Marine Biology & Aquaculture

Tom Lloyd

Tom Lloyd

Alys Young

Alys Young

William Arlidge

William Arlidge

Anna Wilson

Anna Wilson

Kelly Condon

Kelly Condon

Graeme Cumming

Graeme Cumming

Takahiro Shimada

Takahiro Shimada

Peter Doll

Peter Doll

Michela Mitchell

Michela Mitchell

Jan Strugnell

Jan Strugnell

Biodiversity, biogeography and molecular evolution on tropical reefs (Old ID 22591)
Peter Cowman
01 Jun 2017 - 14 Jun 2020
This project aims to uncover how biodiversity patterns are driven by evolutionary processes, biogeography and molecular change. Coral reefs support over 800,000 plant and animal species on <0.1% of the ocean. How was this biodiversity formed? This project aims to answer this question by generating genomic data for a group of reef building corals and reef associated fishes to reconstruct their evolutionary history. It plans to use new methods to compare models of speciation, extinction and range change among regions to determine how those processes contribute to the formation of biodiversity gradients and regional assemblage differences. The project intends to improve understanding of evolutionary dynamics to inform conservation priorities.
The genomics of bleaching tolerance in a hearty, common reef-building coral: Acropora tenuis (Old ID 24824)
Hillary Smith
01 Sep 2018 - 30 Apr 2019
Over the last two years, the Great Barrier Reef has suffered unprecedented coral bleaching, leading to a loss of coral cover and biodiversity. This project aims to quantify the consequences of coral bleaching on adaptive genetic variation. This information can be input to future modelling and resilience management techniques. We will address four major questions: 1) does bleaching lead to a loss of genetic diversity in a stress-tolerant species? 2) What genes and physiological traits are involved in stress tolerance? 3) What gene variants allow survival? And 4) Does migration of mal-adapted larvae hinder local adaptation to extreme heat?
Torres Straits Wetlands, Mangroves and Invasive Species (Old ID 23518)
Nathan Waltham
01 Apr 2017 - 30 Jun 2018
Coastal wetlands and mangrove habitat are important for aquatic communities in the Torres Straits. These water environments also provide important food and cultural values for locals. Torres Straits Regional Authority wishes to continue building Land and Sea Ranger capacity to monitor and evaluate condition of wetlands across the Straits. TropWATER will assist with water quality monitoring, invasive animal management, mangrove condition and health assessment, along with preparation of materials for rangers to continue these monitoring programs.
NQBP & JCU Research & Monitoring Partnership - Seagrass and Coral Studies (Old ID 24715)
Nathan Waltham
23 Oct 2017 - 27 Dec 2020
This project conducts long term assessments of seagrass and coral in the Ports of Mackay, Hay Point, Weipa and Abbott Point. The work forms part of a research and monitoring partnership between JCU and NQBP to monitor and assess marine environmental health within ports as well as support related research and education opportunities.
Caught in the canopy: can coral larvae navigate seaweed canopies? (Old ID 27922)
Hillary Smith
10 Feb 2023 - 31 Aug 2024
Hard corals and fleshy macroalgae are two major benthic components of corals reefs, and the competition between these two groups can shape reef trajectories. Where coral reefs have been degraded through anthropogenic influences (climate change and local factors), the competitive interactions between coral and macroalgae are often increased in frequency and intensity. Given the range of known negative effects of macroalgae on corals, and in light of the climate crisis, it has been proposed that manual removal of macroalgae could help boost coral settlement and resilience on a local scale. Indeed, recent research has shown that the physical removal of macroalgae can triple the resulting recruitment of coral juveniles and drastically increase coral cover, and hence is a viable strategy for active reef management. However, it is not yet known what macroalgal mechanism (biochemical or physical) prevents coral juvenile success. It is also not known what level of algal reduction is needed to achieve reef rehabilitation outcomes. In this project, field data and aquarium-based experiments using different densities and heights of macroalgae will determine how macroalgae canopies affect coral recruitment, and will explicitly test the hypothesis that a physical barrier is responsible for preventing coral juveniles access to reef substrate, and could explain wide- scale patterns in recruitment failure on reefs worldwide.
Mungalla ecosystem service restoration. (Old ID 27736)
Nathan Waltham
01 Jul 2022 - 30 Nov 2025
Coastal wetland restoration is critical and necessary in response to lost values and services, and to increase climate change resilience. Working with Birdlife Australia, Greening Australia and Mungalla Aboriginal Corporation for Business, we will undertake a series of works to improve restoration outcomes for the wetland on the station. The focus is on blue carbon, though other services include water quality and biodiversity outcomes.
National inventory of implemented nature-based solutions (Old ID 27760)
Nathan Waltham
01 Sep 2021 - 31 Mar 2022
This project will undertake a national inventory revie of implemented nature-based solutions that have been completed to mitigate coastal hazards. The aim of this project is to collate the information, build a repository of data and to provide end user groups access to the data and information to inform future planning decisions.
Coral bleaching assessment 2024 in northern Great Barrier Reef
Morgan Pratchett
01 Mar 2024 - 01 May 2024
Climate induced coral bleaching is now the foremost threat to coral reefs, including Australia's Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Based on current and projected sea surface temperatures there is a very high likelihood that mass bleaching will occur in March 2024 on the GBR. As such, The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) are requesting that our team undertake in-water bleaching assessments in the northern GBR in March 2024, at reefs where we are working on crown-of-thorns starfish.
Developing Genetic Resources for Red Snapper, an Important Marine Food Fish for Singapore
Dean Jerry
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2023
Developing Genetic Resources for Red Snapper, an Important Marine Food Fish for Singapore
Coastal wetland systems repair across GBR catchments - values based causal framework validation (Old ID 26386)
Nathan Waltham
01 Sep 2019 - 10 Dec 2020
Conservation and repair of the coastal wetland ecosystems' in the Great Barrier Reef catchments have come into focus following media converging on the point that the reef health and land use in catchments has been compromised. While on-ground wetland repair investment activities are underway, data to demonstrate water quality and biodiversity return for the investment is not available. Here we continue working with project partners, further contributing to change management practices, consolidate new project partnerships, and road test the Queensland Westland's Values Based Causal Framework using existing and new data.

