Marine Biology & Aquaculture
Tom Lloyd
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Ecosystems
- tom.lloyd@jcu.edu.au
Alys Young
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Ecosystems
- alys.young@jcu.edu.au
William Arlidge
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Community-Based Fisheries Co-Management
- william.arlidge@jcu.edu.au
Anna Wilson
- Senior Research Worker
- anna.wilson@jcu.edu.au
Kelly Condon
- Senior Lecturer, Aquaculture (Aquatic Animal Health)
- kelly.condon@jcu.edu.au
Graeme Cumming
- Adjunct Professor
- graeme.cumming@jcu.edu.au
Takahiro Shimada
- Adjunct Senior Research Fellow
- takahiro.shimada@jcu.edu.au
Peter Doll
- Research Fellow, Coral Reef Health Assessments
- peter.doll@jcu.edu.au
Michela Mitchell
- Casual Research Assistant
- michela.mitchell@jcu.edu.au
Jan Strugnell
- Professor, Promotional Chair
- jan.strugnell@jcu.edu.au
Closing the life-cycle of high-value Lysmata debelius shrimp in captivity
Jarrod Guppy
11 May 2026 - 10 May 2027
This project aims to enable captive breeding of the high-value ornamental shrimp Lysmata debelius, a species currently sourced exclusively from wild harvest. While demand remains strong, commercial aquaculture production has been constrained by low larval survival and prolonged development. Through a collaboration between James Cook University’s Aquaculture Breeding & Reproductive Technologies Lab, JCU’s Tropical Aquafeed Innovations Lab, and Monsoon Aquatics, the project will investigate how broodstock nutrition, larval feeding strategies, and hatchery management influence survival, development, and settlement. The outcomes will support practical, scalable life-cycle closure methods, reducing pressure on wild populations and strengthening Australia’s ornamental aquaculture capability.
A global assessment of fisheries co-management
William Arlidge
01 Apr 2026 - 31 Mar 2028
This project delivers a global assessment of fisheries co-management. It administers a structured survey to conservation practitioners and government officials working on fisheries co-management arrangements in coastal nations worldwide, recruited primarily through the Wildlife Conservation Society and WWF site networks, with broader outreach to practitioners in other NGOs and government agencies. The instrument captures governance characteristics, governance quality (effective, equitable, responsive, and robust), and perceived social and ecological outcomes. The work develops a typology of co-management systems and examines the conditions shaping their emergence, persistence, and impact, with findings disseminated through peer-reviewed synthesis articles.
Corals of the future: adaptation potential of Australian reefs to a changing climate (Old ID 27635)
Kate Quigley
01 Aug 2023 - 30 Jul 2029
Oceans are changing. Coral reefs are natural wonders of high socio-economic value but are under threat. Conservation genomics can inform managers where to move or establish reserves to prioritize biodiversity protection. This DECRA will help prepare Australia’s prized reefs against future decline by identifying “bright spot” reefs that protect three of the most fundamental biological processes found in nature: dispersal, symbioses, and adaptation. Outcomes include quantifying unknown genetic baselines to help managers optimise protection to sustain future reef ecosystem services. This will boost Australia’s standing as a global leader in the next conservation planning revolution using genomics.
Safe Adoption of Food Entomology – Boosting Uptake, Guidance and Standards (SAFE-BUGS): Detecting Allergens in Edible Insects to Enhance Food Safety, Safeguard Public Health, and Build Consumer Trust in Singapore.
Shaymaviswanathan Karnaneedi
01 Jan 2026 - 30 Jun 2027
Singapore aims to produce 30% of its food locally by 2030, and edible insects are a promising way to help meet this goal. They are nutritious, require little land or water to farm, and produce far fewer greenhouse gases than livestock. Products such as cricket protein bars and mealworm snacks are already appearing in shops.
However, there is a concern for people with shellfish and house dust mite allergies. Because insects are closely related to prawns and crabs, their proteins can be similar. This means some people with shellfish and/or mite allergy might also react to insect-based foods. Right now, doctors advise all shellfish-allergic consumers to avoid insects entirely, but this is challenging and may be more restrictive than necessary.
We will use advanced laboratory methods to identify the exact insect proteins that trigger allergic reactions and test how food processing affects them. Together with SFA’s allergen team, we will design, establish and implement reliable food tests.
