Associate Professor Libby Liggins staff profile picture

Contact details +6492127062

Associate Professor Libby Liggins BSc, MSc, PhD

Associate Professor in Zoology and Ecology

Doctoral Supervisor
School of Natural Sciences

I am a Rutherford Discovery Fellow based at Massey University Auckland and a Research Associate of the Auckland Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. My research is interested in the generation and changing nature of biogeographic, ecological and demographic patterns in the ocean. I specialise in using genetic and genomic data, in combination with ecological data and modelling approaches. Alongside my research I am an active participant in science outreach and community engagement. I also collaborate in several international research consortia and scientific committees, advocating open data, knowledge transfer, and appropriate data stewardship.

Professional

Contact details

  • Location: 5.06, 5
    Campus: Ōtehā Rohe

Qualifications

  • Bachelor of Science - Victoria University (2005)
  • Master of Science - Victoria University (2008)
  • Doctor of Philosophy - University of Queensland (2014)

Prizes and Awards

  • Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Allan Wilson Centre for Molecular Ecology and Evolution (2014)
  • National Evolutionary Synthesis Center Graduate Fellowship - National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America (2014)

Research Expertise

Research Interests

I am an evolutionary ecologist who addresses fundamental questions in the population ecology, biogeography, and community ecology of marine systems. I use genetic/genomic, morphological, and phylogenetic data in combination with novel analytical methods to understand the physical, environmental, and biotic processes that generate, maintain, and erode biodiversity. My research spans global gradients, down to the demographic and adaptive settings of individuals and populations. I have a strong focus on research relevant to global change, sustainable resource use, and human well-being. My research is conducted in collaboration with, and often motivated by, local and Indigenous communities. I am active in developing and sharing best-practices and tools in support of the FAIR principles in research, and in recognition of Indigenous/Māori rights.

My students and I participate in several international research consortia and working groups intended to advance both theoretical and applied molecular ecology via interdisciplinary collaboration. Accordingly, I lead Aotearoa New Zealand’s participation in the "Diversity of the Indo-Pacific Network"(www.diversityindopacific.net/) and the "Biodiversity Observation Network Genetic Composition Working Group" (www.geobon.org/ebvs/working-groups/genetic-composition). We lead citizen science projects (e.g. "WhatsThatFishNZ" https://www.facebook.com/WhatsThatFishNZ/) and I lead the "Ira Moana – Genes of the Sea – Project" (www.massey.ac.nz/iramoana/) developing a database for genetic data of New Zealand marine organisms. Within New Zealand, I participate in several projects within "Genomics Aotearoa" (https://www.genomics-aotearoa.org.nz/) and collaborate closely with the Auckland Museum and Te Papa Tongarewa. I am also on the Scientific Committee of the International Science Councils World Data System.

Broadly, my work addresses the origins of native and invasive taxa, biodiversity gradients, the assembly of marine communities, and population connectivity among regions, at local and global scales. My current research focuses on characterising species range dynamics in response to climate change and edge-of-species-range dynamics, characterising the potential for range expansion based on dispersal potential, population demography, and the genetic characteristics of populations (see "Supervision" for more information).

