ORCID Profile
0000-0001-5011-7731
Current Organisation
New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Marine And Estuarine Ecology (Incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology) | Ecology | Environmental Science and Management | Ecosystem Function | Invertebrate Biology | Environmental Management And Rehabilitation | Ecological Applications | Environmental Rehabilitation (excl. Bioremediation) | Conservation And Biodiversity | Pests And Diseases |
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Control of pests and exotic species | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Marine Environments | Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity | Living resources (flora and fauna) | Physical and chemical conditions | Rehabilitation of Degraded Coastal and Estuarine Environments | Environmentally Sustainable Construction not elsewhere classified | Environmental education and awareness | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Integrated (ecosystem) assessment and management | Estuarine and lagoon areas | Rehabilitation of degraded coastal and estuarine areas
Related Links
Publications
Effects of shading on subtidal epibiotic assemblages
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-1999
Do urban structures influence local abundance and diversity of subtidal epibiota? A case study from Sydney Harbour, Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-1999
Two types of uncini inPolycirrus(Polychaeta: Terebellidae: Polycirrinae) revealed using geometric morphometrics
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 31-05-2006
Latitudinal patterns of species diversity on South American rocky shores: Local processes lead to contrasting trends in regional and local species diversity
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-06-2202
DOI: 10.1111/JBI.13869
Tolerance of the invasive marine alga Caulerpa taxifolia to burial by sediment
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2005
Enhanced numbers of two temperate reef fishes in a small, partial-take marine protected area related to spearfisher exclusion
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2013
Differences in benthic metabolism, nutrient fluxes, and denitrification in Caulerpa taxifolia communities compared to uninvaded bare sediment and seagrass (Zostera capricorni ) habitats
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 27-08-2011
Fish assemblages in habitats dominated by Caulerpa taxifolia and native seagrasses in south-eastern Australia
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 24-04-2006
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS312223
Lack of epifaunal response to the application of salt for managing the noxious green alga Caulerpa taxifolia in a coastal lake
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-2007
Surface composition and orientation interact to affect subtidal epibiota
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2000
DOI: 10.1016/S0022-0981(00)00169-6
Abstract: Settlement panels were used to evaluate the effects of composition of the substratum (sandstone, concrete, wood) and orientation (vertical, horizontal undersides) on subtidal epibiota. It was predicted that both factors would influence the development of epibiotic assemblages, but that differences due to composition would be less marked on horizontal undersides compared to vertical panels. Differences in assemblages among sandstone, concrete and wooden panels orientated vertically were predicted to be similar to those described previously among vertical surfaces of sandstone rocky reefs and concrete and wooden urban structures (pilings and pontoons). Multivariate analyses indicated that assemblages were influenced greatly by orientation, whereas the effects of surface composition differed for the two orientations and among sites. Assemblages on wood were always significantly different from those on sandstone or concrete - patterns between the latter two surfaces depended on the orientation of the panels. The taxa that dominated these surfaces were not similar in identity nor abundance to those on urban structures of the same composition. The covers of most taxa were influenced by orientation alone or by surface composition for just one orientation. This study demonstrates the need for caution in generalizing about effects of orientation and surface composition because they may interact with each other and/or with other factors and they are certainly quite different for different taxa and among sites.
Interpreting Long-Term Patterns of Seagrasses Abundance: How Seagrass Variability Is Dependent on Genus and Estuary Type
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 12-11-2021
Comparing the invasibility of experimental reefs with field observations of natural reefs and artificial structures
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 30-05-2012
Don't go breaking apart: Anthropogenic disturbances predict meadow fragmentation of an endangered seagrass
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 13-12-2022
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.3905
Abstract: Although it is well established that human activities are linked to the loss of seagrasses worldwide, the influence of anthropogenic disturbances on the habitat fragmentation of seagrass meadows is less understood. This information is essential to identify how humans are modifying seascapes and what disturbances pose the greatest risk to seagrasses, which is pertinent given the rapid urbanization occurring in coastal areas. This study examined how the habitat fragmentation of an endangered seagrass Posidonia australis varied in relation to several anthropogenic disturbances (i.e. human population, marine infrastructure, terrestrial run‐off and catchment land‐usage) within 10 estuaries across 620 km of coastline in New South Wales, Australia. When comparing between estuaries, the fragmentation of P. australis meadows was significantly greater in estuaries adjacent to highly populated metropolitan centres – generally in the Greater Sydney region. At sites within estuaries, the density of boat moorings was the most important predictor of habitat fragmentation, but there was also evidence of higher fragmentation with increased numbers of jetties and oyster aquaculture leases. These results suggest that the fragmentation of seagrass meadows will become more pervasive as the human population continues to grow and estuarine development increases. Strategies to mitigate anthropogenic disturbances on seagrass meadow fragmentation could include prohibiting the construction of boat moorings and other artificial structures in areas where seagrasses are present or promoting environmentally friendly designs for marine infrastructure. This knowledge will support ongoing management actions attempting to balance coastal development and the conservation of seagrasses.
