Rate My Professor Anthony Chariton

Professor Anthony Chariton is a professor in the School of Natural Sciences at Macquarie University, where he serves as Senior Lecturer and founder of the Environmental e(DNA) and Biomonitoring Lab. He is one of the early pioneers of environmental DNA (eDNA) for biomonitoring. His research centers on the development, application, and integration of ‘omic’ technologies, such as metabarcoding and eDNA, with traditional ecological methods to monitor and assess aquatic systems, particularly sedimentary environments. Chariton explores how biological communities respond to natural and anthropogenic stressors, analyzing changes in community structure, function, and connectivity. His studies encompass community ecology, including the use of eDNA to detect and track taxa distribution across aquatic systems, such as fish and sharks, and terrestrial environments, such as mammals detected via leeches and mosquitoes. This innovative approach has advanced biodiversity assessment and environmental monitoring practices.

Throughout his career, Chariton has held leadership roles, including as former President of the Society of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology Australasia. He received the Society’s Mid-Career Researcher Prize on 15 June 2020 and the Best Paper award for 2019 from Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management on 30 June 2020. His influential publications include "Population structure and genetic diversity analyses reveal isolation that may imperil the northernmost colony of the endangered Australian sea lion" (Ecology and Evolution, February 2026), "Mosquito-derived ingested DNA as a tool for monitoring terrestrial vertebrates within a peri-urban environment" (Ecosphere, January 2025), "Contrasting dynamics and biotic association networks in estuarine microbenthic communities along an environmental disturbance gradient" (Environmental DNA, August 2025), "eDNA biodiversity from space: predicting soil bacteria and fungi alpha diversity in forests using DESIS satellite remote sensing" (International Journal of Remote Sensing, March 2025), and "Metabarcoding of benthic eukaryote communities predicts the ecological condition of estuaries" (2015). With over 4,000 citations across 159 publications, Chariton's work has significantly impacted molecular ecology, ecotoxicology, and biomonitoring fields. He has delivered keynote addresses, including at the Society of Environmental Chemistry and Toxicology Australasia in August 2023.