I am a Research Scientist within the Biogeography Program of the Science Division. As a survey zoologist, I undertake biological surveys of Western Australia as well as scientific research into fauna conservation. My focus is on the biogeographic patterns in species richness, occurrence and composition of terrestrial fauna, and the influence of environmental correlates on both of these.
Academic Qualifications
1999 Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney, NSW.
Nutritional ecology of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in far south-western Queensland.
1990 Honours - First Class, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
Changes in female attractiveness during oestrus of captive tammar wallabies (Macropus eugenii) and red-necked wallabies (Macropus rufogriseus banksianus).
1989 Bachelor of Science (Major: Zoology), University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW.
Positions held
Dec 1989 - Jan 1990: Technical Officer, School of Physiology and Pharmacology, University of New South Wales, Sydney
Jan 1991 - July 1994: Conservation Officer (Research), Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage, Charleville
Sep 1994 - Dec 1994: Scientific Assistant, Queensland Department of Primary Industries, Charleville
Feb 1995 - Mar 1999: Full-time PhD student
Apr - Jun 1999: Extension Officer, Nature Conservation, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Charleville
Jan - Aug 2000: Research Associate, University of Sydney, School of Biological Sciences
Jan - Jun 2001: Biodiversity Project Officer, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, Charleville
July 2001 - Dec 2003: Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Deakin University, School of Ecology and Environment, Geelong
Feb 2004 - present: Research Scientist, Science Division, Department of Conservation and Land Management, Perth
Gibson L (2021). Research update 2021: Subterranean Fauna Research Program: closing the knowledge gaps. Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, Perth. 20 p.
Palmer R, Anderson H, Richards B, Craig MD, Gibson LA (2021). Does aerial baiting for controlling feral cats in a heterogeneous landscape confer benefits to a threatened native meso-predator?. PLoS One 16,
Cowan M, Blythman M, Angus J, Gibson L (2020). Relocation and post-release monitoring of western grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus) displaced from an urban development site. Animals 10,
Cowen S, Rayner K, Sims C, Friend T, Knox F, Ottewell K et al. [Gibson L] (2020). Dirk Hartog Island National Park Ecological Restoration Project: stage two, year two, translocation and monitoring report. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Kensington, WA. 64 p.
McKenzie NL, Bullen RD, Gibson LA (2019 (ie 2021)). Habitat associations of zoophagic bat ensembles in north-western Australia. Australian Journal of Zoology 67, pp. 243–259
Cowen S, Rayner K, Scheelen L, Sims C, Gibson L (2019). Dirk Hartog Island National Park Ecological Restoration Project: stage two, year one, translocation and monitoring report. Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, Woodvale, WA. 62 p.
Cowen S, Sims C, Angus J, Garretson S, Morris K, Rayner K et al. [Gibson L] (2019). Island hopping: translocations of hare-wallabies between remote islands (ABSTRACT). In Australasian Wildlife Management Society 32nd Annual Conference: Wildlife Management in Remote Landscapes, 3-5 December 2019, Darwin, NT, Australia: Book of Abstracts p. 63
Cowen S, Sims C, Gibson L (2019). The challenges of managing threatened species translocations in remote landscapes or Island hopping 101. PowerPoint presentation at 2019 WA Threatened Species Forum, 5-6 September, Geraldton. 15 p.
Gibson L, Humphreys WF, Harvey M, Hyder B, Winzer A (2019). Shedding light on the hidden world of subterranean fauna: a transdisciplinary research approach. Science of the Total Environment 684, pp. 381–389
Gibson L (2018). Shedding new light on the cryptic world of subterranean fauna: a research program for Western Australia. Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute, Perth. 51 p.
Gibson L (2018). Shedding new light on the cryptic world of subterranean fauna: an end user driven research program (ABSTRACT). In Book of Abstracts: Annual Conference, Ecological Society of Australia, 2018, Brisbane pp. 332–333
Gibson L, Köhler F (2018). Species diversity and composition: land snails on Kimberley islands. In The Natural World of the Kimberley Kimberley Society, Perth. pp. 160–161
Gibson LA (2018). Treasures revealed: a biodiversity survey of the Kimberley islands. In The Natural World of the Kimberley Kimberley Society, Perth. pp. 138–157
Gibson LA, Cowan MA, Lyons MN, Palmer R, Pearson DJ, Doughty P (2017). Island refuges: conservation significance of the biodiversity patterns resulting from natural fragmentation. Biological Conservation 212, pp. 349–356
McKinney M [Gibson L contrib] (2017). Protecting threatened quolls and other biodiversity on Kimberley islands from cane toads: project summary, project 4.2.5. Available at http://www.nespthreatenedspecies.edu.au/projects. 2 p.
