Our history
The USC Detection Dogs for Conservation team was founded in 2015. They saw massive potential in using detection dogs to protect and preserve Australia's unique wildlife, many species of which are now under threat. USC’s DDC is the only university research group which rescues, trains, tests and deploys detection dogs for conservation in Australia.
Co-founder Dr Cristescu is also an executive member of the Australian Conservation Dog Network, which includes representatives from universities, non-profit organisations, governments, zoos, research institutions and businesses.
Our researchers
Dr Romane Cristescu
Dr Romane Cristescu is Director of Detection Dogs for Conservation and a Research Fellow at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She is a conservation ecologist with a wide range of interests - all centred around this single and complex question: “how can we best help wildlife in a world dominated by humans?”
Romane believes robust science is necessary to support good decision making, and she is especially keen to test that legislation is grounded in science and effectively delivering conservation outcomes. Her methodology and legislation work has been specifically focusing on koalas.
Romane is a qualified veterinarian and originally worked on conservation genetics before moving to Australia for her PhD in landscape ecology. She worked in the Mining Industry on Mine Closure / Rehabilitation, where she transformed her research on restoration ecology into practice. Since then, she continued working with the private sector, as well as the Government, not-for profits and Academia – by interacting with a wide range of stakeholders, understanding their constraints and aspirations, Romane hopes that her research can be transformed into informed and effective policy, investments and management actions. Since its creation in 2015, the Detection Dogs for Conservation team has grown to include five detection dogs and many dedicated students and researchers.
Caio Santos Neto
Caio Santos Neto is a PhD student interested in understanding how anthropogenic disturbances and landscape changes impact biodiversity. By integrating threats, management actions and population dynamics he aims to help decision-makers to develop more cost-effective conservation plans.
Currently, he is working with koala populations that inhabit urban and semi-urban areas in South East Queensland.
Skills
Movement data analyses, QGIS, detection dog handling, community engagement, VHF radiotracking, fieldwork, data collection
Dr Riana Gardiner
Riana did her PhD at the University of Tasmania, and once she was done was quick to join the Detection Dogs for Conservation team. Riana is interested in how animals interact with their habitat, and how we can use this information to better inform management.
Her current research investigates how hormones from non-invasively collected koala scats can help inform koala conservation management. She loves being in the field with her favourite – Bear. Riana is one of his handlers and together they have spent many hours in the field, especially after the Black Summer Fires in 2019/2020.
Skills
Landscape Ecology, ArcGIS, hormones from scats, statistical analyses, detection dog handling, project management, fieldwork, data collection
Miranda Braakhuis
Miranda is a current Honours student looking at the efficacy of bioacoustics to obtain koala density estimates. She is interested in optimising threatened species survey methods using non-invasive and novel technologies. When she’s not patting her favourite dog Austin, you’ll find her hiking, biking or swimming.
Skills
Bioacoustics, Radio tracking, ecological assessments, Fieldwork, data collection
Dr Katrin Hohwieler
Katrin did her PhD with the Detection Dogs for Conservation team and graduated in 2021. In her PhD she investigated how anthropogenic impacts such as fragmentation can show in genetic patterns of threatened koala populations. She now conducts research building further on her PhD studies and expanding into other areas of interest around threatened species conservation.
In her spare time Katrin enjoys birdwatching, wildlife photography and travelling. Katrin works and lives with Billie Jean, who is her absolute favourite of all dogs.
Skills
Conservation genetics, population genetic analyses, genetics from non-invasive scats, QGIS, INLA analyses, community engagement, science communication, detection dog handling, project management, fieldwork, data collection
Jessica Johnson
Jess recently completed a Bachelor of Science (Honours) with the Detection Dogs for Conservation team. Her research focused on determining the effectiveness of biodiversity offsets under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act (EPBC Act) for koala conservation. Jess has now joined the team as a Field technician and Project management assistant, ensuring everyone and everything is on track.
Skills
Biodiversity offset analysis, project management, communication, radio tracking, detection dog handling, fieldwork, data collection
Asitha Samarawickrama
Asitha is a Master of Science student from Sri Lanka investigating the impacts of cultural burns on koala density and stress levels on Minjerribah, North Stradbroke Island. In his spare time you can find him playing cricket, tennis or in the bush searching for wildlife. Asitha's favourite dog is Baxter.
Skills
VHF radio tracking, ecological assessments, fieldwork, data collection, koala ground capture and trapping, fauna identification, data analysis from drone imaging, science communication.
Russell Miller
Russell is a dog handler and has been a trainer of detection dogs since 2011 specialising in koala and quoll. He has completed many ecological surveys across Australia and New Caledonia, and trained and deployed dogs to detect species such as koala, quoll, numbat, Tasmanian masked owl and New Caledonia crow.
Russell has been responsible for the delivery of numerous consultancies, training of detection dog and their handlers, the fitness and wellbeing of the detection dogs and supports the team in the field and other operating tasks.
