Dr Laura Parker

Dr Laura Parker

Senior Lecturer
Science
School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences

Dr Laura Parker is an Indigenous Scientia Senior Lecturer and ARC DAATSIA Fellow in the Faculty of Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences.

Laura is interested in understanding and overcoming the impacts of climate change and environmental stress on marine organisms. Her research focuses specifically on building resilience in marine molluscs to current (e.g. salinity, food availability) and future (e.g. ocean warming and acidification) stressors and understanding the underlying physiological, molecular and epigenetic mechanisms involved. Through her research, Laura aims to develop new capacities to 'future-proof' natural oyster populations and the Australian oyster industry, and contribute to the restoration of degraded oyster habitats that are of enormous importance to Indigenous Australians. Her research is currently supported by an ARC Discovery Indigenous grant titled “The basis of oyster resilience to global environmental change”. 

Location
Room 4018, Level 4 Biological Sciences South (E26) UNSW, Kensington 2052
  • Book Chapters | 2023
    Ross PM; Scanes E; Byrne M; Ainsworth TD; Donelson JM; Foo SA; Hutchings P; Thiyagarajan V; Parker LM, 2023, 'SURVIVING THE ANTHROPOCENE: THE RESILIENCE OF MARINE ANIMALS TO CLIMATE CHANGE', in Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 61, pp. 35 - 80, http://dx.doi.org/10.1201/9781003363873-3
    Book Chapters | 2018
    Byrne M; Ross PM; Dworjanyn SA; Parker L, 2018, 'Larval ecology in the face of changing climate—impacts of ocean warming and ocean acidification', in Evolutionary Ecology of Marine Invertebrate Larvae, pp. 251 - 272, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780198786962.003.0017
    Book Chapters | 2015
    Parker L, 2015, 'The Southern Ocean and South Pacific Region (FAO 81, 87, 88, 58, 48)', in Bridging the gap between ocean acidification impacts and economic valuation Regional impacts of ocean acidification on fisheries and aquaculture, IUCN
    Book Chapters | 2014
    O'Connor W; Dove M; Thompson E; Parker L; Ross P; Raftos D, 2014, 'Breeding Sydney rock oysters and its effects on resilience.', in Hermesch S; Dominik S (ed.), Breeding Focus 2014 - Improving Resilience
  • Journal articles | 2024
    Gibbs MC; Parker LM; Scanes E; Ross PM, 2024, 'Recognising the importance of shellfish to First Nations peoples, Indigenous and Traditional Ecological Knowledge in aquaculture and coastal management in Australia', Marine and Freshwater Research, 75, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF23193
    Journal articles | 2024
    Leong RC; Bugnot AB; Ross PM; Erickson KR; Gibbs MC; Marzinelli EM; O'Connor WA; Parker LM; Poore AGB; Scanes E; Gribben PE, 2024, 'Recruitment of a threatened foundation oyster species varies with large and small spatial scales', Ecological Applications, 34, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/eap.2968
    Journal articles | 2024
    Parker LM; Scanes E; O'Connor WA; Dove M; Elizur A; Pörtner HO; Ross PM, 2024, 'Resilience against the impacts of climate change in an ecologically and economically significant native oyster', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 198, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115788
    Journal articles | 2024
    Ross PM; Pine C; Scanes E; Byrne M; O’Connor WA; Gibbs M; Parker LM, 2024, 'Meta-analyses reveal climate change impacts on an ecologically and economically significant oyster in Australia', iScience, pp. 110673 - 110673, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.isci.2024.110673
    Journal articles | 2023
    Abramov T; Suwansa-ard S; da Silva PM; Wang T; Dove M; O’Connor W; Parker L; Russell FD; Lovejoy DA; Cummins SF; Elizur A, 2023, 'A novel role for Teneurin C-terminal Associated Peptide (TCAP) in the regulation of cardiac activity in the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata', Frontiers in Endocrinology, 14, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2023.1020368
    Journal articles | 2023
    Gibbs M; Ross P; Scanes E; Gibbs J; Rotolo-Ross R; Parker L, 2023, 'Extending conservation of coastal and oyster reef restoration for First Nations cultural revitalization', Conservation Biology, 37, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/cobi.14158
    Journal articles | 2023
    Scanes E; O’Connor WA; Seymour JR; Siboni N; Parker LM; Ross PM, 2023, 'Emerging diseases in Australian oysters and the challenges of climate change and uncertain futures', Australian Zoologist, http://dx.doi.org/10.7882/az.2023.015
    Journal articles | 2023