McKinney MR, Gibson L, Everitt C (2017). Saving northern quolls: quantifying the risk of colonisation by cane toads (Rhinella marina) on Australia’s Kimberley islands (ABSTRACT). In 12th International Mammalogical Congress, Perth, Western Australia, 9th-4th July 2017: Abstract Book p. 44
Cramer VA, Armstrong KN, Bullen RD, Ellis R, Gibson LA, McKenzie NL et al. [van Leeuwen S] (2016). Research priorities for the Pilbara leaf-nosed bat (Rhinonicteris aurantia Pilbara form). Australian Mammalogy 38, pp. 149–157
Gibson L, Jackson J, Handasyde T (2016). Vertebrate fauna survey of the Colville 1:1,000,000 map sheet area, the northern Nullarbor: report to Department of Environment. Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. 33 p.
Gibson L, Cowan M, Handasyde T, Keighery G (2015). Biodiversity surveys in the Northern Kimberley coastal region: Balanggarra and Dambimangari country. Department of Parks and Wildlife, Kensington, WA. 67 p.
Gibson LA Yates S, Doughty P (eds) (2015). Biodiversity values on selected Kimberley islands, Australia. Western Australian Museum, Perth. Records of the Western Australian Museum. Supplement 81, 280 p.
Gibson LA, Williams KJ, Pinder AM, Harwood T, McKenzie NL, Ferrier S et al. [Lyons MN, Burbidge AH] (2015). Compositional patterns in terrestrial fauna and wetland flora and fauna across the Pilbara biogeographic region of Western Australia and the representativeness of its conservation reserve system. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 78, pp. 515–545
Lohr C, van Dongen R, Huntley B, Gibson L, Morris, K (2015). Remotely monitoring change in vegetation cover on the Montebello islands, Western Australia, in response to introduced rodent eradication. PLoS One 9, pp. 1–14
Radford IJ, Gibson LA, Corey B, Carnes K, Fairman R (2015). Influence of fire mosaics, habitat characteristics and cattle disturbance on mammals in fire-prone savanna landscapes of the northern Kimberley. PLoS One 10, pp. 1–16
Gibson L (2014). Biogeographic patterns on Kimberley islands, Western Australia (ABSTRACT). In Island Arks Symposium III: Program & Guide p. 38
Gibson LA (2014). Biogeographic patterns on Kimberley islands, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 81, pp. 245–280
Lohr C, van Dongen R, Huntley B, Gibson L, Morris K (2014). Vegetation change on the Montebello islands before and after rodent eradications and native fauna reintroductions (ABSTRACT). In Island Arks Symposium III: Program & Guide pp. 41–42
Lyons MN, Keighery GJ, Gibson LA, Handasyde T (2014). Flora and vegetation communities of selected islands off the Kimberley coast of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum, Supplement 81, pp. 205–243
Pressey B, Brotánková J, Craigie I, Gibson L, Hall S, Hicks J et al. [Lohr C, Morris K] (2014). Conservation in paradise: prioritising management actions on islands in tropical Australia (ABSTRACT). In Island Arks Symposium III: Program & Guide p. 27
Radford I, Gibson L, Corey B (2014). Influence of savanna fire regime mosaic in determining threatened mammal assemblage structure in the north Kimberley (ABSTRACT). In Book of Abstracts: Ecological Society of Australia, 2014 Annual Conference: 28 September-3 October 2014, Alice Springs Convention Centre p. 8
Gibson L (2013). Treasures revealed: Kimberley islands biodiversity. Landscope 28(4), pp. 16–23
Gibson LA (2012). Island treasures: biodiversity assets of the islands along the Kimberley coast of West Australia (ABSTRACT). In Island Arks Symposium II: 7-9th February 2012, University House, Canberra p. 53
Gibson LA, Köhler F (2012). Determinants of species richness and similarity of species composition of land snail communities on Kimberley islands. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 81, pp. 40–65
Gibson LA, McKenzie NL (2012). Identification of biodiversity assets on selected Kimberley islands: background and implementation. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 81, pp. 1–14
Gibson LA, McKenzie NL (2012). Occurrence of non-volant mammals on islands along the Kimberley coast of Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 81, pp. 15–39
Gibson L, Köhler F (2011). Island treasures: patterns of species diversity and composition of land snails on Kimberley islands (ABSTRACT). In Ecological Society of Australia, 2011 Annual Conference: Ecology in Changing Landscapes: Conference Handbook, 21-25 November, 2011, Wrest Point, Hobart, Tasmania p. 238
Gibson LA (2011). The importance of incorporating imperfect detection in biodiversity assessments: a case study of small mammals in an Australian region. Diversity and Distributions 17, pp. 613–623
De Tores P, Hayward M, Spencer P, Bain K, Gibson L (2010). The quokka, Setonix brachyurus (Quoy and Gaimard, 1830) (ABSTRACT). In Threatened Species Research Forum: Western Australian Ecology Centre, 9th July 2010: a Review of WA Government Research into Threatened Species pp. 12–13
Gibson L (2010). Environmental associations of small ground mammals in the Pilbara. PowerPoint presentation at Kwongan Workshop 2010, On the ecology of WA’s arid zone, 29 June 2010. 21 p.