Skills
Detection dog training, detection dog handling, fieldwork, data collection
Cedar Staggard
Cedar is a current honours student, investigating the efficiency of non-invasive genetic capture-mark-recapture of koalas. During her Animal Ecology degree she undertook a research project with the team exploring the efficacy of qPCR screening for Chlamydial pathogens on genetic material non-invasively sourced from koala scats.
She is passionate about all wildlife and conservation of species and habitat, when she’s not out in the field or in the lab you’ll find her on the netball court or out searching for creatures.
Skills
VHF radio-tracking, DNA extraction, genetic analysis, field work, data collection, wildlife rescue.
Dr Deidre de Villiers
Deidre is a passionate ecologist and koala conservationist and has been working with koalas for over 24 years. During this time she completed a PhD investigating urban koala populations, including their distribution and abundance, habitat utilisation, conservation requirements and threat mitigation.
In her spare time, she cares for juvenile koalas orphaned as a result of disease and anthropogenic threats that lead to the death of the mother. Her work aims to better manage and recover these urban koala populations.
Skills
Project management, Radio telemetry, koala catching and handling, data management, population surveys and monitoring methods, conservation planning and policy.
Dr Alexis Levengood
Alexis is a behavioural ecologist and geneticist. She supports the team with her extensive knowledge in data analysis and in the laboratory. She also works in the field regularly radio tracking koalas.
Skills
Genetic analyses, VHF radio tracking, fieldwork, data collection
Kye McDonald
Kye is a current doctoral researcher studying new innovative technologies that can support and advance wildlife conservation.
Skills
Drone operating, conservation technology, koala catching, detection dog handling
Publications and reports
Romane H Cristescu, Riana Gardiner, Julien Terraube, Kye McDonald, Dan Powell, Alexis L Levengood, Céline H Frère
Difficulties of assessing the impacts of the 2019-2020 bushfires on koalas
Austral Ecology
Anthony J Schultz, Romane H Cristescu, Jon Hanger, Jo Loader, Deidre de Villiers, Celine H Frère
Inbreeding and disease avoidance in a free-ranging koala population
Molecular Ecology 29 (13), 2416-2430
Romane H Cristescu, Celine H Frere, Desley Whisson
Drones, detection dogs, poo spotting: what’s the best way to conduct Australia’s Great Koala Count?
The Conversation 26
Romane H Cristescu and Celine H Frère
Scientists find burnt, starving koalas weeks after the bushfires
The Conversation 16
Romane H Cristescu, Russell L Miller, Celine H Frère
Sniffing out solutions to enhance conservation: How detection dogs can maximise research and management outcomes, through the example of koalas
Australian Zoologist 40 (3), 416-432
Romane H Cristescu, Kylie L Scales, Anthony J Schultz, Russell L Miller, David S Schoeman, D Dique, Celine H Frère
Robust Science underpinning legislation can create better outcomes for threatened species impacted by infrastructure projects
Animal Conservation 22 (4), 314-323
Romane H Cristescu, Russell L Miller, Anthony J Schultz, Lyndal Hulse, Damian Jaccoud, Stephen Johnston, Jon Hanger, Rosie Booth, Céline H Frère
Developing noninvasive methodologies to assess koala population health through detecting Chlamydia from scats
Molecular ecology resources 19 (4), 957-969
Romane H Cristescu, Anthony J Schultz, Celine H Frère, David S Schoeman, and Kylie L Scales
Koala-detecting dogs sniff out flaws in Australia’s threatened species protection
The Conversation 5
Alice Baudouin, Sylvain Gatti, Florence Levréro, Céline Genton, Romane H Cristescu, Vincent Billy, Peggy Motsch, Jean‐Sébastien Pierre, Pascaline Le Gouar, Nelly Ménard
Disease avoidance, and breeding group age and size condition the dispersal patterns of western lowland gorilla females
Ecology 100 (9), e02786
Anthony J Schultz, Romane H Cristescu, Bethan L Littleford‐Colquhoun, Damian Jaccoud, Céline H Frère
Fresh is best: Accurate SNP genotyping from koala scats
Ecology and evolution 8 (6), 3139-3151
Romane H Cristescu, Kylie L Scales, Anthony J Schultz, Russell L Miller, David S Schoeman, D Dique, Celine H Frère
Misinterpretation of species distributions in Environmental impact Assessments: a case study of koalas in Southeast Queensland.
