Rate My Professor Megan Huggett

Associate Professor Megan Huggett holds a Doctor of Philosophy and a Bachelor of Science, both from the University of New South Wales. Her career trajectory has encompassed five institutions across Australia and the United States over the past two decades, including doctoral studies and postdoctoral research positions, culminating in her current permanent appointment as Associate Professor in the School of Science, College of Engineering, Science and Environment at the University of Newcastle, Australia. Previously recognized as a senior lecturer in the School of Environmental and Life Sciences, she has secured research grants totaling $447,151 from sources such as Hunter Water Corporation, Central Coast Council, OzFish, Lake Macquarie City Council, University of Newcastle Research and Innovation Division, and NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service. In 2022, she received the Women in Research Fellowship from the University of Newcastle ($30,000).

An ocean enthusiast, Associate Professor Huggett's research investigates the biodiversity and function of microbes in marine and coastal ecosystems, with fields of research encompassing microbial ecology (50%) and marine and estuarine ecology including marine ichthyology (50%). Her work elucidates the impacts of climate change, pollutants, and contaminants on marine microorganisms, which underpin planetary biogeochemical cycles and support the health of larger organisms through nutrition, resilience to environmental change, and disease resistance. Key studies reveal disruptions to fish gut microbiomes from coral bleaching history, sewage inputs, heavy metal contamination, and climate-induced warming, which reduces species richness and promotes pathogen dominance. She collaborates with local councils, Hunter Water, NSW Department of Planning and Environment, and Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to assess water quality, stormwater impacts, estuarine contaminants, and nutrient sources. International partnerships in the United States, Japan, and Spain advance microbial ecology knowledge on responses to warming, metal contamination, ocean acidification, and eutrophication. To date, she has co-authored 36 journal articles and two conference papers, including 'Effects of persistent thermal plumes on Zostera muelleri reproductive effort, seed bank densities and seed bank viability' (Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2026), 'Environmental DNA as a tool for detecting ocean outfall impacts and environmental gradients in coastal ecosystems' (Science of the Total Environment, 2026), 'Extremophiles Handbook' (2010), 'Characterization of Leucetta prolifera, a calcarean cyanosponge from south-Western Australia, and its symbionts' (Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2016), and 'Larval settlement, primary tube formation, and the role of the primary tube in the polychaete Hydroides elegans' (Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2009). Looking ahead, she aims to culture key marine microorganisms for functional analysis and probiotic applications to bolster ecosystem health amid environmental changes. Through her efforts, she trains the next generation of marine scientists, fostering publications in high-impact journals and contributions to local, state, and global environmental challenges.