Gibson L, Köhler F, Kessner V (2010). Diversity hot spot revealed: land snails of the Kimberley. Landscope 26(1), pp. 26–31
Gibson L, McKenzie N (2010). Environmental associations of small ground-dwelling mammals in the Pilbara. Available at https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/publications-resources/111-science-division-information-sheets. 38/2010, 2 p.
Gibson L, McNeill A, de Tores P, Wayne A, Yates C (2010). Will future climate change threaten a range restricted endemic species, the quokka (Setonix brachyurus), in south west Australia?. Biological Conservation 143, pp. 2453–2461
Huntley B, Barnard P, Altwegg R, Chambers L, Coetzee BWT, Gibson L et al. (2010). Beyond bioclimatic envelopes: dynamic species’ range and abundance modelling in the context of climatic change. Ecography 33, pp. 621–626
Yates C, Elith J, Gibson L, McNeill A, Midgley G, de Tores P et al. [Wayne A] (2010). The potential impacts of climate change and land transformation on biodiversity in Mediterranean climate south-west Western Australia: implications for threatened species conservation (ABSTRACT). In Threatened Species Research Forum: Western Australian Ecology Centre, 9th July 2010: a Review of WA Government Research into Threatened Species pp. 31–32
Gibson L (2009). A biological survey of the Kimberley islands. Available at https://www.dpaw.wa.gov.au/about-us/science-and-research/publications-resources/111-science-division-information-sheets. 14/2009, 2 p.
Gibson L (2009). Island treasures: a biological survey of the Kimberley islands. Coastlines Summer, pp. 14–15
Gibson L, McNeill A, de Tores P, Wayne A, Yates C (2009). Predicting the effect of climate change on the distribution of the quokka, an iconic West Australian macropod (ABSTRACT). In Abstracts, 10th International Congress of Ecology (INTECOL): Ecology in a Changing Climate: Two Hemispheres-One Globe, Brisbane, August 2009 p. 1
Gibson LA, McKenzie NL (2009). Environmental associations of small ground-dwelling mammals in the Pilbara region, Western Australia. Records of the Western Australian Museum Supplement 78, pp. 91–122
Köhler F, Gibson L (2009). Exploring the diversity of camaenid land snails in the Kimberley, Western Australia. Newsletter of the Malacological Society of Australasia 136, pp. 1–3
Köhler F, Gibson L (2009). Hidden treasures: land snails of the Kimberley. Explore: the Australian Museum Magazine 31(4), pp. 10–11
Cahill DM, Rookes JE, Wilson BA, Gibson L, McDougall KL (2008). Turner review. No. 17, Phytophthora cinnamomi and Australia’s biodiversity: impacts, predictions and progress towards control. Australian Journal of Botany 56, pp. 279–310
Gibson L, McKenzie N, Start T, Pearson D, Palmer R (2008). Treasures of a sunken coastline: a biological survey of the Kimberley islands. Landscope 23(4), pp. 38–44
Gibson L, Barrett B, Burbidge AH (2007). Dealing with uncertain absences in habitat modelling: a case study of a rare ground-dwelling parrot. Diversity and Distributions 13, pp. 704–713
McKenzie NL, Burbidge AA, Baynes A, Brereton RN, Dickman CR, Gordon G et al. [Gibson LA, Williams MR] (2007). Analysis of factors implicated in the recent decline of Australias mammal fauna. Journal of Biogeography 34, pp. 597–611
Allison L, Gibson LA, Aberton JG (2006). Dietary preference of the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus) in the heathlands of Victoria. Wildlife Research 33, pp. 67–76
Burbidge A, McKenzie N, van Leeuwen S, Gibson L, Doughty P, Guthrie N et al. [Durrant B, Pearson D] (2006). Between rock and a hard place: rich biological patterns amongst ancient red rocks. Landscope 21(3), pp. 13–19
Gibson L, McKenzie N (2005). Species composition of small ground dwelling mammals in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (ABSTRACT). In Australian Mammal Society: 51st Scientific Meeting Program and Abstracts: Albany, Western Australia, 4-8 July 2005 p. 43
Gibson L, McKenzie N (2005). Species composition of small ground dwelling mammals in the Pilbara region of Western Australia (ABSTRACT). pp. 20–21
Gibson LA, Burbidge AH, Barrett B (2005). Spatial prediction of suitable habitat for the western ground parrot in the Fitzgerald River National Park (POSTER ABSTRACT). In Programme and Abstracts: Ecological Society of Australia, Brisbane 2005: the University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia, Monday 28th of November to Friday 2nd December 2005 p. 193