Research Opportunities

  • PhD: Comparative seascape genomics of urchins in Northeast New Zealand under climate change  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in population genomics and climate change impacts, with an aptitude for quantitative biology, bioinformatics, and collaboration.
  • MSc/PhD: Beta-genetic-diversity measures to inform species edge-of-range dynamics  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in species range dynamics, good organisation skills, and an aptitude for quantitative biology, genetics, or statistics.
  • MSc/PhD: Genetics of corals and their symbionts (in collaboration with Pim Bongaerts, California Academy of Sciences)  (01/01/2022) These projects would suit students interested in reefscape and seascape genomics, and working within a larger team. Ideal students will have good organisation and quantitative skills.
  • PhD: Citizen science to detect range-shifting species (in collaboration with Irene Middleton, NIWA)  (01/01/2022) This would suit a student interested in climate change and in gaining experience working with a range of people/organisations. An ideal candidate will have good organisation and communication skills.
  • MSc: Characterising the genetic contribution of Niue's Large Marine Protected Area (in collaboration with Brendon Pasisi)  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in marine conservation and genetic diversity monitoring.
  • MSc/PhD: eDNA surveillance and monitoring of newly established and range-shifting fishes (in collaboration with Irene Middleton, NIWA)  (01/01/2022) This would suit a student interested in environmental DNA, biosecurity, and climate change. The ideal candidate would be organised in the lab, and have an aptitude for data organisation and coding.
  • MSc/PhD: Automating the detection of new, and range-shifting, fishes in Aotearoa New Zealand (in collaboration with Kristin Stock, Massey)  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in computer science solutions to biological and environmental issues. The ideal candidate would have a background or interest in computer science.
  • MSc/PhD: Sequencing the genome of the long-spined urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii (in collaboration with Genomics Aotearoa; Olin Silander, Massey; and Nikki Freed, Auckland Genomics)  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in genomics, sequencing technologies, and bioinformatics. For a PhD student, this would be one component of a larger thesis.
  • MSc/PhD: Interactions among newly co-occurring fishes in Aotearoa New Zealand  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in the impact of range-shifting species, animal behaviour, and co-existence theory.
  • MSc/PhD: Genetic diversity and connectivity of macroalgae (Ecklonia radiata) in Northeastern New Zealand (in collaboration with David Aguirre, Massey)  (01/01/2022) This project would suit a student interested in population genetics, seascape genomics, conservation and restoration of shallow marine ecosystems.

Area of Expertise

Field of research codes
Animal Systematics and Taxonomy (060301): Biogeography and Phylogeography (060302): Biological Sciences (060000): Community Ecology (060202): Ecology (060200): Evolutionary Biology (060300): Evolutionary Impacts of Climate Change (060306): Genetics (060400): Genomics (060408): Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) (060205): Population Ecology (060207): Population, Ecological and Evolutionary Genetics (060411)

Keywords

Biogeography; Citizen science; Climate change; Community ecology; Data sovereignty; Data stewardship; Evolutionary biology; Evolutionary impacts of climate change; Functional ecology; Genetics; Genomics; Marine ecology; Marine fishes; Molluscs; Phylogenetics; Phylogeography; Population ecology; Population, ecological and evolutionary genetics; Macroecology; Macrogenetics; Systematics; Urchins

Research Projects

Summary of Research Projects

Position Current Completed
Project Leader 6 12
Team Member 0 1

Current Projects

Project Title: Molecular library of groundwater fauna

This project will dovetail with an existing Envirolink Tool project and focus on obtaining and sequencing voucher specimens for stygofauna and freshwater crustacea. Envirolink is a regional council driven funding scheme that provides research support to regional councils in the environmental management space. Voucher specimens are preserved specimens that serve as a verifiable and permanent record of a taxon as they preserve as much of the physical remains of an organism as possible. The existing Envirolink Tool is focused on marine fish and riverine invertebrates, and is building the methodological framework for sequencing, curation and sequencing initiatives to adhere to. This includes establishing the long-term ownership and curation of voucher specimens through via involvement of key museum staff on the project team. Aligning an MfE-funded groundwater fauna module with this existing Envirolink Tool project will avoid unnecessary duplication of effort and ensure that consistent processes are followed and an enduring product is produced. MfE’s contribution will also facilitate greater cultural engagement around molecular techniques and eDNA monitoring which will be of benefit to broader eDNA monitoring initiatives. The project will involve establishing a governance group with Matauranga Maori representation that will guide the development of the work programme following a process of cultural engagement. Voucher specimens of the nominated priority taxa will be located (if in existing collections) or collected (if existing collections are inadequate) and curated/stored according to the agreed best practice and protocols developed during the Envirolink project. The priority voucher specimens will be confidently identified and donated to their permanent housing (e.g. museum, university). Material from each voucher specimen will be used for molecular sequencing, and the sequences will be uploaded to the appropriate online repositories.
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Date Range: 2022 - 2024

