ORCID Profile
0000-0001-6235-5788
Current Organisation
Murdoch University
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Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
Date: 02-11-2010
DOI: 10.1111/J.1574-6941.2010.00986.X
Abstract: Coral-associated microbial communities from three coral species (Pocillopora damicornis, Acropora tenuis and Favites abdita) were examined every 3 months (January, March, June, October) over a period of 1 year on Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. Tissue from corals was collected throughout the year and additional s ling of coral mucus and seawater s les was performed in January. Tissue s les were also obtained in October from P. damicornis coral colonies on Rottnest Island off Perth, 1200 km south of Ningaloo Reef, to provide comparisons between coral-microbial associates in different locations. The community structures of the coral-associated microorganisms were analysed using phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene clone libraries, which demonstrated highly erse microbial profiles among all the coral species s led. Principal component analysis revealed that s les grouped according to time and not species, indicating that coral-microbial associations may be a result of environmental drivers such as oceanographic characteristics, benthic community structure and temperature. Tissue s les from P. damicornis at Rottnest Island revealed similarities in bacteria to the s les at Ningaloo Reef. This study highlights that coral-associated microbial communities are highly erse however, the complex interactions that determine the stability of these associations are not necessarily dependent on coral host specificity.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2001
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2019
DOI: 10.1071/PC18050
Abstract: The impacts of tropical cyclones combined with a marine heatwave are reported for a seagrass community at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia. A community of 9.5ha of Amphibolis antarctica was lost following a combination of cyclone-induced burial and a marine heatwave. No new seedlings have been observed since the loss recruitment of seedlings may be impeded by local ocean circulation.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2014
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2014.02.026
Abstract: Seagrass meadows are valuable ecosystem service providers that are now being lost globally at an unprecedented rate, with water quality and other localised stressors putting their future viability in doubt. It is therefore critical that we learn more about the interactions between seagrass meadows and future environmental change in the anthropocene. This needs to be with particular reference to the consequences of poor water quality on ecosystem resilience and the effects of change on trophic interactions within the food web. Understanding and predicting the response of seagrass meadows to future environmental change requires an understanding of the natural long-term drivers of change and how these are currently influenced by anthropogenic stress. Conservation management of coastal and marine ecosystems now and in the future requires increased knowledge of how seagrass meadows respond to environmental change, and how they can be managed to be resilient to these changes. Finding solutions to such issues also requires recognising people as part of the social-ecological system. This special issue aims to further enhance this knowledge by bringing together global expertise across this field. The special issues considers issues such as ecosystem service delivery of seagrass meadows, the drivers of long-term seagrass change and the socio-economic consequences of environmental change to seagrass.
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 21-04-2015
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 06-12-2018
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2006
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 16-05-2012
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 16-08-2012
DOI: 10.1007/S00248-012-0105-Z
Abstract: Diverse and abundant bacterial populations play important functional roles in the multi-partite association of the coral holobiont. The specificity of coral-associated assemblages remains unclear, and little is known about the inheritance of specific bacteria from the parent colony to their offspring. This study investigated if broadcast spawning and brooding corals release specific and potentially beneficial bacteria with their offspring to secure maintenance across generations. Two coral species, Acropora tenuis and Pocillopora damicornis, were maintained in 0.2 μm filtered seawater during the release of their gametes and planulae, respectively. Water s les, excluding gametes and planulae, were subsequently collected, and bacterial ersity was assessed through a pyrosequencing approach lifying a 470-bp region of the 16S rRNA gene including the variable regions 1-3. Compared to the high bacterial ersity harboured by corals, only a few taxa of bacteria were released by adult corals. Both A. tenuis and P. damicornis released similar bacteria, and the genera Alteromonas and Roseobacter were abundant in large proportions in the seawater of both species after reproduction. This study suggests that adult corals may release bacteria with their offspring to benefit the fitness in early coral life stages.