    Scanes E; Ross PM; Seymour JR; Siboni N; Dove MC; O'Connor WA; Dittes C; Parker LM, 2023, 'Transgenerational transfer of the microbiome is altered by ocean acidification in oyster larvae', Aquaculture, 565, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2022.739153
    Journal articles | 2023
    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, 74, pp. 1003 - 1025, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF22268
    Journal articles | 2022
    Abramov T; Suwansa-ard S; da Silva PM; Wang T; Dove M; O’Connor W; Parker L; Lovejoy DA; Cummins SF; Elizur A, 2022, 'Teneurin and TCAP Phylogeny and Physiology: Molecular Analysis, Immune Activity, and Transcriptomic Analysis of the Stress Response in the Sydney Rock Oyster (Saccostrea glomerata) Hemocytes', Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.891714
    Journal articles | 2022
    Unzueta-Martínez A; Scanes E; Parker LM; Ross PM; O’Connor W; Bowen JL, 2022, 'Microbiomes of the Sydney Rock Oyster are acquired through both vertical and horizontal transmission', Animal Microbiome, 4, http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s42523-022-00186-9
    Journal articles | 2021
    Cole VJ; Parker LM; Scanes E; Wright J; Barnett L; Ross PM, 2021, 'Climate change alters shellfish reef communities: A temperate mesocosm experiment', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 173, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.113113
    Journal articles | 2021
    Davies SW; Putnam HM; Ainsworth T; Baum JK; Bove CB; Crosby SC; Cote IM; Duplouy A; Fulweiler RW; Griffin AJ; Hanley TC; Hill T; Humanes A; Mangubhai S; Metaxas A; Parker LM; Rivera HE; Silbiger NJ; Smith NS; Spalding AK; Traylor-Knowles N; Weigel BL; Wright RM; Bates AE, 2021, 'Promoting inclusive metrics of success and impact to dismantle a discriminatory reward system in science', PLoS Biology, 19, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001282
    Journal articles | 2021
    Gibbs MC; Parker LM; Scanes E; Byrne M; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Adult exposure to ocean acidification and warming leads to limited beneficial responses for oyster larvae', ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78, pp. 2017 - 2030, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab071
    Journal articles | 2021
    Gibbs MC; Parker LM; Scanes E; Byrne M; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Adult exposure to ocean acidification and warming remains beneficial for oyster larvae following starvation', ICES Journal of Marine Science, 78, pp. 1587 - 1598, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsab066
    Journal articles | 2021
    Gibbs MC; Parker LM; Scanes E; Byrne M; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Energetic lipid responses of larval oysters to ocean acidification', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 168, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112441
    Journal articles | 2021
    Parker LM; Scanes E; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Transgenerational plasticity responses of oysters to ocean acidification differ with habitat.', J Exp Biol, 224, http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.239269
    Journal articles | 2021
    Parker LM; Scanes E; O’Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Transgenerational plasticity responses of oysters to ocean acidification differ with habitat', Journal of Experimental Biology, 224, http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.239269
    Journal articles | 2021
    Scanes E; Parker LM; Seymour JR; Siboni N; Dove MC; O’Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Microbiomes of an oyster are shaped by metabolism and environment', Scientific Reports, 11, http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00590-2
    Journal articles | 2021
    Scanes E; Parker LM; Seymour JR; Siboni N; King WL; Danckert NP; Wegner KM; Dove MC; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Climate change alters the haemolymph microbiome of oysters', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 164, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.111991
    Journal articles | 2021
    Scanes E; Parker LM; Seymour JR; Siboni N; King WL; Wegner KM; Dove MC; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2021, 'Microbiome response differs among selected lines of Sydney rock oysters to ocean warming and acidification', FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 97, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiab099
    Journal articles | 2020
    Gibbs M; Scanes E; Parker L; Byrne M; O'Connor W; Virtue P; Ross P, 2020, 'Larval energetics of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata and Pacific oyster Magallana gigas', Marine Ecology Progress Series, 656, pp. 51 - 64, http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13538