Funding Body: Ministry for the Environment

Project Team:

Project Title: Stocking Aotearoa NZ’s molecular library for eDNA monitoring

We will compile a molecular library of DNA sequences for priority New Zealand (NZ) freshwater insects and marine fishes that would enable the detection of these taxa using environmental DNA (eDNA). Specifically, we will generate DNA sequences for the CO1, 12S and 16S gene regions that are typically used in eDNA approaches to detect and discriminate taxa, with high sensitivity and high specificity. Our sequencing effort would focus on taxa of high interest to councils and other end-users, including: all protected marine fishes; all fish taxa that are reliant on estuarine habitats; and a selection of freshwater insects prioritising threatened and MCI taxa. The molecular library will consist of 850 sequenced samples from these target taxa and will be curated, retaining links to voucher specimens, metadata (such as collection location and date), and acknowledging the potential for Māori interests in the specimens and derived DNA sequences. In this way, our molecular library will be developed according to best-practice guidelines for genetic and biodiversity research. It will provide a lasting molecular library to enable eDNA monitoring of high priority NZ freshwater insects and estuarine/marine fishes, and an infrastructure and practical resources to guide future efforts to sequence other NZ taxa.
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Date Range: 2022 - 2024

Funding Bodies: Other fund scheme not listed; Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Project Team:

Project Title: Rutherford Discovery Fellowship - Tohu of change for Aotearoa New Zealand's marine diversity

Date Range: 2021 - 2026

Funding Body: Royal Society of New Zealand

Project Team:

Completed Projects

Project Title: Ira Moana - genes of the sea - a collaborative network and database to advance NZ marine genetic research

Genetic data can inform biodiversity assessments, resource management, and spatial conservation planning. Despite there being considerable genetic data for New Zealand's (NZ) marine species, these data have never been combined in order to inform multispecies, ecosystem-based management because the data are not readily accessible. This project will establish a collaborative network of NZ and international scientists and create a query-able database of genetic data and DNA samples for NZ's marine organisms. The Ira Moana (genes of the sea) Network will leverage the expertise of the Diversity of the Indo-Pacific Network (DIPnet,http://diversityindopacific.net/) - comprising the world's leading marine geneticists, spatial ecologists, biodiversity informaticians, and conservation scientists - and the Genomic Observatory Metadatabase (GeOMe, http://www.geome-db.org/) created by DIPnet. GeOMe is a custom-built database for genetic data satisfying community standards and best practices in biodiversity informatics and genomics. NZ marine geneticists will collaborate with DIPnet scientists to create the Ira Moana Database, capitalising on the GeOMe infrastructure. The Ira Moana Database will be the most comprehensive, national genetic database in the world. The Ira Moana Network will establish multispecies genetic analysis routines, means to incorporate genetic data into ecosystem-based, spatial conservation planning, and will identify future priorities for NZ marine genetic research.
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Date Range: 2018 - 2020

Funding Body: Royal Society of New Zealand

Project Team:

Project Title: Genetic diversity and connectivity of Beveridge Reef and Niue's marine diversity in an Indo-Pacific wide context

Date Range: 2017 - 2018

Funding Body: Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries of Niue

Project Team:

Project Title: RSNZ - Rutherford Post Doc Fellowship: Determining the potential for a range shift in a non-native marine ecosystem engineer - Libby Liggins

The Australian long-spined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) that has shifted its range into northeast New Zealand over the last 60 years is a voracious herbivore capable of destroying our kelp-dominated ecosystems. To help us understand the constraints and potential triggers of further range shifts in this species, this project will use seascape genomic analyses and forward population demographic-genetic simulations. These approaches will help elucidate the environmental features that correlate with the population demography and certain genetic characteristics of C. rodgersii. Overall, the project aims to forecast the threat posed by C. rodgersii in New Zealand, and provide a road-map of which populations have the potential to trigger a range shift.
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Date Range: 2016 - 2018

Funding Body: Royal Society of New Zealand

Project Team:

Project Title: Kimihia te me ngaro - Seek the things being lost: Incorporating traditional ecological knowledge in assessments of toheroa abundance