Coral bleaching, reef fish community phase shifts and the resilience of coral reefs

Regional-scale assembly rules and biodiversity of coral reefs

Confronting the coral reef crisis

Influence of age and moderate-intensity exercise training on heart rate variability in young and mature adults

Influence of intensive cycling training on heart rate variability during rest and exercise

Selection for faster growth in the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor

Parentage determination of Kuruma prawn shrimp Penaeus (Marsupenaeus) japonicus using microsatellite markers

Phylogenetic relationships of Australian members of the family Percichthyidae inferred from mitochondrial 12S rRNA sequence data

Phylogeography of the freshwater crayfish Cherax destructor Clark (Parastacidae) in inland Australia: historical fragmentation and recent range expansion

Larval growth history determines juvenile growth and survival in a tropical marine fish

Title: Churchill Fellowship (QLD CF '24) - Dr Dorothea Sandars and Irene Lee Fellowship Award
Reseracher: Gemma Galbraith (AIMS@JCU Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Reef Connectivity)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Research Fellow, James Cook University
Reseracher: Cecile Massault (Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2018
Title: Research Fellow, University of New England
Reseracher: Cecile Massault (Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2010
End Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: PhD, Wageningen University(The Netherlands) / Roslin Institute (UK)
Reseracher: Cecile Massault (Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2006
End Date: 01 Jan 2010
Title: Research Assistant, University of Hong Kong
Reseracher: Sally Lau (Postdoctoral Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
End Date: 01 Jan 2018
Title: MSc, James Cook University
Reseracher: Nga Vu (Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2012
End Date: 01 Jan 2013
Title: Research Assistant, Research Institute for Aquaculture No.1
Reseracher: Nga Vu (Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2008
End Date: 01 Jan 2012
Title: BSc, Nha Trang University
Reseracher: Nga Vu (Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2003
End Date: 01 Jan 2008
Title: Australian Marine Sciences Association
Reseracher: Rachel Neil (Project Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
Title: Fisheries Research and Development Corporation Prize for Best Poster
Reseracher: Rachel Neil (Project Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2023