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-08-2018
DOI: 10.1038/S41598-018-31236-5
Abstract: Heat waves have profoundly impacted biota globally over the past decade, especially where their ecological impacts are rapid, erse, and broad-scale. Although usually considered in isolation for either terrestrial or marine ecosystems, heat waves can straddle ecosystems of both types at subcontinental scales, potentially impacting larger areas and taxonomic breadth than previously envisioned. Using climatic and multi-species demographic data collected in Western Australia, we show that a massive heat wave event straddling terrestrial and maritime ecosystems triggered abrupt, synchronous, and multi-trophic ecological disruptions, including mortality, demographic shifts and altered species distributions. Tree die-off and coral bleaching occurred concurrently in response to the heat wave, and were accompanied by terrestrial plant mortality, seagrass and kelp loss, population crash of an endangered terrestrial bird species, plummeting breeding success in marine penguins, and outbreaks of terrestrial wood-boring insects. These multiple taxa and trophic-level impacts spanned ,000 km 2 —comparable to the size of California—encompassing one terrestrial Global Bio ersity Hotspot and two marine World Heritage Areas. The subcontinental multi-taxa context documented here reveals that terrestrial and marine biotic responses to heat waves do not occur in isolation, implying that the extent of ecological vulnerability to projected increases in heat waves is underestimated.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-04-2007
Publisher: Springer Netherlands
Date: 2006
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-02-2003
Publisher: Hindawi Limited
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1155/2012/837317
Abstract: Donor meadow recovery is important in deciding whether removal of material from natural seagrass meadows is a sustainable activity. Thus an investigation into meadow regrowth was undertaken as part of a large-scale seagrass rehabilitation effort in Cockburn Sound, Western Australia. Several plug extraction configurations were examined in Posidonia sinuosa and Posidonia australis meadows to monitor shoot growth into plug scars. No significant differences in shoot growth between extraction configurations were observed, and both species increased their shoot numbers over two years, with P. sinuosa showing a significantly better recovery rate than P. australis . P. sinuosa shoot recovery into extracted areas was 2.2 ± 0.1 shoots over 24 months, similar to shoot changes in controls (2.3 shoots over the same period). P. australis shoot recovery for each configuration was 0.8 ± 0.3 shoots in 24 months compared with 1.5 shoots in the controls. Based on the number of regrowing shoots, the predicted recovery time of a meadow is estimated at 4 years for P. sinuosa and three years for P. australis . Different plug extraction configurations do not appear to affect meadow recovery, and it can be concluded that established meadows of both species are sustainable providers of planting units for rehabilitation measures.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 21-02-2003
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2012
DOI: 10.1071/MF11180
Abstract: Stingrays are an important part of the biomass of the fishes in shallow coastal ecosystems, particularly in inter-reefal areas. In these habitats, they are considered keystone species – modifying physical and biological habitats through their foraging and predation. Here, we quantify the effects of bioturbation by rays on sand flats of Ningaloo Reef lagoon in Western Australia. We measured the daily length, breadth and depth of 108 feeding pits over three 7‐day periods, created by stingrays (Pastinachus atrus, Himantura spp. Taeniura lymma and Urogymnus asperrimus) in Mangrove Bay. Additionally, an area of ~1 km2 of the lagoon at Coral Bay was mapped three times over 18 months, to record patterns of ray and pit presence. Over 21 days at Mangrove Bay, a total of 1.08 m3 of sediment was excavated by rays, equating to a sediment wet weight of 760.8 kg, and 2.42% of the total area s led, or 0.03% of the whole intertidal zone. We estimate that up to 42% of the soft sediments in our study area would be reworked by stingrays each year. Based on a model predicting the probability of pit presence over time, there was a 40% probability of ray pits persisting for 4 days before being filled in but only a 15% probability of a pit being present after 7 days. Changes in pit volume over time were static, providing evidence for secondary use. Our results imply that rays play an important ecological role creating sheltered habitats for other taxa in addition to the turnover of sediments.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2009
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2001
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-10-2013
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2020
DOI: 10.1071/PC18086
Abstract: Predation by the corallivorous gastropod Drupella cornus is well studied in the tropical and subtropical waters of the Indo-Pacific, including Ningaloo Reef and the Houtman Abrolhos Islands, Western Australia. In 1983, Drupella was not found in the Pocillopora colonies of Rottnest Island (Black and Prince 1983), and there has only been one record of D. cornus on Rottnest Island until today. We show the first feeding aggregations of D. cornus on these higher-latitude reefs of Rottnest Island, and highlight the importance of these findings.