    Journal articles | 2020
    Hurd CL; Beardall J; Comeau S; Cornwall CE; Havenhand JN; Munday PL; Parker LM; Raven JA; McGraw CM, 2020, 'Ocean acidification as a multiple driver: How interactions between changing seawater carbonate parameters affect marine life', Marine and Freshwater Research, 71, pp. 263 - 274, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF19267
    Journal articles | 2020
    Scanes E; Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Dove MC; Ross PM, 2020, 'Heatwaves alter survival of the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 158, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111389
    Journal articles | 2019
    Pereira RRC; Scanes E; Parker LM; Byrne M; Cole VJ; Ross PM, 2019, 'Restoring the flat oyster Ostrea angasi in the face of a changing climate', Marine Ecology Progress Series, 625, pp. 27 - 39, http://dx.doi.org/10.3354/meps13047
    Journal articles | 2018
    Parker LM; O’Connor WA; Byrne M; Dove M; Coleman RA; Pörtner HO; Scanes E; Virtue P; Gibbs M; Ross PM, 2018, 'Ocean acidification but not warming alters sex determination in the Sydney rock oyster, saccostrea glomerata', Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 285, http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2017.2869
    Journal articles | 2018
    Scanes E; Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Gibbs MC; Ross PM, 2018, 'Copper and ocean acidification interact to lower maternal investment, but have little effect on adult physiology of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata', Aquatic Toxicology, 203, pp. 51 - 60, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquatox.2018.07.020
    Journal articles | 2018
    Stapp LS; Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Bock C; Ross PM; Pörtner HO; Lannig G, 2018, 'Sensitivity to ocean acidification differs between populations of the Sydney rock oyster: Role of filtration and ion-regulatory capacities', Marine Environmental Research, 135, pp. 103 - 113, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2017.12.017
    Journal articles | 2018
    Wright JM; O’Connor WA; Parker LM; Ross PM, 2018, 'Predation by the endemic whelk Tenguella marginalba (Blainville, 1832) on the invasive Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793)', Molluscan Research, 38, pp. 130 - 136, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13235818.2017.1420397
    Journal articles | 2018
    Wright JM; Parker LM; O’Connor WA; Scanes E; Ross PM, 2018, 'Ocean acidification affects both the predator and prey to alter interactions between the oyster Crassostrea gigas (Thunberg, 1793) and the whelk Tenguella marginalba (Blainville, 1832)', Marine Biology, 165, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-018-3302-6
    Journal articles | 2017
    Goncalves P; Jones DB; Thompson EL; Parker LM; Ross PM; Raftos DA, 2017, 'Transcriptomic profiling of adaptive responses to ocean acidification', Molecular Ecology, 26, pp. 5974 - 5988, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.14333
    Journal articles | 2017
    Parker LM; O’Connor WA; Byrne M; Coleman RA; Virtue P; Dove M; Gibbs M; Spohr L; Scanes E; Ross PM, 2017, 'Adult exposure to ocean acidification is maladaptive for larvae of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata in the presence of multiple stressors', Biology Letters, 13, http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2016.0798
    Journal articles | 2017
    Parker LM; Scanes E; O'Connor WA; Coleman RA; Byrne M; Pörtner HO; Ross PM, 2017, 'Ocean acidification narrows the acute thermal and salinity tolerance of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata', Marine Pollution Bulletin, 122, pp. 263 - 271, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.06.052
    Journal articles | 2017
    Scanes E; Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Stapp LS; Ross PM, 2017, 'Intertidal oysters reach their physiological limit in a future high-CO2 world', Journal of Experimental Biology, 220, pp. 765 - 774, http://dx.doi.org/10.1242/jeb.151365
    Journal articles | 2016
    Cole VJ; Parker LM; O’Connor SJ; O’Connor WA; Scanes E; Byrne M; Ross PM, 2016, 'Effects of multiple climate change stressors: ocean acidification interacts with warming, hyposalinity, and low food supply on the larvae of the brooding flat oyster Ostrea angasi', Marine Biology, 163, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-016-2880-4
    Journal articles | 2016
    Goncalves P; Anderson K; Thompson EL; Melwani A; Parker LM; Ross PM; Raftos DA, 2016, 'Rapid transcriptional acclimation following transgenerational exposure of oysters to ocean acidification', Molecular ecology, 25, pp. 4836 - 4849, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.13808