Date Range: 2016 - 2017

Funding Body: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment

Project Team:

Research Outputs

Journal

Forsdick, NJ., Wold, J., Angelo, A., Bissey, F., Hart, J., Head, M., . . . Steeves, TE. (2023). Journeying towards best practice data management in biodiversity genomics. Molecular Ecology Resources.
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Morejohn, K., Ainley, L., Williamson, J., Nevatte, R., Liggins, L., Cumbo, VR., . . . Gillings, M. (2023). Genetic confirmation of Tridacna noae (Röding 1798) in the Cook Islands. Coral Reefs.
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Te Aika, B., Liggins, L., Rye, C., Perkins, EO., Huh, J., Brauning, R., . . . Black, MA. (2023). Aotearoa genomic data repository: An āhuru mōwai for taonga species sequencing data. Molecular Ecology Resources.
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Cornwall, CE., Nelson, WA., Aguirre, JD., Blain, CO., Coyle, L., D’Archino, R., . . . Thomsen, MS. (2023). Predicting the impacts of climate change on New Zealand’s seaweed-based ecosystems. New Zealand Journal of Botany.
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Samayoa, AP., Aguirre, JD., Delrieu-Trottin, E., & Liggins, L. (2023). The origins of marine fishes endemic to subtropical islands of the Southwest Pacific. Journal of Biogeography. 50(8), 1388-1401
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Crandall, ED., Toczydlowski, RH., Liggins, L., Holmes, AE., Ghoojaei, M., Gaither, MR., . . . Toonen, RJ. (2023). Importance of timely metadata curation to the global surveillance of genetic diversity. Conservation Biology. 37(4)
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Crandall, E., Toczydlowski, R., Liggins, L., Holmes, A., Ghoojaei, M., Gaither, M., . . . Toonen, R. (2022). Metadata preservation and stewardship for genomic data is possible, but must happen now.
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
McGaughran, A., Liggins, L., Marske, KA., Dawson, MN., Schiebelhut, LM., Lavery, SD., . . . Riginos, C. (2022). Comparative phylogeography in the genomic age: Opportunities and challenges. Journal of Biogeography. 49(12), 2130-2144
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Samayoa, AP., Struthers, CD., Trnski, T., Roberts, CD., & Liggins, L. (2022). Molecular phylogenetics reveals the evolutionary history of marine fishes (Actinopterygii) endemic to the subtropical islands of the Southwest Pacific. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 176
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Arranz, V., Braid, HE., Carmelet-Rescan, D., Elleouet, J., Egorova, E., . . . Stewart, LC. (2022). The future of molecular ecology in Aotearoa New Zealand: an early career perspective. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand. 52(S1), 92-115
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Hills, S., Liggins, L.
Palmer, E., Alexander, A., Liggins, L., Guerra, M., Bury, SJ., Hendriks, H., . . . Peters, KJ. (2022). A piece of the puzzle: analyses of recent strandings and historical records reveal new genetic and ecological insights on New Zealand sperm whales. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 690, 201-217
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L., Stockin, K.
Hoban, S., Archer, FI., Bertola, LD., Bragg, JG., Breed, MF., Bruford, MW., . . . Hunter, ME. (2022). Global genetic diversity status and trends: towards a suite of Essential Biodiversity Variables (EBVs) for genetic composition. Biological Reviews. 97(4), 1511-1538
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Cartney, AMM., Anderson, J., Liggins, L., Hudson, ML., Anderson, MZ., TeAika, B., . . . Phillippy, AM. (2022). Balancing openness with Indigenous data sovereignty: An opportunity to leave no one behind in the journey to sequence all of life. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 119(4)
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Arranz, V., Liggins, L., & Aguirre, JD. (2022). Metabarcoding hyperdiverse kelp holdfast communities on temperate reefs: An experimental approach to inform future studies. Environmental DNA. 4(3), 492-509
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Kilduff, L., Trnski, T., Delrieu-Trottin, E., Carvajal, JI., Arranz, V., . . . Aguirre, JD. (2022). Morphological and genetic divergence supports peripheral endemism and a recent evolutionary history of Chrysiptera demoiselles in the subtropical South Pacific. Coral Reefs. 41(3), 797-812