Modelling coastal connectivity in a Western Boundary Current: Seasonal and inter-annual variability
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 03-2011
Links between estuarine condition and spatial distributions of marine invaders
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2009
Epibiota on vertical and on horizontal surfaces on natural reefs and on artificial structures
Publisher: Cambridge University Press (CUP)
Date: 23-11-2004
DOI: 10.1017/S0025315404010550H
Abstract: Subtidal assemblages of epibiota on vertical and on horizontal surfaces of two natural reefs and two concrete breakwalls were s led photographically during autumn and winter of 1998. Differences in the assemblages on the two types of substrata (natural reefs and concrete breakwalls) were detected between assemblages on horizontal surfaces, but not on vertical surfaces. The covers of several in idual taxa (e.g. Herdmania momus , serpulid polychaetes, coralline encrusting algae) and number of sponge taxa showed clear differences between the two types of substrata. There were great differences between the assemblages on vertical and horizontal surfaces on each natural reef and artificial structure. Invertebrates consistently covered a larger area on vertical than on horizontal surfaces with sponges (as a group) and the ascidian Herdmania momus , the dominant invertebrates on these reefs, clearly showing this pattern. Nevertheless, this pattern was complex for sponges because several species covered a larger area on horizontal than on vertical surfaces and there was no difference in the number of taxa of sponges between the two orientations on natural reefs. Algae, contrary to the results of previous studies, did not show any consistent differences in their covers on vertical or on horizontal surfaces. The results of this study indicated that orientation may be of greater influence on the biological ersity of epibiota on subtidal reefs than whether reefs are natural or artificial.
Sublethal effects of a rapidly spreading native alga on a key herbivore
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 16-08-2021
DOI: 10.1002/ECE3.8005
Abstract: Multiple anthropogenic stressors are causing a global decline in foundation species, including macrophytes, often resulting in the expansion of functionally different, more stressor‐tolerant macrophytes. Previously subdominant species may experience further positive demographic feedback if they are exposed to weaker plant–herbivore interactions, possibly via decreased palatability or being structurally different from the species they are replacing. However, the consequences of the spread of opportunistic macrophytes for the local distribution and life history of herbivores are unknown. The green alga, Caulerpa filiformis , previously a subdominant macrophyte on low intertidal‐shallow subtidal rock shores, is becoming locally more abundant and has spread into warmer waters across the coast of New South Wales, Australia. In this study, we measured (a) the distribution and abundance of a key consumer, the sea urchin Heliocidaris erythrogramma, across a seascape at sites where C. filiformis has become dominant, (b) performed behavioral field experiments to test the role of habitat selection in determining the local distribution of H. erythrogramma, and (c) consumer experiments to test differential palatability between previously dominant higher quality species like Ecklonia radiata and Sargassum sp. and C. filiformis and the physiological consequences of consuming it. At all sites, urchin densities were positively correlated with distance away from C. filiformis beds, and they actively moved away from beds. Feeding experiments showed that, while urchins consumed C. filiformis, sometimes in equal amounts to higher quality algae, there were strong sublethal consequences associated with C. filiformis consumption, mainly on reproductive potential (gonad size). Specifically, the gonad size of urchins that fed on C. filiformis was equivalent to that in starved urchins. There was also a tendency for urchin mortality to be greater when fed C. filiformis . Overall, strong negative effects on herbivore life‐history traits and potentially their survivorship may establish further positive feedback on C. filiformis abundance that contributes to its spread and may mediate shifts from top‐down to bottom‐up control at locations where C. filiformis has become dominant.