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2020
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 12-06-2015
Publisher: The Royal Society
Date: 09-10-2019
Abstract: Intraspecific colour polymorphisms have been the focus of numerous studies, yet processes affecting melanism in the marine environment remain poorly understood. Arguably, the most prominent ex le of melanism in marine species occurs in manta rays ( Mobula birostris and Mobula alfredi ). Here, we use long-term photo identification catalogues to document the frequency variation of melanism across Indo-Pacific manta ray populations and test for evidence of selection by predation acting on colour morph variants. We use mark–recapture modelling to compare survivorship of typical and melanistic colour morphs in three M. alfredi populations and assess the relationship between frequency variation and geographical distance . While there were large differences in melanism frequencies among populations of both species (0–40.70%), apparent survival estimates revealed no difference in survivorship between colour morphs. We found a significant association between phenotypic and geographical distance in M. birostris , but not in M. alfredi . Our results suggest that melanism is not under selection by predation in the tested M. alfredi populations, and that frequency differences across populations of both species are a consequence of neutral genetic processes . As genetic colour polymorphisms are often subjected to complex selection mechanisms, our findings only begin to elucidate the underlying evolutionary processes responsible for the maintenance and frequency variation of melanism in manta ray populations.
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 26-05-2015
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2016
DOI: 10.1071/PC16003
Abstract: Localised population declines and increased pressure from fisheries have prompted the promotion of manta ray interaction tourism as a non-consumptive, yet economically attractive, alternative to the unsustainable harvesting of these animals. Unfortunately, however, wildlife tourism activities have the potential to adversely impact focal species. In order to be sustainable, operations must be managed to mitigate negative impacts. A preliminary assessment of reef manta ray, Manta alfredi, behaviour identified short-term behavioural responses during a third of tourism interactions in the Ningaloo Marine Park, Western Australia. Although it remains unknown whether these responses translate to biologically significant impacts on the population as a whole, it is proposed that the precautionary principle be used to guide management intervention in the absence of conclusive evidence of the magnitude of tourism impacts. The principle supports the implementation of precautionary strategies to protect species and their environment from harm, even when the extent of the harm is yet to be confirmed. An increase in the level of industry management is recommended, including the implementation of a licensing system and adherence of all operators to a mandatory code of conduct during manta ray interactions. Considering the well designed and precautionary-driven management program of the Ningaloo whale shark tourism industry operating within the same marine park, a management program with the same underlying principles and objectives is deemed to be an ideal framework to build a comprehensive management plan for the manta ray interaction industry.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 18-06-2013
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.642
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2003
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-05-2316
DOI: 10.1111/JFB.12104
Abstract: Dietary characteristics and the degree of dietary partitioning by five species of sympatric stingray were assessed using stomach content and sediment analyses within a coral reef lagoon at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia (the cowtail Pastinachus atrus, blue-spotted fantail Taeniura lymma, blue-spotted mask Neotrygon kuhlii, porcupine Urogymnus asperrimus rays and the reticulate whipray Himantura uarnak). A total of 2804 items were recovered from the stomachs of 170 rays and 3215 in idual taxa from the environment, which were used in selectivity analyses. Twenty-four prey taxa were identified from stomach contents and pooled into 10 taxonomic categories for analysis, of which annelids, prawns, brachyurans and bivalves were the most abundant, together accounting for 96% of the diet. Himantura uarnak had the greatest interspecific dissimilarity in diet, consuming a larger proportion of crustaceans, notably penaeids (41% of total diet) than the other four species of rays, all of which had diets dominated by annelids (71-82% of total diet). Crustacean specialization by H. uarnak may exist to maximize resources and reduce competition among sympatric species. The remaining species may partition resources on the basis of space, rather than diet.
No related grants have been discovered for Mike van Keulen.