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Hudson, M., & Anderson, J. (2021). Creating space for Indigenous perspectives on access and benefit-sharing: encouraging researcher use of the Local Contexts Notices.
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Kim, JJH., Liggins, L., & Aguirre, JD. (2021). Social environment mediates habitat shifts in a range-restricted giant limpet. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 666, 89-98
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., & Noble, C. (2021). The Ira Moana Project: A Genetic Observatory for Aotearoa’s Marine Biodiversity. Frontiers in Marine Science. 8
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Leigh, DM., van Rees, CB., Millette, KL., Breed, MF., Schmidt, C., Bertola, LD., . . . Paz-Vinas, I. (2021). Opportunities and challenges of macrogenetic studies. Nature Reviews Genetics. 22(12), 791-807
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Toczydlowski, RH., Liggins, L., Gaither, MR., Anderson, TJ., Barton, RL., Berg, JT., . . . Crandall, ED. (2021). Poor data stewardship will hinder global genetic diversity surveillance. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 118(34)
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Thomas, LJ., Liggins, L., Banks, SC., Beheregaray, LB., Liddy, M., McCulloch, GA., . . . Lamare, MD. (2021). The population genetic structure of the urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii in New Zealand with links to Australia. Marine Biology. 168(9)
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Myers, EMV., Eme, D., Liggins, L., Harvey, ES., Roberts, CD., & Anderson, MJ. (2021). Functional beta diversity of New Zealand fishes: Characterising morphological turnover along depth and latitude gradients, with derivation of functional bioregions. Austral Ecology. 46(6), 965-981
[Journal article]Authored by: Anderson, M., Liggins, L.
Myers, EMV., Anderson, MJ., Liggins, L., Harvey, ES., Roberts, CD., & Eme, D. (2021). High functional diversity in deep-sea fish communities and increasing intraspecific trait variation with increasing latitude. Ecology and Evolution. 11(15), 10600-10612
[Journal article]Authored by: Anderson, M., Liggins, L.
Howarth, OR., Liggins, L., & Smith, ANH. (2021). Using qualitative data to classify reef fishes into dietary guilds. Austral Ecology. 46(6), 982-990
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L., Smith, A.
Laikre, L., Hohenlohe, PA., Allendorf, FW., Bertola, LD., Breed, MF., Bruford, MW., . . . Hoban, S. (2021). Correction to: Authors’ Reply to Letter to the Editor: Continued improvement to genetic diversity indicator for CBD (Conservation Genetics, (2021), 22, 4, (533-536), 10.1007/s10592-021-01359-w). Conservation Genetics. 22(4), 537-539
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Laikre, L., Hohenlohe, PA., Allendorf, FW., Bertola, LD., Breed, MF., Bruford, MW., . . . Hoban, S. (2021). Authors’ Reply to Letter to the Editor: Continued improvement to genetic diversity indicator for CBD. Conservation Genetics. 22(4), 533-536
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Hudson, M., & Anderson, J. (2021). Creating space for Indigenous perspectives on access and benefit-sharing: Encouraging researcher use of the Local Contexts Notices. Molecular ecology. 30(11), 2477-2482
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Middleton, I., Aguirre, JD., Trnski, T., Francis, M., Duffy, C., & Liggins, L. (2021). Introduced alien, range extension or just visiting? Combining citizen science observations and expert knowledge to classify range dynamics of marine fishes. Diversity and Distributions. 27(7), 1278-1293
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Thia, JA., McGuigan, K., Liggins, L., Figueira, WF., Bird, CE., Mather, A., . . . Riginos, C. (2021). Genetic and phenotypic variation exhibit both predictable and stochastic patterns across an intertidal fish metapopulation. Molecular Ecology. 30(18), 4392-4414
