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I am a member of the Collection Management group responsible for managing the museum’s collection of invertebrate fauna and associated data. My responsibilities cover a diverse collection of fauna including molluscs, echinoderms, crustaceans, worms, sponges and jellyfish. Contrary to the name, the ‘Marine Invertebrate Collection’ also includes significant holdings of freshwater and terrestrial invertebrates.

I have worked at Museum’s Victoria since 1984 where I was initially employed as a Preparator on a dinosaur replication project. At the conclusion of the project I was retained to work in a variety of roles in Natural Sciences and Public Programs. In 1988 I was appointed as a Technical Assistant in the Invertebrate Zoology Dept., which has led to my current position as a Collection Manager.

As a Collection Manager, I am interested in documenting the fauna of south-eastern Australia, and in particular the distribution of both native and introduced non-marine molluscs (snails and slugs). I have participated in a wide range of field surveys and have been a contributing author on a number of survey reports.

I also have a keen interest in photography and have contributed images towards a number of scientific publications.

Qualifications

Ass.Dip.App.Sci. (Lab.Tech.), Swinburne University, 1995

Key publications

The Murray Expolored Bioscan report, 2016 (Co-author – Terrestrial Invertebrates – Molluscs)

Alps Bioscan report, 2013 (Author – Terrestrial Invertebreates (Molluscs)

Bush Blitz – Ned’s Corner Station report, 2012 (Co-author – Terrestrial Gastropods)

Melbourne’s Wildlife: A field guide to the fauna of Greater Melbourne, CSIRO Publishing, 2006 (Chapter Author –  Snails & Slugs)

2019: ‘Otways Bioscan’ Discovery Day, Wye River, Vic.

2018: ‘SPNCH’ Conference, Dunedin, NZ

2017: ‘Research value of historic wet specimens’ seminar – National Museum of Australia, Canberra.

2016: ‘Murray Explored Bioscan’ – Gannawarra Shire, Vic.

2015: ‘Gippsland Lakes Bioscan’- Nyerimilang Heritage Park/Colquhoun Regional Park, Vic.

2013: ‘Alps Bioscan’ – Alpine National Park, Vic.

2012: ‘Grampians Bioscan’ – Grampians National Park, Vic.

2012: ‘Bunurong Marine Park’ Survey– Inverloch, Vic.

2011: ‘Bush Blitz’ – Ned’s Corner Station, Vic.

2011: ‘Bush Blitz’ – Lake Condah, Vic.

2005: Development & installation of ‘Marine’ exhibition

1999: River Red Gum Project – Moira Forest, NSW

1996: Marine Invertebrate Survey - Malloolabar-Fraser Is. area, in association with Qld. Dept. of Primary Industries - Southern Fisheries Centre.

1995: ‘Horn Centennial Expedition’, West Macdonnell & Finke River Gorge Nat. Parks, NT

1994: Preparation & installation of 'Oceans of life' Exhibition.

1994: ‘SLOPE Survey’ - Southern Australian Continental Shelf, CSIRO RV 'Franklin'.

1993: Bivalve ‘type’ image capture - South Australian Museum, Adelaide.

1993: Terrestrial Invertebrate Fauna Survey - Errinundra National Park, Vic.

1991: 'Giant Gippsland Earthworm' Survey – Loch, Vic

1989: Natural Sciences Multi-disciplinary Field Program – Mallacoota, Vic.

1987: Installation of ‘Dinosaur' exhibition - Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston, Tas.

1984: Dinosaur Replication Project

Images contributed to

Melanie Mackenzie & Emily Whitfield, 2011
An overview of the Australian psolid sea cucumbers (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Psolidae) with the description of 5 new species.
Zootaxa  3037: 21–36

P. Mark O’loughlin, John Eichler, Leon Altoff, Audrey Falconer, Melanie Mackenzie, Emily Whitfield, Chris Rowley, 2009
Observations of reproductive strategies for some dendrochirotid holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 66: 215–220

Mark O’loughlin, 2009
New asterinid species from Africa and Australia (Echinodermata: Asteroidea:Asterinidae)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 66: 203–213 (2009)

Mark O’loughlin, 2009
BANZARE holothuroids (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)
Zootaxa  2196: 1–18

Mark O’loughlin, M. Eugenia Manjón-Cabeza & Francina Moya Ruiz, 2009.
Antarctic holothuroids from the Bellingshausen Sea, with descriptions of new species (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea)
Zootaxa  2016: 1–16

Mark O’loughlin & Dragica Maric, 2008
Australian species of Psolidium Ludwig (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Psolidae)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65: 1–22

Mark O’loughlin & Cynthia Ahearn, 2008
Antarctic and Sub-Antarctic species of Psolidium Ludwig (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Psolidae)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65: 23–42

Milena Benavides-Serrato & Timothy D. O´Hara, 2008
A new species in the Ophiocoma erinaceus complex from the South-west Pacific Ocean (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiocomidae)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 65: 51–56 

