Safeguarding coral reef fisheries for future food security. This Fellowship aims to address the vulnerability of coral reef fisheries in Australia and the Indo-Pacific by identifying fishery targets that benefit human nutrition and will persist despite declining coral habitats and rising water temperature. This project will advance knowledge on coral and fish responses to increasingly frequent marine heatwaves, using novel methodologies rooted in ecological modelling, experimental marine biology ....Safeguarding coral reef fisheries for future food security. This Fellowship aims to address the vulnerability of coral reef fisheries in Australia and the Indo-Pacific by identifying fishery targets that benefit human nutrition and will persist despite declining coral habitats and rising water temperature. This project will advance knowledge on coral and fish responses to increasingly frequent marine heatwaves, using novel methodologies rooted in ecological modelling, experimental marine biology and climate forecasting. Expected outcomes include (i) a comprehensive toolbox for improved management of coral reefs and associated fisheries in Australia and beyond, and (ii) an integrated socio-ecological model for predicting coral reef fishery responses under environmental change.Read moreRead less
Regime change: when and how do ecological subordinates turn dominant? This project aims to bridge the gap between physiology and ecology in kelp forest species by developing mechanistic models to predict change and, in an unprecedented step, test them in long-term experiments at naturally acidified sites to understand the consequences of ocean acidification (OA) and warming for kelp forests. Ecosystem change is a frequent outcome of decadal modifications of the physical and chemical environment. ....Regime change: when and how do ecological subordinates turn dominant? This project aims to bridge the gap between physiology and ecology in kelp forest species by developing mechanistic models to predict change and, in an unprecedented step, test them in long-term experiments at naturally acidified sites to understand the consequences of ocean acidification (OA) and warming for kelp forests. Ecosystem change is a frequent outcome of decadal modifications of the physical and chemical environment. Whilst these changes often involve degradation from productive states, we have a poor understanding of the mechanisms which drive change. Key stressors in marine systems, OA and warming are predicted to drive loss of kelp forests but we still don't understand the reality of these predictions.Read moreRead less
Temperate trophic cascades: impacts of seal foraging on benthic community dynamics. Effective Marine Protected Area management across Australia requires guidance from rigorous strategic research. The project will investigate opposing activities that provoke ecosystem collapse (overharvesting, grazing) or recovery (marine park protection) and provide advice to improve effectiveness of marine conservation strategies in New South Wales and South Australia.