Gibson L, Wilson BA, Aberton J (2004). Landscape characteristics associated with species richness of small native mammals inhabiting a coastal heathland: a spatial modelling approach (ABSTRACT). pp. 24–25
Gibson LA, Hume ID (2004). Aspects of the ecophysiology and dietary strategy of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) : a review. Australian Mammalogy 26, pp. 179–183
Gibson LA, Wilson BA, Aberton JG (2004). Landscape characteristics associated with species richness and occurrence of small native mammals inhabiting a coastal heathland: a spatial modelling approach. Biological Conservation 120, pp. 75–89
Gibson LA, Wilson BA, Cahill DM, Hill J (2004). Modelling habitat suitability of the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus maritimus) in the coastal heathlands of southern Victoria, Australia. Biological Conservation 117, pp. 143–150
Gibson LA, Wilson BA, Cahill DM, Hill J (2004). Spatial prediction of rufous bristlebird (Dasyornis broadbent caryochrous) habitat in a coastal heathland: a GIS-based approach. Journal of Applied Ecology 41, pp. 213–223
Hume ID, Gibson LA, Lapidge SJ (2004). Conservation of Australian arid-zone marsupials: making use of knowledge of their energy and water requirements. In Experimental Approaches to Conservation Biology University of California Press, Berkeley. pp. 122–131
Gibson LA, Wilson BA (2003). Predicting the distribution of suitable habitat of the Swamp Antechinus (Antechinus minimus) in the eastern Otway Ranges, Victoria (ABSTRACT). p. 19
Gibson LA, Wilson BA, Aberton J, Cahill D, Hill J (2003). Predictive distribution models and their application in wildlife conservation (ABSTRACT). In Programme and Abstracts: 3rd International Wildlife Management Congress, Incorporating the 16th Annual Australasian Wildlife Management Society Conference: 1-5 December 2003, Christchurch, New Zealand p. 43
Thums M, Hume ID, Gibson LA (2003). Seasonal energetics of the long-nosed bandicoot (Perameles nasuta) in coastal New South Wales. Australian Journal of Zoology 51, pp. 129–136
Tidey D, Gibson L, Wilson BA (2003). Refining release protocol for New Holland Mouse (Pseudomys novaehollandiae) reintroductions at Anglesea, Victoria (POSTER ABSTRACT). p. 42
Gibson LA, Hume ID (2002). Nitrogen requirements in the omnivorous greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis (Marsupialia: Peramelidae). Journal of Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 75, pp. 48–56
Gibson LA, Hume ID, McRae P (2002). Ecophysiology and nutritional niche of the bilby (Macrotis lagotis), an omnivorous marsupial from inland Australia: a review. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology. Part A 133, pp. 843–847
Gibson LA, Wilson BA, Aberton J, Cahill D, Hill J (2002). Habitat suitability models of small ground-dwelling fauna in coastal heathlands: incorporating vegetation structure (ABSTRACT). In Ecology 2002 Conference, Cairns: Handbook of the 2nd Joint Meeting of the Ecological Society of Australia and the New Zealand Ecological Society, held in Conjunction with the 27th Annual Meeting of the ESA and the 51st Annual Meeting of the NZES: Cairns Convention Centre, 1st-6th December 2002 p. 64
Gibson LA, Wilson BA, Aberton J, Cahill D, Hill J (2002). Modelling habitat suitability of the swamp antechinus (Antechinus minimus): a geographic information system approach (ABSTRACT). pp. 29–30
Mitchell E, Wilson BA, Gibson L, Fahy B (2002). Habitat characteristics of the rufous bristlebird, Dasyornis broadbenti, in southwest Victoria (POSTER ABSTRACT). In Ecology 2002 Conference, Cairns: Handbook of the 2nd Joint Meeting of the Ecological Society of Australia and the New Zealand Ecological Society, held in Conjunction with the 27th Annual Meeting of the ESA and the 51st Annual Meeting of the NZES: Cairns Convention Centre, 1st-6th December 2002 p. 109
Gibson LA (2001). Seasonal changes in the diet and food availability of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) in south-western Queensland. Wildlife Research 28, pp. 121–134
Odewahn M, Hume ID, Gibson LA (2001). A seasonal comparison of energy expenditure and water turnover of long-nosed bandicoots, Perameles nasuta, in the Sydney region (ABSTRACT). p. 24
Gibson LA, Hume ID (2000). Digestive performance and digesta passage in the omnivorous greater bilby, Macrotis lagotis (Marsupialia: Peramelidae). Journal of Comparative Physiology B 170, pp. 457–467
Gibson LA, Hume ID (2000). Seasonal field energetics and water influx rates of the greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis). Australian Journal of Zoology 48, pp. 225–239