Benavides-Serrato, M., O’Loughlin. P.M., and Rowley, C. 2007.
A new fissiparous micro-asteriid from southern Australia (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Asteriidae).
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 64: 71–78

O’Loughlin, P.M., and Van den Spiegel, D. 2007.
New apodid species from southern Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Apodida).
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 64: 53–70

O’Loughlin, P.M., 2007.
New cucumariid species from southern Australia (Echinodermata: Holothuroidea: Dendrochirotida: Cucumariidae).
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 64: 23–34

O’Loughlin, P.M., and Rowe, F.W.E., 2006
A systematic revision of the asterinid genus Aquilonastra O’Loughlin, 2004 (Echinodermata: Asteroidea).
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 63(2): 257–287

O’Loughlin, P. Mark and Rowe, Francis W.E., 2005
A new asterinid genus from the Indo-West Pacific region, including five new species (Echinodermata: Asteroidea: Asterinidae)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 62(2): 181–189

O'Loughlin, P.M., Waters, J.M., 2004
A molecular and morphological revision of genera of Asterinidae (Echinodermata: Asteroidea).
Mem. Mus. Vict., 61(1): 1-40

O’Loughlin, P.M., Waters, J.M., and Roy, M.S., 2003
A molecular and morphological review of the asterinid, Patiriella gunnii (Gray) (Echinodermata: Asteroidea)
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 60(2): 181–195

O’Loughlin, P.M., 2002
Report on selected species of banzare and anare holothuroidea, with reviews of Meseres Ludwig and Heterocucumis Panning (Echinodermata).
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 59(2): 297–325 297

O’Loughlin, P.M., 2002
New genus and species of southern Australian and Pacific Asterinidae (Achinodermata, Asteroidea).
Memoirs of Museum Victoria 59(2): 277–296

Rassmussen, C., 2001
A Museum for the People: A History of Museum Victoria and its predecessor institutions, 1854-2000

Lu, C.C., 1998
A Synopsis of Sepiidae in Australian waters (Cephalopoda: Sepioidea).
Systematics & Biogeography of Cephalopods Vol. 1 (Smithsonian Contributions to Science) No. 586: 159-190 

Lu, C.C., 1998
Use of the Sepion in the Taxonomy of Sepiidae (Cephalopoda: Sepioidea) with an Emphasis on the Australian Fauna.
Systematics & Biogeography of Cephalopods Vol. 1 (Smithsonian Contributions to Science) No. 586: 207-214 

Lockhart, S.J., O’Loughlin, P.M., Tutera, P.,  1994
Brood-protection and diversity in echinoids from  Prydz Bay, Antarctica
Echinoderms through Time – Proc. 8^th. International Echinoderm Conference, Dijon, France, 6-10 Sept. 1993: Pp 749-756

Lu, C.C., Stranks, T.N., 1994
Synopsis of Paraledone and Megaledone species, with description of two new species from Eastern Antarctica (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae)
Mem. Mus. Vict., 54: 221-242

O’Loughlin, P.M, 1994
Brood-protecting and fissiparous cucumariids (Echinodermata, Holothuroidea)
Echinoderms through Time – Proc. 8^th. International Echinoderm Conference, Dijon, France, 6-10 Sept. 1993: Pp 539-547

Lu, C.C., 1993
Class Cephalopoda.
Pp 134-136 in Mather, P. & I. Bennett (eds), A Coral Reef Handbook. Surrey Beatty & Sons, Chipping Norton.

Norman, M.D., 1992
Four new species of the Octopus macropus group (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia.
Mem. Mus. Vict. 53(2): 267-308

Norman, M.D., 1992
Ocellate Octopuses (Cephalopoda: Octopodidae) of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Descriptions of two new species and a redescription of Octopus polyzenia Gray, 1849.
Mem. Mus. Vict. 53(2): 309-344

O'Loughlin, P.M., O'Hara, T., 1992
New Cucumariid Holothurians (Echinodermata) from southern Australia, including two brooding and one fissiparous species.
Mem. Mus. Vict., 53(2): 227-226

Stranks, T.N., Norman, M.D., 1992
Review of the Octopus australis complex from Australia and New Zealand, with a description of a new species (Mollusca: Cephalopoda).
Mem. Mus. Vict., 53(2): 345-373

Materia, C.J., Monagle, J.F., O'Loughlin, P.M., 1991
Seasonal coelomic brooding in southern Australian cucumariids (Echinodermata: Holothurioidea).
Biology of Echinodermata - Proc. 7th. International Echinoderm Conference, Atami, Japan, 9-14 Sept. 1990: Pp 301-307

O'Loughlin, P.M., 1991 
Brooding and Fission in shallow water Echinoderms of southern Australia.
Biology of Echinodermata - Proc. 7th. International Echinoderm Conference, Atami, Japan, 9-14 Sept. 1990:  Pp 223-228