Paul Story Email Address

Field Assistant Vertebrate Ecology

The Australian Department of Agriculture works to sustain the way of life and prosperity of all Australians. The department is responsible for developing policy advice and providing services to improve the productivity, competitiveness and sustainability of Australian agriculture, fisheries, forestry and related industries. The department also helps people and goods move in and out of the country while managing the risks to the environment and animal, plant and human health.

Extensive research, development and environmental policy experience in Australia and overseas. A committed natural resource scientist with a track record of transferring research outcomes into policy development. Experience in Commonwealth and State environmental and natural resource legislation within government, research and non-government agencies gives me a unique overview of many sectors, allowing productive collaborations and enabling effective network development. My current research is collaborative, multidisciplinary and incorporates the fields of ecology, comparative vertebrate physiology, toxicology, environmental risk assessment and environmental biochemistry. Current research includes the exposure and effects of pesticides on arid, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. 1. The effects of pesticide exposure on marsupial physiology, specifically in relation to diel activity cycles, metabolism, torpor and endocrine disruption. 2. Linking pesticide effects research with ecotoxicologically relevant endpoints, specifically in relation to impacts on said and semi-arid ecosystems. 3. Feeding behaviour of birds on insect (locust) aggregations, quantifying insecticide intake rates and incorporating this data into avian risk assessments. 4. Using geographic information systems to prioritise biodiversity and conservation values on a landscape scale, enabling broad scale environmental monitoring programs for contamination. 5. I am also interested in incorporating research output into environmental risk assessments and policy outcomes for agricultural chemicals through the use of environmental management systems.