Response of fish communities to the deployment of estuarine artificial reefs for fisheries enhancement
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 08-09-2014
DOI: 10.1111/FME.12048
Unusual but consistent latitudinal patterns in macroalgal habitats and their invertebrate communities across two countries
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 29-05-2020
DOI: 10.1111/DDI.13070
Effects of height on the shore and complexity of habitat on abundances of amphipods on rocky shores in New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2003
Black summer bushfires caused extensive damage to estuarine wetlands in New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 2023
DOI: 10.1111/EMR.12572
Abstract: There is now considerable evidence that, as the climate continues to warm, bushfires are becoming more common and severe, particularly in regions such as south‐eastern Australia. The extraordinary Australian bushfires over the summer of 2019/2020 resulted in the burning of habitats such as highland peat sw s and intertidal estuarine wetlands over unprecedented spatial scales. Across New South Wales, these bushfires affected 183 ha of saltmarshes and 23 ha of mangroves in 19 estuaries. The percentage of fire‐affected saltmarsh ranged from 51% to 81% in the worst impacted estuaries, although typically ≤15% of mapped saltmarsh was damaged. Just over 50% of mangroves were burnt in Wonboyn Lake (although this constituted .2 ha), whereas in all other estuaries, ≤5% of mangroves were burnt. At the state‐wide scale, the likelihood of saltmarshes being affected by fire was unrelated to adjacent terrestrial vegetation however, mangroves adjacent to burnt wet sclerophyll forest were more likely to burn than not. Burnt mangroves were almost exclusively associated with extreme or high severity fires in adjacent terrestrial vegetation, yet saltmarshes were also impacted in some cases by moderate or low‐intensity fires. Many species of saltmarsh plants had re‐sprouted or germinated after 6–24 months, but the extent of any recovery or changes in species composition were not quantified. The majority of fire‐affected mangrove trees appeared to be dead 24 months after the fires, despite observations of epicormic growth on some trees after six months. Bushfire impacts to estuarine wetlands are likely to become more frequent and results from our work can help target hazard reduction burning that might be considered for minimising damage to mangroves. More work is required to better understand potential longer term impacts and the capacity for natural recovery of estuarine wetlands from bushfires.
Experimental use of salt to control the invasive marine alga Caulerpa taxifolia in New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2005
Factors influencing the growth of seagrass seedlings: A case study of Posidonia australis
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 2015
Atypichthys strigatus (Pisces: Scorpididae): An opportunistic planktivore that responds to benthic disturbances and cleans other fishes
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-1994
Shallow moving structures promote marine invader dominance
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-02-2009
DOI: 10.1080/08927010802710618
Abstract: Global increases in urban development have resulted in severe habitat modification in many estuaries. Most are now dominated by artificial structures, which might have a myriad of effects on native species. The provision of extra hard substrata presents additional free space, and recent research suggests non-indigenous epifauna may be able to exploit these artificial structures (particularly pontoons) more effectively than native species. The early development of fouling assemblages was compared on settlement plates attached to fixed or moving experimental structures at depths of 0.5 m and 2 m. Invertebrate invaders as a group were disproportionately more numerous on shallow, moving plates (essentially floating surfaces) than on deeper plates, whereas native epifauna were less numerous than invaders in all treatments. Importantly, however, in idual invasive species showed differing effects of movement and depth. Future management strategies should take into account the potential for shallow, moving structures to enhance invader dominance and strongly consider using fixed structures to reduce opportunities for invaders.
Unravelling complexity in seagrass systems for management: Australia as a microcosm
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2015.04.061
Abstract: Environmental decision-making applies transdisciplinary knowledge to deliver optimal outcomes. Here we synthesise various aspects of seagrass ecology to aid environmental decision-making, management and policy. Managers often mediate conflicting values and opinions held by different stakeholders. Critical to this role is understanding the drivers for change, effects of management actions and societal benefits. We use the ersity of seagrass habitats in Australia to demonstrate that knowledge from numerous fields is required to understand seagrass condition and resilience. Managers are often time poor and need access to synthesised assessments, commonly referred to as narratives. However, there is no single narrative for management of seagrass habitats in Australia, due to the ersity of seagrass meadows and dominant pressures. To assist the manager, we developed a classification structure based on attributes of seagrass life history, habitat and meadow form. Seagrass communities are formed from species whose life history strategies can be described as colonising, opportunistic or persistent. They occupy habitats defined by the range and variability of their abiotic environment. This results in seagrass meadows that are either transitory or enduring. Transitory meadows may come and go and able to re-establish from complete loss through sexual reproduction. Enduring meadows may fluctuate in biomass but maintain a presence by resisting pressures across multiple scales. This contrast reflects the interaction between the spatial and temporal aspects of species life history and habitat variability. Most management and monitoring strategies in place today favour enduring seagrasses. We adopt a functional classification of seagrass habitats based on modes of resilience to inform management for all seagrass communities. These concepts have world-wide relevance as the Australian case-studies have many analogues throughout the world. Additionally, the approach used to classify primary scientific knowledge into synthesised categories to aid management has value for many other disciplines interfacing with environmental decision-making.
