific journals, more than 60 unpublished reports, plus numerous other published reports, articles, and conference/symposia proceedings. Stefan has explored caves and studied subterranean fauna extensively throughout Australia, and other countries (China, Indonesia, Vanuatu, Mexico, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand). |
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Dr Erich S.
Volschenk, BSc (Hons), PhD, (Senior Scientist) has 13 years
experience as an invertebrate taxonomist, predominantly based at the
Western Australian Museum, before moving into the consulting sector,
however he maintains a strong working relationship with the
Museum where he is a research associate. Erich is a world
authority on scorpions, a group that includes both subterranean and
short range endemic (SRE) species. Erich has managed multiple
subterranean and SRE fauna surveys, and published extensively in
arachnid taxonomy (Harvey & Volschenk 2007a, 2007b; Volschenk &
Prendini 2008). Erich was formerly employed as Senior Zoologist at ecologia Environment where he manages numerous invertebrate survey projects, short-range endemic and subterranean. Previously Erich also undertook Postdoctoral studies at the Western Australian Museums Department of Terrestrial Invertebrates (2007-2008); and the American Museum of Natural History’s Division of Invertebrate Zoology (2003-2006). Erich has extensive experience in the development, deployment and management of invertebrate Surveys. Erich is well regarded in this field; maintaining excellent relationships with regulators. Erich has an intimate understanding of the SRE guidelines and their associated pitfalls, of short-range endemic surveys, and the most appropriate management of these issues should they arise. Erich also maintains an active research programme, undertaking research on scorpions, and is an internationally recognized expert on the Australian scorpion fauna. Erich regularly contributes in both Australian and international peer reviewed scientific journals as author as well as referee. |
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Peter Bell, has more than
20 years experience
in natural resource management, remote area field operations, GIS, IT
systems and software. Prior to joining Subterranean Ecology as our
Field & Technical Manager, Pete was Caves Manager with the Augusta
Margaret River Tourism Association, and prior to that, he was Manager
at Yarrangobilly Caves with the New South Wales National Parks &
Wildlife Service. Pete has extensive knowledge and
experience in providing technical support including IT, software, GIS
and field operations. |
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Shae
Callan, BSc
(Hons)
(Environmental Biology), BSocSci (Geography), has five years experience
in invertebrate field ecology and taxonomy, including four years
working on the Barrow Island Terrestrial Invertebrate Survey for
Chevron Australia. His experiences have included surveys for
short-range endemic species and invasive insects, and he has
co-authored two scientific papers on invertebrate ecology. |
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Giulia Perina, BSc,
MSc (Evolutionary Biology) gained her qualifications at the University
of Padua, Verona, Italy. Her Masters thesis examined reproductive
behavior and life cycle adaptations to subterranean existence in cave
dwelling cholevid beetles. |