At the same time, we will study 60 allergy-suffering consumers. We will use safe, standard methods such as skin tests and blood tests that check reactions to hundreds of allergens at once. A small group will also eat insect-containing food products under strict supervision.
The results of this study will provide food companies and regulators with clear testing methods and give doctors better tools to advise sensitised consumers. This will protect people with allergies while allowing Singapore to safely benefit from sustainable insect proteins.
Science evaluation of coastal wetland systems repair projects across GBR catchments (Old ID 23139)
Nathan Waltham
01 Jan 2017 - 10 Mar 2020
There is a lack of scientific data to support and give surety that on-ground wetland repair investment achieve water quality and biodiversity returns in the GBR catchments. Most existing and future wetland improvement projects have the objective of reducing invasive aquatic weeks, improving water quality and increasing usable habitat and marine connectivity for aquatic species, however, scientific data evaluating the degree to which this actually happens is not available. This is particularly true for long-term impacts beyond the first few years of remedial management. Scientific data and long term evaluation methods are therefore particularly necessary to track the progress against broader program objectives, in particular those contained in a number of policies and planning documents.
Fish tissue proteomics as baseline evaluation for safer cultivated seafood with known allergen profile
Ludwig Lopata
20 Nov 2022 - 19 Nov 2023
Cultivated seafood is far less researched than traditional livestock alternatives. We will address this critical knowledge gap through high throughput proteomic analysis of various tissues from different fish species, used for cultivation, with a focus on comparative composition of allergenic proteins (allergens), and directly compare with cultivated meat. Closing this lack of industry-wide target product, protein, and allergen profiles is essential for success in the alternative protein field and will promote regulation of safe cultivated foods.
Lead Scientist - Group on Earth Observations Global Ecosystem Atlas
Nicholas Murray
01 Feb 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
The Group on Earth Observations (GEO) is a global partnership that promotes the use of Earth observations (EO) as evidence for environmental decisions, policies and finance. GEO’s recently adopted Post-2025 Strategy envisions a bold direction for the future. It calls for transformative programs that will enable GEO to deliver a portfolio of initiatives, providing Earth intelligence needed to unlock transformational change in the way that societies interact with the planet. As part of this vision, the Global Ecosystems Atlas initiative has been established as an international collaboration convened by GEO to create an urgently needed common reference to facilitate harmonized and coherent national, regional, and global reporting of the state of ecosystems. To move the concept closer to its realization as a full proof-of-concept by the Convention of Biodiversity (CBD) Conference of the Parties (COP) in October 2024, GEO is planning to contract Associate Professor Nicholas Murray to perform the role of Lead Scientist. The Lead Scientist will lead the design, planning and execution of atlas activities in 2024 and coordinate the globally distributed Science Core Team.
Genetic diversity audit of farm held stock of greenlip and blacklip abalone (Old ID 23387)
Jan Strugnell
03 Apr 2017 - 31 Oct 2018
Conduct a genetic audit of farm held stocks of greenlip and blacklip abalone to identify current levels of genetic diversity, effective population sizes, and levels of coancestry/relatedness captured within individual farms and the wider industry.
Balclutha Wetland Survey (Old ID 23156)
Nathan Waltham
01 Nov 2016 - 30 Jan 2017
This project will complete an aquatic ecology survey in Balclutha Springs Nature Reserve with Cape York NRM and WALT Aboriginal Corporation. These data are the first for this nature reserve and will assist in conservation of the wetlands and natural springs that exist in the reserve. Data will also assist WALT Aboriginal Corporation to manage he wetlands from impacts of feral pigs.
Diagnosing the dangerous demography of manta rays using life history theory
- 2014
- PeerJ, Ltd.
- Researchers:Colin Simpfendorfer
Benthic Crustacea on coral reefs: a quantitative survey
- 2014
- Inter-Research
- Researchers:David Bellwood
Start Date:
10 Nov 2024
Start Date:
31 Mar 2025
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2027
Start Date:
01 Jan 2004
End Date:
01 Jan 2006
Start Date:
01 Jan 2007
End Date:
01 Jan 2007
Title:
PhD, James Cook University
Start Date:
01 Jan 2002
End Date:
01 Jan 2005
Start Date:
01 Jan 1996
End Date:
01 Jan 1999