Morgan Pratchett
- morgan.pratchett@jcu.edu.au
- Professor, Marine Biology & Aquaculture
- Marine Biology & Aquaculture
Projects
11
Publications
23
Awards
0
Contact Details
Professor, Marine Biology & Aquaculture
Biography
Prof Morgan Pratchett is a marine conservation ecologist with extensive knowledge of coral reef ecosystems. His current research focuses on major disturbances that contribute to widespread declines in the abundance of hard corals, and corresponding changes in the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems.
Research
Projects
Coral bleaching assessment 2024 in northern Great Barrier Reef
01 Mar 2024 - 01 May 2024
COTS Monitoring Design: sample design for science and management decisions (Old ID 27510)
01 Jan 2022 - 30 Jun 2023
Innovations in COTS Control on the Great Barrier Reef (Old ID 26958)
01 Jan 2020 - 31 Dec 2020
Coral Sea - Coral Reef Health Multi Year Project (Old ID 26516)
27 May 2019 - 30 Jun 2021
Coral Reef Health in the Coral Sea Marine Park (Old ID 24771)
05 Mar 2018 - 05 Jul 2020
Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs Shallow Reef Monitoring 2018 (Old ID 24815)
24 Feb 2018 - 10 Dec 2018
Research to support sustainable coral harvesting by Australian aquarium industry (Old ID 23641)
13 Jul 2017 - 12 Jul 2018
Teaching
Taught Modules
[MB3190] Coral Reef EcologyCoordinator, Lecturer
2025
[MB5190] Coral Reef EcologyCoordinator, Lecturer
2025
Current JCU Research Students
The effects of marine heatwaves on phenotypic and adaptive outcomes in a marine fish
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
Density-dependence in early life-history processes of hard corals and impacts on population recovery
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
Synergistic effects of climate-induced coral bleaching and coral feeding by crown-of-thorns starfish on corals and coral assemblages on the Great Barrier Reef
Master of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
A benefit-cost comparison of coral reef restoration policies and exploring their application in differentlocal government contexts in the Philippines
Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)
Changes in the structure and function of Coral assemblages at Lizard Island
Master of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
The role of heterotrophy in post-bleaching coral resilience
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
Structure and function of coral assemblages in Musandam, Oman
Master of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
Completed JCU Research Students
Novel insights into the evolutionary history of marine angelfishes from genome-scale data (F: Pomacanthidae)
Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)- 2025
Temperature preferences of tropical fishes and the influence of local abiotic and biotic factors
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2020
The life-history, evolution and adaptation of coral reef fishes in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2023
Differential susceptibility of corals to major versus routine disturbances in Australia’s Coral Sea
Master of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2021
Processes and patterns in larval settlement of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris)
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2024
Impacts of ocean warming on the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris)
Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)- 2023
The effect of increasing temperature on algae-fish interactions on coral reefs
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2020
Dynamics of carbonate production and erosion in north-western Australia
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2025
The biology, ecology, and management of corals targeted for commercial harvest by Australian coral fisheries
Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)- 2024
Age determination in the Pacific crown-of-thorns seastar (Acanthaster cf. solaris): novel molecular approaches
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2025
Spatial and temporal variation in the demography of early-stage juvenile Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) from Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2020
Improving Coral Bleaching Predictions for Malaysian Reefs Through Consideration of Multiple Data Sources and Cumulative Pressures
Master of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2025
Sub-lethal effects of coral loss and habitat degradation on coral reef fishes with specific emphasis on Chaetodon butterflyfishes
Master of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)- 2023
Effects of habitat fragmentation on coral-associated fish assemblages.
Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)- 2023
Activities
Associations
Output
Chandler, Josie F.; Burn, Deborah; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Doll, Peter C.; Kwong, Sarah L.T.; Lang, Bethan J.; Pacey, Kai I.; Pratchett, Morgan S. (2023) 'Increasing densities of Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) at Lizard Island, northern Great Barrier Reef, resolved using a novel survey method'. Scientific Reports, 13 (1). [DOI]
Doll, Peter C.; Uthicke, Sven; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Diaz-Pulido, Guillermo; Abdul Wahab, Muhammad A.; Jeong, So Young; Lang, Bethan J.; Pratchett, Morgan S. (2023) 'Settlement cue selectivity by larvae of the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish'. Biology Letters, 19 (1). [DOI]
Cannon, Sara E.; Donner, Simon D.; Liu, Angela; González Espinosa, Pedro C.; Baird, Andrew H.; Baum, Julia K.; Bauman, Andrew G.; Beger, Maria; Benkwitt, Cassandra E.; Birt, Matthew J.; Chancerelle, Yannick; Cinner, Joshua E.; Crane, Nicole L.; Denis, Vianney; Depczynski, Martial; Fadli, Nur; Fenner, Douglas; Fulton, Christopher J.; Golbuu, Yimnang; Graham, Nicholas A.J.; Guest, James; Harrison, Hugo B.; Hobbs, Jean-Paul A.; Hoey, Andrew S.; Holmes, Thomas H.; Houk, Peter; Januchowski-Hartley, Fraser A.; Jompa, Jamaluddin; Kuo, Chao-Yang; Limmon, Gino Valentino; Lin, Yuting V.; McClanahan, Timothy R.; Muenzel, Dominic; Paddack, Michelle J.; Planes, Serge; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Radford, Ben; Reimer, James Davis; Richards, Zoe T.; Ross, Claire L.; Rulmal Jr., John; Sommer, Brigitte; Williams, GarethJ.; Wilson, Shaun K. (2023) 'Macroalgae exhibit diverse responses to human disturbances on coral reefs'. Global Change Biology, 29 (12):3318-3330. [DOI]
Burn, D.; Hoey, A.S.; Matthews, S.; Harrison, H.B.; Pratchett, M.S. (2023) 'Differential bleaching susceptibility among coral taxa and colony sizes, relative to bleaching severity across Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea Marine Parks'. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 191 . [DOI]
Cumming, Graeme S.; Adamska, Maja; Barnes, Michele L.; Barnett, Jon; Bellwood, David R.; Cinner, Joshua E.; Cohen, Philippa J.; Donelson, Jennifer M.; Fabricius, Katharina; Grafton, R. Quentin; Grech, Alana; Gurney, Georgina G.; Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove; Hoey, Andrew S.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Lau, Jacqueline; Lovelock, Catherine E.; Lowe, Ryan; Miller, David J.; Morrison, Tiffany H.; Mumby, Peter J.; Nakata, Martin; Pandolfi, John M.; Peterson, Garry D.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Ravasi, Timothy; Riginos, Cynthia; Rummer, Jodie L.; Schaffelke, Britta; Wernberg, Thomas; Wilson, Shaun K. (2023) 'Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes'. Regional Environmental Change, 23 (2). [DOI]
Scott, Molly E.; Tebbett, Sterling B.; Whitman, Kirsty L.; Thompson, Cassandra A.; Mancini, Frank B.; Heupel, Michelle R.; Pratchett, Morgan S. (2022) 'Variation in abundance, diversity and composition of coral reef fishes with increasing depth at a submerged shoal in the northern Great Barrier Reef'. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 32 :941-962. [DOI]
Uthicke, Sven; Robson, Barbara; Doyle, Jason R.; Logan, Murray; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Lamare, Miles (2022) 'Developing an effective marine eDNA monitoring: eDNA detection at pre-outbreak densities of corallivorous seastar (Acanthaster cf. solaris)'. Science of the Total Environment, 851 (Part 1). [DOI]
Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming
2021
Cornwall, Christopher E.; Comeau, Steeve; Kornder, Niklas A.; Perry, Chris T.; van Hooidonk, Ruben; Decarlo, Thomas M.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Anderson, Kristen D.; Browne, Nicola; Carpenter, Robert; Diaz-Pulido, Guillermo; D'Olivo, Juan P.; Doo, Steve S.; Figueiredo, Joana; Valero Fortunato, Sofia A.V.; Kennedy, Emma; Lantz, Coulson A.; McCulloch, Malcolm T.; Gonzalez Rivero, Manuel; Schoepf, Verena; Smithers, Scott G.; Rowe, Ryan J. (2021) 'Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming'. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (21). [DOI]
Pratchett, Morgan S.; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Cvitanovic, Christopher; Raymundo, Maia L.; Babcock, Russell; Bonin, Mary C.; Bozec, Yves-Marie; Burn, Deborah; Byrne, Maria; Castro-Sanguino, Carolina; Chen, Carla C.M.; Condie, Scott A.; Cowan, Zara-Louise; Deaker, Dione J.; Desbiens, Amelia; Devantier, Lyndon M.; Doherty, Peter J.; Doll, Peter C.; Doyle, Jason R.; Dworjanyn, Symon A.; Fabricius, Katharina E.; Haywood, Michael D.E.; Hock, Karlo; Hoggett, Anne K.; Hoj, Lone; Keesing, John K.; Kenchington, Richard A.; Lang, Bethan J.; Ling, Scott D.; Matthews, Samuel A.; McCallum, Hamish I.; Mellin, Camille; Mos, Benjamin; Motti, Cherie A.; Mumby, Peter J.; Stump, Richard J.W.; Uthicke, Sven; Vail, Lyle; Wolfe, Kennedy; Wilson, Shaun K. (2021) 'Knowledge Gaps in the Biology, Ecology, and Management of the Pacific Crown-of-Thorns Sea Star, Acanthaster sp., on Australia's Great Barrier Reef'. Biological Bulletin, 241 (3). [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Ling, S.D.; Cowan, Z.-L.; Boada, J.; Flukes, E.B.; Pratchett, M.S. (2020) 'Homing behaviour by destructive crown-of-thorns starfish is triggered by local availability of coral prey'. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences, 287 (1938). [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Habitat associations of settlement-stage crown-of-thorns starfish on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef
2020
Wilmes, Jennifer C.; Shultz, Daniel J.; Hoey, Andrew S.; Messmer, Vanessa; Pratchett, Morgan S. (2020) 'Habitat associations of settlement-stage crown-of-thorns starfish on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef'. Coral Reefs, 39 :1163-1174. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Pratchett, Morgan S.; McWilliam, Michael J.; Riegl, Bernhard (2020) 'Contrasting shifts in coral assemblages with increasing disturbances'. Coral Reefs, 39 :783-793. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Pratchett, Morgan S.; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Newman, Stephen J.; Wilson, Shaun K.; Messmer, Vanessa; Pratchett, Deborah J. (2020) 'Bleaching susceptibility of aquarium corals collected across northern Australia'. Coral Reefs, 39 :663-673. [DOI]
McWilliam, Mike; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Hughes, Terry P. (2020) 'Deficits in functional trait diversity following recovery on coral reefs'. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences, 287 . [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Anderson, Kristen D.; Cantin, Neal E.; Casey, Jordan M.; Pratchett, Morgan S. (2019) 'Independent effects of ocean warming versus acidification on the growth, survivorship and physiology of two Acropora corals'. Coral Reefs, 38 (6):1225-1240. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Hughes, Terry P.; Kerry, James T.; Baird, Andrew H.; Connolly, Sean R.; Chase, Tory J.; Dietzel, Andreas; Hill, Tessa; Hoey, Andrew S.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Jacobson, Mizue; Kerswell, Ailsa; Madin, Joshua S.; Mieog, Abbie; Paley, Allison S.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Torda, Gergely; Woods, Rachael M. (2019) 'Global warming impairs stock-recruitment dynamics of corals'. Nature, 568 (7752):387-401. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Bellwood, David R.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Morrison, Tiffany H.; Gurney, Georgina G.; Hughes, Terry P.; Álvarez-Romero, Jorge G.; Day, Jon C.; Grantham, Ruby; Grech, Alana; Hoey, Andrew S.; Jones, Geoffrey P.; Pandolfi, John M.; Tebbett, Sterling B.; Techera, Erika; Weeks, Rebecca; Cumming, Graeme S. (2019) 'Coral reef conservation in the Anthropocene: confronting spatial mismatches and prioritizing functions'. Biological Conservation, 236 :604-615. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Wilmes, Jennifer C.; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Cowan, Zara-Louise; Hoey, Andrew S.; Lang, Bethan; Messmer, Vanessa; Pratchett, Morgan S. (2018) 'Contributions of pre- versus post-settlement processes to fluctuating abundance of crown-of-thorns starfishes ( Acanthaster spp.)'. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 135 :332-345. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Hughes, Terry P.; Kerry, James T.; Baird, Andrew H.; Connolly, Sean R.; Dietzel, Andreas; Eakin, C. Mark; Heron, Scott F.; Hoey, Andrew S.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Liu, Gang; McWilliam, Michael J.; Pears, Rachel J.; Pratchett, Morgan S.; Skirving, William J.; Stella, Jessica S.; Torda, Gergely (2018) 'Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages'. Nature, 556 (7702):492-496. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Pratchett, Morgan S.; Cameron, Darren S.; Donelson, Jennifer; Evans, Louisa; Frisch, Ashley J.; Hobday, Alistair J.; Hoey, Andrew S.; Marshall, Nadine A.; Messmer, Vanessa; Munday, Philip L.; Pears, Rachel; Pecl, Gretta; Reynolds, Adam; Scott, Molly; Tobin, Andrew; Tobin, Renae; Welch, David J.; Williamson, David H. (2017) 'Effects of climate change on coral grouper (Plectropomus spp.) and possible adaptation options'. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 27 :297-316. [DOI]
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Pratchett, Morgan S.; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Wilmes, Jennifer C.; Matthews, Samuel; Mellin, Camille; Sweatman, Hugh P.A.; Nadler, Lauren E.; Brodie, Jon; Thompson, Cassandra A.; Hoey, Jessica; Bos, Arthur R.; Byrne, Maria; Messmer, Vanessa; V. Fortunato, Sofia A.; Chen, Carla C.M.; Buck, Alexander C.E.; Babcock, Russell C.; Uthicke, Sven (2017) 'Thirty years of research on crown-of-thorns starfish (1986-2016): scientific advances and emerging opportunities'. Diversity, 9 (4). [DOI]
Pratchett, Morgan S.; Anderson, Kristen D.; Hoogenboom, Mia O.; Windman, Elizabeth; Baird, Andrew H.; Pandolfi, John M.; Edmunds, Peter J.; Lough, Janice M. (2015) 'Spatial, temporal and taxonomic variation in coral growth: implications for the structure and function of coral reef ecosystems'. Oceanography and Marine Biology, 53 :215-295.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU
Pratchett, Morgan S.; Caballes, Ciemon F.; Rivera-Posada, Jairo A.; Sweatman, Hugh P.A. (2014) 'Limits to understanding and managing outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.)'. Oceanography and Marine Biology, 52 :133-200.
Journal Publication
ResearchOnline@JCU