Extending the generality of ecological models to artificial floating habitats
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2005
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARENVRES.2004.10.004
Abstract: Marine assemblages on natural hard substrata are generally different from those on artificial habitats. There is, however, the potential for certain ecological processes to operate on both types of structures. On the sides of floating pontoons in Sydney Harbour, there were strong patterns of vertical distribution of sessile epibiotic organisms and molluscan grazers across relatively small spatial scales (in three defined zones, namely splash, shallow and deep). Patterns of vertical distribution of the tubeworms Hydroides spp. were reversed depending on the cover of mussels. A manipulative experiment was done to test if patterns of vertical distribution of Hydroides spp. were due to (1) the functioning of mussels or (2) the structure provided by mussels. Neither the functioning nor structure of mussels accounted for the patterns of distribution of Hydroides spp. Mussels increased recruitment of Hydroides spp., in the shallow and deep zones, and this was not due to increased surface area of the mussel shells. Manipulation of numbers of grazers and covers of sessile epibiota showed that the observed negative relationship between grazers and epibiota was due to grazers reducing recruitment of epibiota and epibiota decreasing survival of grazers. Most importantly, processes that accounted for patterns of distribution of mobile and sessile organisms on artificial floating structures were similar to those repeatedly shown to create such patterns on natural rocky shores.
Dragging the chain: Quantifying continued losses of seagrasses from boat moorings
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-03-2018
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.2872
Growth of the encrusting sponge Tedania anhelans (Lieberkuhn) on vertical and on horizontal surfaces of temperate subtidal reefs
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2006
DOI: 10.1071/MF05092
Abstract: On subtidal reefs around Sydney (Australia), Tedania anhelans (Lieberkuhn, 1859)is a common encrusting sponge that occurs as frequently on vertical as on horizontal surfaces on most reefs, but covers more than twice the area on vertical surfaces of reefs. Faster growth, leading to the greater cover of the sponge on vertical surfaces, is a possible explanation for this difference. This was examined by experimental transplants to test the hypothesis that T. anhelans transplanted from vertical to horizontal surfaces grow more slowly than those on vertical surfaces. Over three months, T. anhelans transplanted to horizontal surfaces shrank, by 18 ± 18% and 17 ± 16% (mean ± s.e.) at two sites. Conversely, sponges on vertical surfaces grew rapidly, increasing by 40 ± 18% and 78 ± 19% at two sites. Potential artefacts owing to the experimental procedure of moving sponges between places were tested, but none was detected. These results indicated that orientation had a strong effect on the growth of T. anhelans and that growth has an important role in creating the pattern of its greater cover on vertical than on horizontal surfaces of temperate subtidal reefs.
Range and habitat associations of the native macroalga Caulerpa filiformis in New South Wales, Australia
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2015
DOI: 10.1071/MF14282
Abstract: Caulerpa filiformis is a green seaweed found in New South Wales (NSW, Australia), South Africa, Mozambique and Peru. It has been suggested that the abundance of the species has increased in NSW over recent decades. Extensive aerial and er surveys identified a 500-km northerly extension to the range of C. filiformis in NSW (to 28°21′S) compared with previous records. The alga has a disjunct distribution with small isolated populations around rocky headlands in far northern NSW, but then no apparent populations for 350km southwards. The far northern populations could be the result of recent human-mediated transport (a species introduction), or were simply not detected previously. The increased distribution around the previous northerly limit is likely a natural range expansion. The distribution of C. filiformis in NSW and globally seems confined to a temperature range of ~16–23°C. We found no relationship between abundance of C. filiformis and human population or oceanic chlorophyll-a (a surrogate for nutrient availability). We demonstrate that C. filiformis is predominately subtidal, being found along sections of coastline where there is a mixture of rocky reefs and beaches. It is argued that sand movement may have facilitated increases in abundance of C. filiformis.
Multi-scale assessments reveal changes in the distribution of the endangered seagrass Posidonia australis and the role of disturbances
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 20-09-2023
Positive versus negative effects of an invasive ecosystem engineer on different components of a marine ecosystem
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 30-10-2012
Marine urbanization: An ecological framework for designing multifunctional artificial structures
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 03-2015
DOI: 10.1890/140050
Limited evidence for increased cold-tolerance of invasive versus native Caulerpa taxifolia
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 11-04-2007
Mechanisms influencing the spread of a native marine alga
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 10-04-2014
Captures of Birds in Mammal Traps: Chance or Opportunism?
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 12-1994
Differences Between Subtidal Epibiota on Pier Pilings and Rocky Reefs at Marinas in Sydney, Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-1999
Striking a balance between retaining populations of protected seahorses and maintaining swimming nets
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-09-2009
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.1066
Improved fish and crustacean passage in tidal creeks following floodgate remediation
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 17-01-2012
Caulerpa taxifolia in seagrass meadows: killer or opportunistic weed?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2012
Nonindigenous biota on artificial structures: could habitat creation facilitate biological invasions?
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-11-2006
Impacts of detritus from the invasive alga Caulerpa taxifolia on a soft sediment community
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 16-12-2010
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS08903
Related Organisations
Related Funding Activities
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End Date: 12-2020
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End Date: 07-2009
Amount: $75,444.00
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View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP200200220
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End Date: 06-2025
Amount: $643,998.00
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