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Riginos, C., Crandall, ED., Liggins, L., Gaither, MR., Ewing, RB., Meyer, C., . . . Deck, J. (2020). Building a global genomics observatory: Using GEOME (the Genomic Observatories Metadatabase) to expedite and improve deposition and retrieval of genetic data and metadata for biodiversity research. Molecular Ecology Resources. 20(6), 1458-1469
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Hoban, S., Bruford, M., D'Urban Jackson, J., Lopes-Fernandes, M., Heuertz, M., Hohenlohe, PA., . . . Laikre, L. (2020). Genetic diversity targets and indicators in the CBD post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework must be improved. Biological Conservation. 248
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Arranz, V., Pearman, WS., Aguirre, JD., & Liggins, L. (2020). MARES, a replicable pipeline and curated reference database for marine eukaryote metabarcoding. Scientific Data. 7(1)
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Laikre, L., Hoban, S., Bruford, MW., Segelbacher, G., Allendorf, FW., Gajardo, G., . . . Vernesi, C. (2020). Post-2020 goals overlook genetic diversity. Science (New York, N.Y.). 367(6482), 1083-1085
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Sweatman, JA., Trnski, T., Duffy, CAJ., Eddy, TD., & Aguirre, JD. (2020). Natural history footage provides new reef fish biodiversity information for a pristine but rarely visited archipelago. Scientific reports. 10(1), 3159
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L.
Eme, D., Anderson, MJ., Myers, EMV., Roberts, CD., & Liggins, L. (2020). Phylogenetic measures reveal eco-evolutionary drivers of biodiversity along a depth gradient. Ecography.
[Journal article]Authored by: Anderson, M., Liggins, L.
Myers, EMV., Anderson, MJ., Eme, D., Liggins, L., & Roberts, CD. (2020). Changes in key traits versus depth and latitude suggest energy-efficient locomotion, opportunistic feeding and light lead to adaptive morphologies of marine fishes. Journal of Animal Ecology. 89(2), 309-322
[Journal article]Authored by: Anderson, M., Liggins, L.
Eme, D., Anderson, MJ., Struthers, CD., Roberts, CD., & Liggins, L. (2019). An integrated pathway for building regional phylogenies for ecological studies. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 28(12), 1899-1911
[Journal article]Authored by: Anderson, M., Liggins, L.
Crandall, ED., Riginos, C., Bird, CE., Liggins, L., Treml, E., Beger, M., . . . Gaither, MR. (2019). The molecular biogeography of the Indo-Pacific: Testing hypotheses with multispecies genetic patterns. Global Ecology and Biogeography. 28(7), 943-960
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Treml, EA., Possingham, HP., & Riginos, C. (2016). Seascape features, rather than dispersal traits, predict spatial genetic patterns in co-distributed reef fishes. Journal of Biogeography. 43(2), 256-267
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Booth, DJ., Figueira, WF., Treml, EA., Tonk, L., Ridgway, T., . . . Riginos, C. (2015). Latitude-wide genetic patterns reveal historical effects and contrasting patterns of turnover and nestedness at the range peripheries of a tropical marine fish. Ecography. 38(12), 1212-1224
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Gleeson, L., & Riginos, C. (2014). Evaluating edge-of-range genetic patterns for tropical echinoderms, Acanthaster planci and Tripneustes gratilla, of the Kermadec Islands, southwest Pacific. Bulletin of Marine Science. 90(1), 379-397
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Selkoe, KA., D'Aloia, CC., Crandall, ED., Iacchei, M., Liggins, L., Puritz, JB., . . . Toonen, RJ. (2016). A decade of seascape genetics: Contributions to basic and applied marine connectivity. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 554, 1-19
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Riginos, C., Crandall, ED., Liggins, L., Bongaerts, P., & Treml, EA. (2016). Navigating the currents of seascape genomics: How spatial analyses can augment population genomic studies. Current Zoology. 62(6), 581-601
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Delrieu-Trottin, E., Liggins, L., Trnski, T., Williams, JT., Neglia, V., Rapu-Edmunds, C., . . . Saenz-Agudelo, P. (2018). Evidence of cryptic species in the blenniid Cirripectes alboapicalis species complex, with zoogeographic implications for the South Pacific. ZooKeys. 2018(810), 127-138