Animal Conservation DOI:10.1111/acv.12455
Céline Genton, Romane Cristescu, Sylvain Gatti, Florence Levréro, Elodie Bigot, Peggy Motsch, Pascaline Le Gouar, Jean‐Sébastien Pierre, Nelly Ménard
Using demographic characteristics of populations to detect spatial fragmentation following suspected ebola outbreaks in great apes
American journal of physical anthropology 164 (1), 3-10
Romane H Cristescu, Emily Foley, Anna Markula, Gary Jackson, Darryl Jones, Céline Frere
Accuracy and efficiency of detection dogs: a powerful new tool for koala conservation and management
Scientific Reports 5 (1), 1-6
Céline Genton, Amandine Pierre, Romane Cristescu, Florence Lévréro, Sylvain Gatti, Jean‐Sébastien Pierre, Nelly Ménard, Pascaline Le Gouar
How ebola impacts social dynamics in gorillas: a multistate modelling approach
Journal of Animal Ecology 84 (1), 166-176
Alistair Melzer, Romane Cristescu, William Ellis, Sean FitzGibbon, Gabriella Manno
The habitat and diet of koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) in Queensland
Australian Mammalogy 36 (2), 189-199
Romane H Cristescu, Peter B Banks, Frank N Carrick, Celine H Frere
Potential “Ecological Traps” of Restored Landscapes: Koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus) Re-Occupy a Rehabilitated Mine Site
PLOS ONE 8 (11)
Romane H Cristescu, Jonathan Rhodes, Céline Frére, Peter B Banks
Is restoring flora the same as restoring fauna? Lessons learned from koalas and mining rehabilitation
Journal of Applied Ecology 50 (2), 423-431
Romane H Cristescu, Céline Frère, Peter B Banks
A review of fauna in mine rehabilitation in Australia: Current state and future directions
Biological Conservation 149 (1), 60-72
Olivia Woosnam-Merchez, Romane Cristescu, David Dique, Bill Ellis, Robert Beeton, Jeremy Simmonds, Frank Carrick
What faecal pellet surveys can and can’t reveal about the ecology of koalas
Australian Zoologist 36 (2), 192-200
Romane H Cristescu, Klara Goethals, Peter B Banks, Frank N Carrick, Céline Frere
Experimental evaluation of koala scat persistence and detectability with implications for pellet-based fauna census
International Journal of Zoology 2012
Celine Genton, Romane Cristescu, Sylvain Gatti, Florence Levrero, Elodie Bigot, Damien Caillaud, Jean-Sebastien Pierre, Nelly Menard
Recovery potential of a western lowland gorilla population following a major Ebola outbreak: results from a ten year study
PloS one 7 (5), e37106
R Cristescu, W Ellis, D De Villiers, K Lee, O Woosnam-Merchez, C Frere, PB Banks, D Dique, S Hodgkison, H Carrick, D Carter, P Smith, F Carrick
North Stradbroke Island: an island ark for Queensland’s koala population?
The Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 117, 309-334
Romane Cristescu, Valma Cahill, William B Sherwin, Kathrine Handasyde, Kris Carlyon, Desley Whisson, Catherine A Herbert, Britt Louise J Carlsson, Alan N Wilton, Des W Cooper
Inbreeding and testicular abnormalities in a bottlenecked population of koalas
Wildlife Research 36 (4), 299-308
Mark M Tanaka, Romane H Cristescu, Desmond W Cooper
Effective population size of koala populations under different population management regimes including contraception
Wildlife Research 36 (7), 601-609
Damien Caillaud, Florence Levréro, Romane Cristescu, Sylvain Gatti, Maeva Dewas, Mélanie Douadi, Annie Gautier-Hion, Michel Raymond, Nelly Ménard
Gorilla susceptibility to Ebola virus: the cost of sociality
Current Biology 16 (13), 489-491
- Hohwieler KR & Cristescu RH (2021). Cool Country koala Project 2020-2021: Northern Tablelands Koala Habitat and Pilot Disease Project Final Report
- McDonald K & Cristescu RH (2020). Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) Drone Koala Surveys. Final report to Redland City Council
- Cristescu RH, Hohwieler K; Gardiner R; deVilliers D & CH Frere (2019). Cool Country Koala project 2018/2019 Final Report
- Cristescu RH, Littleford-Colquhoun B; Hohwieler K; Gardiner R & CH Frere (2019). Increasing knowledge about the distribution and genetics of the Sunshine Coast koalas – Final Report to Sunshine Coast Regional Council
- Cristescu RH, Hohwieler K, Strickland K, Littleford-Colquhoun B & CH Frère (2018). Report for Redland City Council: Final Report: Q-1864-17_18-ERE – Koala Population Assessment Project
- Cristescu RH, Frère CH, Strickland K & B Littleford-Colquhoun (2018). Report for Noosa Biosphere: Mapping koala health across the Noosa Biosphere to inform better management
- Cristescu RH & CH Frère (2017). Report for Northern Tablelands Local Land Services: Koala Management Plan for the Northern Tablelands
- Frère CH & RH Cristescu (2016). Report for the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads: Ecological surveys (including landscape genetic connectivity and disease analysis) for Impact Assessment koalas (Phascolarctos cinereus): Tinana - Bruce Highway Upgrade Project
Contact us
For more information or enquiries regarding partnerships, consultancy services or postgraduate opportunities, please contact Dr Romane Cristescu.
For any media enquiries, please contact media@usc.edu.au.