Education Bachelor of Science/Bachelor of Arts (combined) - University of Melbourne (1979-1984). Post Graduate Diploma of Computer Science - La Trobe University, Melbourne (1985). Master of Information Technology - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University (1992-1994). Doctor of Philosophy - University of Melbourne, Zoology Department (1996-2001).
Employment history Programmer, software engineer, systems analyst (1986-1995) PhD student (1996-1999) Research Scientist, Museum Victoria (1999-2001) Senior Curator of Marine Invertebrates, Museum Victoria (2001-present).
Research Interests Marine biogeography, macro-ecology and macro-evolution; marine conservation biology; and taxonomy and evolution of echinoderms (sea stars, brittle stars, feather stars, sea cucumbers, sea urchins).
Overall, the research is focused on using the vast amounts of data and tissues stored in museum collections to address issues of biodiversity management.
Key government committees Australian Ballast Water Management Advisory Council (ABWMAC), Australian Quarantine Inspection Service (1996-2000) Victorian Fisheries Co-management Council, Department of Natural Resources and Environment (1997-1999) National Introduced Marine Pest Coordination Group (NIMPCG), Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Australia (2001-2008) South East Australian Regional Marine Plan, Stakeholder Reference Group, National Oceans Office (2002-2003)
Key publications (excluding Marine Biodiversity Hub publications and taxonomic works)
Naughton, K.M., O’Hara, T.D., Appleton, B. & Cisternas, P.A. (2014). Antitropical distributions and species delimitation in a group of ophiocomid brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiocomidae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 78: 232-244.
Naughton, K.M., O’Hara, T.D., Appleton, B. & Gardner, M.G. (2014). Sympatric cryptic species in the crinoid genus Cenolia (Echinodermata: Crinoidea: Comasteridae) delineated by sequence and microsatellite markers. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 78: 160-171.
Clark, M.R., Rowden, A.A., Schlacher, T.A., Guinotte, J., Dunstan, P.K., Williams, A., O’Hara, T.D., Watling, L., Niklitschek, E. & Tsuchida, S. (2014). Identifying ecologically or biologically significant areas (EBSA): A systematic method and its application to seamounts in the South Pacific Ocean. Ocean & Coastal Management 91: 65-79.
Schlacher, T.S., Baco-Taylor, A., Rowden, A.A., O’Hara, T.D., Clark, M., Kelley, C. & Dower, J. (2014). Seamount benthos in a cobalt-rich crust region of the Central Pacific: implications for conservation challenges posed by future seabed mining. Diversity and Distributions 20, 491–502.
O’Hara, T.D., Smith, P.J., Mills, V.S., Smirnov, I & Steinke, D. (2013). Biogeographical and phylogeographical relationships of the bathyal ophiuroid fauna of the Macquarie Ridge, Southern Ocean. Polar Biology 36:321–333.
Stöhr, S., O’Hara T.D., & Thuy, B. (2012). Global diversity of brittle stars (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea). PLosOne 7(3): e31940. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0031940
Okanishi, M., O’Hara, T.D. & Fujita, T. (2011). Molecular phylogeny of the order Euryalida (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea), based on mitochondrial and nuclear ribosomal genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 61: 392–399.
O’Hara, T.D., Addison, P.F.E., Gazzard, R., Costa, T.L. & Pocklington, J.B. (2010). A rapid biodiversity assessment methodology tested on intertidal rocky shores. Aquatic Conservation 20:452-463.
O’Hara, T.D. & Tittensor, D.P. (2010). Which environmental factors drive variation in species richness on seamounts? Marine Ecology 31 (Suppl. 1): 26-38.
O’Hara, T.D., Consalvey, M., Lavrado, H.P. & Stocks, K.I. (2010). Environmental predictors and turnover of biota on a seamount chain. Marine Ecology 31 (Suppl. 1): 84-94.
Costa, T.L., O’Hara, T.D. & Keough, M.J. (2010). Measures of taxonomic distinctness do not reliably assess anthropogenic impacts on intertidal mollusc communities. Marine Ecology Progress Series 413: 81–93.
O’Hara, T.D., Rowden, A.A. & Williams, A. (2008). Cold-water coral habitats on seamounts: do they have a specialist fauna? Diversity and Distributions 14: 925-934.
O’Hara, T.D. (2007). Seamounts: Centres of endemism or species-richness for ophiuroids? Global Ecology and Biogeography 16: 720-732.
Poore, G.C.B & O’Hara, T.D. (2007). Marine biogeography and biodiversity of Australia. Pp 177-198 in Connell, S.D. & Gillanders, B.M. (eds) Marine Ecology. Oxford University Press, Oxford.
O’Hara, T.D. (2002). Endemism, rarity and vulnerability of marine species along a temperate coastline. Invertebrate Systematics 16: 671-684.
Koslow J.A., Gowlett-Holmes K., Lowry J.K., O’Hara T.D., Poore G.C.B., & Williams A. (2001). The seamount benthic macrofauna off southern Tasmania: community structure and impacts of trawling. Marine Ecology Progress Series 212: 111-125.
O’Hara, T.D. & Poore, G.C.B. (2000). Distribution and origin of Southern Australian echinoderms and decapods. Journal of Biogeography 27: 1321-1335.
O’Hara, T.D. (1998). Origin of Macquarie Island echinoderms. Polar Biology 20: 143-151.
