Long-term changes in Mackay Whitsunday water quality and connectivity between coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems. Declining water quality is implicated in the degradation of near-shore Great Barrier Reef (GBR) ecosystems. The goal of this project is to provide a definitive answer to the question of how GBR water quality has changed since European arrival (pre-1860). Using novel geochemical proxies in long-lived coral cores and innovative remote sensing techniques, we will develop quantitative h ....Long-term changes in Mackay Whitsunday water quality and connectivity between coral reefs and mangrove ecosystems. Declining water quality is implicated in the degradation of near-shore Great Barrier Reef (GBR) ecosystems. The goal of this project is to provide a definitive answer to the question of how GBR water quality has changed since European arrival (pre-1860). Using novel geochemical proxies in long-lived coral cores and innovative remote sensing techniques, we will develop quantitative histories of water quality and mangrove distribution change. This project will deliver the first integrated assessment of how coastal water quality and associated ecosystems have varied historically, which will be immediately applicable for long-term management of coastal ecosystems lining the GBR.Read moreRead less
Do larval fish leave the reef to avoid parasites? Although fundamental to understanding the community structure of reef fishes, why fish larvae migrate to the open ocean remains controversial. Traditional explanations are that it results in dispersal, avoidance of predators, and increased food. Recent work on the Great Barrier Reef, however, suggests avoiding reef-based micropredatory parasites may be more important. To determine if this so, we will investigate the effect of parasites on larval ....Do larval fish leave the reef to avoid parasites? Although fundamental to understanding the community structure of reef fishes, why fish larvae migrate to the open ocean remains controversial. Traditional explanations are that it results in dispersal, avoidance of predators, and increased food. Recent work on the Great Barrier Reef, however, suggests avoiding reef-based micropredatory parasites may be more important. To determine if this so, we will investigate the effect of parasites on larval fish condition, performance, and susceptibility to micropredators; whether larval fish are vulnerable to reef-based micropredators; the effects of micropredators on fish settlement patterns; and whether larval fish that don't migrate have adaptations to avoid micropredators.Read moreRead less
The role of early life history on the survival of coral reef fishes - opening the Black Box. A fundamental unanswered question in marine ecology and fisheries management is - what influences the number of individuals that survive the larval phase to join a reef population? Theoretical studies show that small changes in the quality of offspring can lead to large changes in the numbers surviving the larval phase. What aspects of offspring quality determine who survives is largely unknown. We use ....The role of early life history on the survival of coral reef fishes - opening the Black Box. A fundamental unanswered question in marine ecology and fisheries management is - what influences the number of individuals that survive the larval phase to join a reef population? Theoretical studies show that small changes in the quality of offspring can lead to large changes in the numbers surviving the larval phase. What aspects of offspring quality determine who survives is largely unknown. We use a multidisciplinary approach to explore what influences the quality of offspring spawned by adults, and whether offspring traits prior to or at hatching determine the identity of individuals that survive to join the reproductive population.Read moreRead less