    Journal articles | 2016
    Ross PM; Parker L; Byrne M, 2016, 'Transgenerational responses of molluscs and echinoderms to changing ocean conditions', ICES Journal of Marine Science, 73, pp. 537 - 549, http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv254
    Journal articles | 2016
    Scanes E; Johnston EL; Cole VJ; O’Connor WA; Parker LM; Ross PM, 2016, 'Quantifying abundance and distribution of native and invasive oysters in an urbanised estuary', Aquatic Invasions, 11, pp. 425 - 436, http://dx.doi.org/10.3391/ai.2016.11.4.07
    Journal articles | 2016
    Thompson EL; Parker L; Amaral V; Bishop MJ; O'Connor WA; Raftos DA, 2016, 'Wild populations of Sydney rock oysters differ in their proteomic responses to elevated carbon dioxide', Marine and Freshwater Research, 67, pp. 1964 - 1972, http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF15320
    Journal articles | 2015
    Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Raftos DA; Pörtner HO; Ross PM, 2015, 'Persistence of positive carryover effects in the oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, following transgenerational exposure to ocean acidification', PLoS ONE, 10, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0132276
    Journal articles | 2015
    Thompson EL; O'Connor W; Parker L; Ross P; Raftos DA, 2015, 'Differential proteomic responses of selectively bred and wild-type Sydney rock oyster populations exposed to elevated CO2', Molecular Ecology, 24, pp. 1248 - 1262, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/mec.13111
    Journal articles | 2014
    Scanes E; Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Ross PM, 2014, 'Mixed effects of elevated pCO2 on fertilisation, larval and juvenile development and adult responses in the mobile subtidal scallop Mimachlamys asperrima (Lamarck, 1819)', PLoS ONE, 9, http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0093649
    Journal articles | 2014
    Wright JM; Parker LM; O'Connor WA; Williams M; Kube P; Ross PM, 2014, 'Populations of pacific oysters crassostrea gigas respond variably to elevated CO2 and predation by Morula marginalba', Biological Bulletin, 226, pp. 269 - 281, http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/BBLv226n3p269
    Journal articles | 2013
    Gazeau F; Parker LM; Comeau S; Gattuso JP; O'Connor WA; Martin S; Pörtner HO; Ross PM, 2013, 'Impacts of ocean acidification on marine shelled molluscs', Marine Biology, 160, pp. 2207 - 2245, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-013-2219-3
    Journal articles | 2013
    Parker LM; Ross PM; O'Connor WA; Pörtner HO; Scanes E; Wright JM, 2013, 'Predicting the response of molluscs to the impact of ocean acidification', Biology, 2, pp. 651 - 692, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology2020651
    Journal articles | 2012
    Parker LM; Ross PM; O'Connor WA; Borysko L; Raftos DA; Pörtner HO, 2012, 'Adult exposure influences offspring response to ocean acidification in oysters', Global Change Biology, 18, pp. 82 - 92, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2011.02520.x
    Journal articles | 2011
    Parker LM; Ross PM; O'Connor WA, 2011, 'Populations of the Sydney rock oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, vary in response to ocean acidification', Marine Biology, 158, pp. 689 - 697, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1592-4
    Journal articles | 2011
    Parker LM; Ross PM; Raftos D; Thompson ET; O'Connor WA, 2011, 'The proteomic response of larvae of the Sydney rock oyster, saccostrea glomerata to elevated pCO2', Australian Zoologist, 35, pp. 1011 - 1023, http://dx.doi.org/10.7882/AZ.2011.056
    Journal articles | 2011
    Ross PM; Parker L; O'Connor WA; Bailey EA, 2011, 'The impact of ocean acidification on reproduction, early development and settlement of marine organisms', Water (Switzerland), 3, pp. 1005 - 1030, http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/w3041005
    Journal articles | 2010
    Parker LM; Ross PM; O'Connor WA, 2010, 'Comparing the effect of elevated pCO2 and temperature on the fertilization and early development of two species of oysters', Marine Biology, 157, pp. 2435 - 2452, http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00227-010-1508-3
    Journal articles | 2009
    Parker LM; Ross PM; O'Connor WA, 2009, 'The effect of ocean acidification and temperature on the fertilization and embryonic development of the Sydney rock oyster Saccostrea glomerata (Gould 1850)', Global Change Biology, 15, pp. 2123 - 2136, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.01895.x

