Caitlin Nicholls
Flinders University
Oregon State University
Georgetown University
Biography
I’m a PhD student at Flinders University in South Australia, where I’m researching the vulnerability of inshore dolphin populations to infectious disease outbreaks. My work focuses on three Australian species, Australian snubfin, Australian humpback, and Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, and uses social network analysis and disease modelling to explore how diseases may spread through wild populations. I’m excited to be working on a collaborative project between Flinders University, Oregon State University, and Georgetown University, combining perspectives from marine mammal ecology and infectious disease modelling to better understand these complex systems.
Tertiary Education
2024 - Present
Thesis: Vulnerability of Australian inshore dolphins to the spread of infectious disease
Doctor of Philosophy
Flinders University
2018 - 2022
Honours Degree of Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology and Aquaculture)
Flinders University
Thesis: Incidence of shark-inflicted bite injuries on Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni) and humpback (Sousa sahulensis) dolphins in coastal waters off east Queensland, Australia
Awards
2025 - Present
Donald Laidlaw AO / Playford Trust PhD Scholarship
2024 - Present
The Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship
2025
Australian Wildlife Society University Research Grant
2023
Aqueis WEBER publication grant
2022
University Medal for Flinders University
2022
First Class Honours (H1)
2022
SeaWorld Research and Rescue Foundation Prize for best poster presentation at the Australian Marine Sciences Association Conference
2022
Flinders University Student Association Development Grant
2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
Flinders University Chancellor’s Letter of Commendation
2019
New Colombo Plan Scholarship
2018
Flinders University Student Access Scholarships
Publications
Published
Nicholls, C. R., Peters, K. J., Cagnazzi, D., Hanf, D., & Parra, G. J. (2023). Incidence of shark-inflicted bite injuries on Australian snubfin (Orcaella heinsohni) and Australian humpback (Sousa sahulensis) dolphins in coastal waters off east Queensland, Australia. Ecology and Evolution, 13, e10026. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10026
Grey and in Progress Literature
Nicholls, C. R., Möller, L., Parra, G. J., Cantor, M. (2025) Sociality of Marine Mammals and their Vulnerability to the Spread of Infectious Diseases: A Systematic Review.
Nicholls, C. R., Möller, L., Parra, G. J., Cantor, M., (2025) Inter- and Intraspecific Variation in Social Structure Among Australia's Inshore Dolphins.
Parra, G. J., Cagnazzi, D., Nicholls, C. R., Hanf, D., Brooks, L., & Rankin, R. (2024) Port of Townsville Inshore Dolphin Monitoring Program Report: Analysis of the sixth field season (June - July 2024). Report produced for the Port of Townsville Limited by the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, South Australia.
Parra, G. J., Cagnazzi, D., Nicholls, C. R., Hanf, D., Brooks, L., & Rankin, R. (2023) Port of Townsville Inshore Dolphin Monitoring Program Report: Analysis of the fifth field season (June - July 2023). Report produced for the Port of Townsville Limited by the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, South Australia.
Parra, G. J., Cagnazzi, D., Nicholls, C. R., Hanf, D., Brooks, L., & Rankin, R. (2022) Port of Townsville Inshore Dolphin Monitoring Program Report: Analysis of the fourth field season (June - July 2022). Report produced for the Port of Townsville Limited by the Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, South Australia. pp.112.
Projects
2021 - Present
Flinders University - Port of Townsville Inshore Dolphin Monitoring Project
Data Manager, Research Leader, and Skipper
2021 - Present
Temptation Sailing
Marine Biologist and Research Leader
2024
Society for Marine Mammalogy
Conference Exhibitor Coordinator
2023
Southern Cross University and Flinders University - Great Barrier Reef Dolphin Survey
Marine Mammal Observer and Research Assistant
2021
Flinders University - Southern Right Whale Surveys
Research Assistant
2020
Flinders University - Response of Temperate Meso-Predators to White Shark Presence
Research Leader
2020
New Colombo Plan & Flinders University - Danjungan Island Research, Philippines
Research Assistant
Laboratory Websites
CEBEL Lab
Flinders University
LABIRINTO
Oregon State University
Bansal Lab
Georgetown University
