Prof Isabel Castro BMicro, MSc, PhD

Contact details

• Ph: 027 449 1261
  Location: 1.23, AgHort Wing A
  Campus: Manawatu

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Microbiology - University of Los Andes (1984)
• Master of Science - Eastern Illinois University (1987)
• Doctor of Philosophy - Massey University (1996)

Certifications and Registrations

• Licence, Mentor Supervisor, Massey University

Prizes and Awards

• I received the following award: Women Award ($18,144) - Massey University (2015)
• I was selected as Associate Investigator for Te Pūnaha Matatini in 2016. I received the following award: Women Award ($18,144). - (2016)
• WWF Conservation Innovation Awards 2014 – New Ideas for Nature runner-up in research innovation (for Automated Birdsong Recognition); awarded $5000 for the research. - World Wildlife Fund (2014)

Research Interests

I have research interests in two areas: behavioural ecology and the relationship between parasites and their hosts. The underlying link between these subjects is conservation. I am interested in how an animal's behaviours are affected by the environmental changes caused by human colonisation and how, in turn, the behavioural responses of the animals to those changes are bound by their evolutionary history. For this part of my research I have focussed on working with endemic endangered species that have behaviours that I consider of particular interest. I am also interested in the effect of parasites on the hosts' ability to survive under natural and under conservation management conditions; and the ability of native parasites to survive the management we employ on their hosts.

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Animal Behaviour (060801): Animal Structure and Function (060807): Behavioural Ecology (060201): Biological Sciences (060000): Ecology (060200): Ethology and Sociobiology (060304): Evolutionary Biology (060300): Infectious Agents (060502): Life Histories (060308): Microbiology (060500): Terrestrial Ecology (060208): Zoology (060800)

Keywords

Behavioural Ecology, Conservation Biology

Current Projects

Languages

• Spanish
  Last used: today
  Spoken ability: Excellent
  Written ability: Excellent
• English
  Last used: today
  Spoken ability: Excellent
  Written ability: Excellent

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

• Giuliana Caldeira Pires Ferrari - Doctor of Philosophy
  Pour the kiwi a glass: ecosystem services provided by native species in agricultural systems
• Eliana Ramos Pallares - Doctor of Philosophy
  Is there a role for the Major Histocompatibility Complex in brown kiwi mate choice?
• Emma Feenstra - Doctor of Philosophy
  To disturb or not disturb: radiotelemetry based territory mapping and trail cameras for monitoring cryptic species using Rakiura tokoekoa (Apteryx aus

Co-supervisor of:

• Caio Fittipaldi Kenup - Doctor of Philosophy
  Applying Structured Decision Making for Reintroduction Programmes

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

• 2022 - Alberto De Rosa - Doctor of Philosophy
  On Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) vocal behaviour and activity: relations to population densities and applications to conservation
• 2021 - Malin Undin - Doctor of Philosophy
  Studies of how to improve translocation outcomes of Apteryx mantelli focusing on breeding, hybrids, diversity, and telomeres
• 2020 - David Vieco Galvez - Doctor of Philosophy
  The Egg and the Nest: Obtaining information about the reproductive biology of Apteryx spp. (Family: Apterygidae), a cryptic avian taxon, through eggshells
• 2020 - Natasha Bansal - Doctor of Philosophy
  Exploring the host-parasite relationship between Brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli), kiwi ticks (Ixodes anatis) and kiwi tick-borne haemoparasites
• 2019 - Kathryn Strang - Doctor of Philosophy
  The ecology of feral cats (Felis catus) on a New Zealand offshore island: Considerations for management
• view more...
• 2016 - Ellen Schoener - Doctor of Philosophy
  The impact of conservation translocations on vector-borne parasites
• 2014 - Juan Carlos Garcia Ramirez - Doctor of Philosophy
  The influence of space and time on the genetic architecture of rail species (Aves:Rallidae)
• 2013 - Gaylynne Carter - Doctor of Philosophy
  The Behavioural Response of a Small Prey Animal to the Odour Cues of Familiar Predators in a New Zealand Model System
• 2010 - Susan Cunningham - Doctor of Philosophy
  Tactile senses and foraging in birds with emphasis on kiwi
• view less...

Co-supervisor of:

• 2017 - Nirosha Pitakande Gedara - Doctor of Philosophy
  Wavelet-Based Birdsong Recognition for Conservation
• 2016 - Kate Richardson - Doctor of Philosophy
  Dispersal: The effects of phenotype and habitat selection in reintroduced populations
• 2013 - Kerri Morgan - Doctor of Philosophy
  Coccidiosis in the Kiwi (Apteryx spp.): Aspects of the Pathology, Epidemiology and Parasite Biology
• 2011 - Birgit Ziesemann - Doctor of Philosophy
  Social organisation and mating system of a high-density brown Kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) population
• 2011 - Kevin Parker - Doctor of Philosophy
  The impacts of translocation on the cultural evolution of song in the North Island saddleback or tieke (Philesturnus rufusater)

Media

• 19 Jan 2014 - Television
  Here Comes Darwin - New Legend about Wildlife
  Documentary filmed by Japanese company - NHK Enterprises, Inc.and screened in Japan. Isabel Castro gave assistance.
• 03 Nov 2014 - Television
  One News story on birdsong technology
  

Other Links

• AviaNZ - This site describes our work in conservation technology
• Behavioural Ecology and Conservation