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Thia, JA., Riginos, C., Liggins, L., Figueira, WF., & McGuigan, K. (2018). Larval traits show temporally consistent constraints, but are decoupled from postsettlement juvenile growth, in an intertidal fish. Journal of Animal Ecology. 87(5), 1353-1363
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Bronstein, O., Kroh, A., Tautscher, B., Liggins, L., & Haring, E. (2017). Cryptic speciation in pan-tropical sea urchins: A case study of an edge-of-range population of Tripneustes from the Kermadec Islands. Scientific Reports. 7(1)
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Pope, LC., Liggins, L., Keyse, J., Carvalho, SB., & Riginos, C. (2015). Not the time or the place: The missing spatio-temporal link in publicly available genetic data. Molecular Ecology. 24(15), 3802-3809
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Parobek, CM., Archer, FI., DePrenger-Levin, ME., Hoban, SM., Liggins, L., & Strand, AE. (2017). skelesim: an extensible, general framework for population genetic simulation in R. Molecular Ecology Resources. 17(1), 101-109
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Riginos, C., & Liggins, L. (2013). Seascape Genetics: Populations, Individuals, and Genes Marooned and Adrift. Geography Compass. 7(3), 197-216
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Treml, EA., & Riginos, C. (2013). Taking the Plunge: An Introduction to Undertaking Seascape Genetic Studies and using Biophysical Models. Geography Compass. 7(3), 173-196
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Kingsford, MJ., O'Callaghan, MD., Liggins, L., & Gerlach, G. (2017). The short-lived neon damsel Pomacentrus coelestis: implications for population dynamics. Journal of Fish Biology. 90(5), 2041-2059
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Aguirre, JD., Bollard-Breen, B., Cameron, M., Constantine, R., Duffy, CAJ., Dunphy, B., . . . Wilson, R. (2016). Loved to pieces: Toward the sustainable management of the Waitematā Harbour and Hauraki Gulf. Regional Studies in Marine Science. 8, 220-233
[Journal article]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Liggins, L., Smith, A., Thomas, D.
Richards, ZT., & Liggins, L. (2015). Scleractinian corals and Crown-of-thorns seastars of the Kermadec Islands. Bulletin of the Auckland Museum. 20, 337-340
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Crandall, ED., Treml, EA., Liggins, L., Gleeson, L., Yasuda, N., Barber, PH., . . . Riginos, C. (2014). Return of the ghosts of dispersal past: Historical spread and contemporary gene flow in the blue sea star Linckia laevigata. Bulletin of Marine Science. 90(1), 399-425
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Huelsken, T., Keyse, J., Liggins, L., Penny, S., Treml, EA., & Riginos, C. (2013). A novel widespread cryptic species and phylogeographic patterns within several giant clam species (cardiidae: Tridacna) from the Indo-Pacific ocean. PLoS ONE. 8(11)
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Mirams, AGK., Treml, EA., Shields, JL., Liggins, L., & Riginos, C. (2011). Vicariance and dispersal across an intermittent barrier: Population genetic structure of marine animals across the Torres Strait land bridge. Coral Reefs. 30(4), 937-949
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Chapple, DG., Daugherty, CH., & Ritchie, PA. (2008). Origin and post-colonization evolution of the Chatham Islands skink (Oligosoma nigriplantare nigriplantare). Molecular Ecology. 17(14), 3290-3305
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Liggins, L., Chapple, DG., Daugherty, CH., & Ritchie, PA. (2008). A SINE of restricted gene flow across the Alpine Fault: Phylogeography of the New Zealand common skink (Oligosoma nigriplantare polychroma). Molecular Ecology. 17(16), 3668-3683
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Ryan, KG., Cowie, ROM., Liggins, E., McNaughtan, D., Martin, A., & Davy, SK. (2009). The short-term effect of irradiance on the photosynthetic properties of antarctic fast-ice microalgal communities. Journal of Phycology. 45(6), 1290-1298
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.
Torkkola, J., Riginos, C., & Liggins, L. (2013). Regional patterns of mtDNA diversity in Styela plicata, an invasive ascidian, from Australian and New Zealand marinas. Marine and Freshwater Research. 64(2), 139-145
[Journal article]Authored by: Liggins, L.