Selected grants

2019 – present. Parker LM, Ross PM, Elizur A, O’Connor WA and Pörtner H-O. The basis of oyster resilience to global environmental change. Discovery Indigenous Grant round 2019.

2017 – 2020. Byrne M, Ross PM, Parker LM, O’Connor WA. Transgenerational Plasticity & Epigenetics - Ocean Change Adaptation. Environmental Trust 2016 Environmental Research Program.

2014 – 2017. Parker LM, Coleman R, Ross PM and Virtue P. The impact of climate change on larval energetics of molluscs on the southeast coast of Australia. ARC Indigenous Discovery 2014 round.

2012 – 2015. Raftos DA, Haynes PA, Parker LM, O’Connor WA, Ross PM and Pörtner H-O. Adapting to climate change: Does enhanced metabolism provide heritable protection against ocean acidification and increasing temperature in oysters? ARC Discovery Grant 2012 round.

2010 – 2012. Parker LM, PM Ross, WA O’Connor, DA Raftos and H Pörtner. Climate change research: Can Sydney rock oysters adapt to chronic multigenerational exposure to ocean acidification and temperature? Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Indigenous Researchers Fellowship.

2018 Young Tall Poppy Science Award

My Research Supervision

CURRENT

Claire Luger (Honours, Candidate) – 'Transgenerational response of the Sydney Rock Oyster, Saccostrea glomerata, to reduced salinity'. 

 

PAST

Mitchell Gibbs (PhD, 2021) – ‘Understanding the impacts of ocean acidification and warming on the biochemical energetics of molluscs’ (Jointly supervised with Professor Pauline M. Ross, Professor Maria Byrne and Dr Elliot Scanes)

Elliot Scanes (PhD, 2016) – ‘The resilience of bivalves to environmental stress’ (Jointly supervised with Professor Pauline M. Ross, Dr Wayne A. O’Connor and Professor Emma L. Johnston)

John Wright (PhD, 2016) – ‘Impacts of ocean acidification on predator – prey interactions of molluscs’ (Jointly supervised with Professor Pauline M. Ross and Dr Wayne A. O’Connor)

Elliot Scanes (Honours, 2012) – ‘The responses of the doughboy scallop Mimachlamys asperrima to elevated pCO2’ (Jointly supervised with Professor Pauline M. Ross and Dr Wayne A. O’Connor)

John Wright (Honours, 2011) – ‘Predicting the response of ecologically and economically significant oysters to climate change’ (Jointly supervised with Professor Pauline M. Ross and Dr Wayne A. O’Connor)

My Teaching

BIOS2031 Biology of Invertebrates (Guest Lecturer, 2019)