Book

Liggins, L., Treml, EA., & Riginos, C. (2022). Seascape Genomics: Contextualizing Adaptive and Neutral Genomic Variation in the Ocean Environment. In MF. Oleksiak, & OP. Rajora (Eds.) Population Genomics: Marine Organisms. (pp. 171 - 218). Cham.: Springer
[Chapter]Authored by: Liggins, L.

Report

Clark, MR., Trnski, T., Constantine, R., Aguirre, JD., Barker, J., Betty, E., . . . van Oosterom, L.(2017). Biodiversity of the Kermadec Islands and offshore waters of the Kermadec Ridge: report of a coastal, marine mammal and deep-sea survey (TAN1612). (Report No. New Zealand Aquatic Environment and Biodiversity Report No. 179). : Ministry for Primary Industries
[Technical Report]Authored by: Aguirre-Davies, J., Betty, E., Liggins, L.
Albert, S., Grinham, A., Bythell, J., Olds, A., Schwarz, A., Abernethy, K., . . . Gibbes, B.(2012). Building social and ecological resilience to climate change in Roviana, Solomon Islands. (Report No. Component 2 Final Report).
[Technical Report]Authored by: Liggins, L.

Teaching and Supervision

Teaching Statement

As a Rutherford Discovery Fellow, most of my time is dedicated to research and Postgraduate supervison. I teach into only a limited number of Undergraduate courses. 

Graduate Supervision Statement

I enjoy supervising the thesis research of MSc and PhD candidates. My students conduct field research (including boating and diving), laboratory research, molecular genetics, as well as community-based and desk-based research. Topics of research include: population genomics and connectivity of marine organisms; range shifts of marine species in Aotearoa New Zealand; climate change impacts of marine species ranges and adaptation; genetic and phylogenetic diversity of different species groups and regions; functional diversity of different species groups and regions; macrogenetics, macroecology, and community assembly; and citizen science. We work on several different taxonomic groups including coral, fishes, algae, molluscs, and urchins, found within Aotearoa New Zealand and the broader Indo-Pacific region. My students gain experience and practical skills in designing research, conducting field/laboratory work, teamwork and collaboration, robust and quantitative analysis of data, scientific writing, and the ability to critically evaluate scientfic research. For more information about current projects available in my lab see "Research Opportunities" under "Research Expertise".


Associate Professor Libby Liggins is available for Masters and Doctorial supervision.

Summary of Doctoral Supervision

Position Current Completed
Main Supervisor 1 2
Co-supervisor 3 1

Current Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • Melissa Nehmens - Doctor of Philosophy
    Eco-evolutionary responses of urchin species to climate change in Aotearoa New Zealand

Co-supervisor of:

  • Dennis Van Hulten - Doctor of Philosophy
    The ecology and genetic diversity of monostand forming coral populations in shallow and mesophotic habitats
  • Hayden Pye - Doctor of Philosophy
    The roles of habitat, introduced species and predator control on avian abundance, species richness, phylo-diversity and colour elaboration
  • Hochang Yoo - Doctor of Philosophy
    Development of cultivation methods for New Zealand brown algae.

Completed Doctoral Supervision

Main Supervisor of:

  • 2023 - André Samayoa - Doctor of Philosophy
    Historical biogeography of marine ray-finned fishes (Actinopterygii) of the Southwest Pacific
  • 2022 - Irene Middleton - Doctor of Philosophy
    Range shifts and the population dynamics of tropical, subtropical, and rare fishes in New Zealand

Co-supervisor of:

  • 2020 - Elisabeth Myers - Doctor of Philosophy
    Functional biodiversity of New Zealand's marine fishes versus depth and latitude

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