A5089917331- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine and fisheries research
- Marine animal studies overview
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Cephalopods and Marine Biology
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Isotope Analysis in Ecology
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Marine Ecology and Invasive Species
- Leech Biology and Applications
- Plant and Biological Electrophysiology Studies
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Chemical synthesis and alkaloids
- Microplastics and Plastic Pollution
- Animal Vocal Communication and Behavior
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Bryophyte Studies and Records
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Oil Spill Detection and Mitigation
Cape Eleuthera Institute
2014-2024
Centre for Ocean Research and Education
2019-2024
Memorial University of Newfoundland
2023
University of Exeter
2017
Australian Institute of Marine Science
2010-2013
Murdoch University
2010-2013
James Cook University
2010
Understanding the factors shaping patterns of ecological resilience is critical for mitigating loss global biodiversity. Throughout aquatic environments, highly mobile predators are thought to serve as important vectors energy between ecosystems thereby promoting stability and resilience. However, role these play in connecting food webs flow remains poorly understood most contexts. Using carbon nitrogen isotopes, we quantified use several prey resource pools (small oceanic forage, large...
DNA barcoding potentially offers scientists who are not expert taxonomists a powerful tool to support the accuracy of field studies involving taxa that diverse and difficult identify. The taxonomy rays has received reasonable attention in Australia, although fauna remote locations such as Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia is poorly studied identification some species problematic. Here, we report an application DNA-barcoding 16 (from 10 genera) tropical part ecological study. Analysis dataset...
Stingrays are an important part of the biomass fishes in shallow coastal ecosystems, particularly inter-reefal areas. In these habitats, they considered keystone species – modifying physical and biological habitats through their foraging predation. Here, we quantify effects bioturbation by rays on sand flats Ningaloo Reef lagoon Western Australia. We measured daily length, breadth depth 108 feeding pits over three 7‐day periods, created stingrays (Pastinachus atrus, Himantura spp. Taeniura...
Although the movements of fishes on coral reefs have been well studied, there are few data movement elasmobranchs and around cleaning stations. The visitation to stations by was documented direct observation remote video capture at an oceanic reef in Coral Sea outer Great Barrier Reef time scales hours weeks. Cleaning only observed Osprey duration occupancy recorded for all elasmobranch clients. Strong tidal patterns were detected, with 49% sharks 59% mantas engaging interactions ebb tides....
Dietary characteristics and the degree of dietary partitioning by five species sympatric stingray were assessed using stomach content sediment analyses within a coral reef lagoon at Ningaloo Reef, Western Australia (the cowtail Pastinachus atrus , blue‐spotted fantail Taeniura lymma mask Neotrygon kuhlii porcupine Urogymnus asperrimus rays reticulate whipray Himantura uarnak ). A total 2804 items recovered from stomachs 170 3215 individual taxa environment, which used in selectivity...
Quantitative studies of sensory axons provide invaluable insights into the functional significance and relative importance a particular modality. Despite important role electroreception plays in behaviour elasmobranchs, to date, there have been no that assessed number electrosensory project from peripheral ampullae central nervous system (CNS). The complex arrangement morphology has significant influence on its function. However, it is not sufficient base conclusions about function alone. To...
Understanding how megaherbivores incorporate habitat features into their foraging behavior is key toward understanding herbivores shape the surrounding landscape. While role of structure has been studied within context predator-prey dynamics and grazing in terrestrial systems, there a limited influences megaherbivore marine ecosystems. To investigate response (green turtles) to features, we experimentally introduced at two spatial scales shallow seagrass meadow The Bahamas. Turtle density...
We studied the age and growth of four sympatric stingrays: reticulate whipray, Himanutra uarnak (n=19); blue mask, Neotrygon kuhlii (n=34); cowtail, Pastinachus atrus (n=32) blue-spotted fantail, Taeniura lymma (n=40) rays at Ningaloo Reef, a fringing coral reef on north-western coast western Australia. Age estimates derived from band counts within sectioned vertebrae ranged between 1 27 years (H. uarnak, - 25 yrs.; N. kuhlii, 1.5 13 P. atrus, yrs. T. lymma, -11 yrs.). Due to limitations...
Few data are available on interspecific elasmobranch interactions during predation events. This report describes and discusses empirical from a single event in which four sharks (species: Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo cuvier, Sphyrna mokarran perezi) competed for foraging opportunities fifth shark (C. caught an experimental longline. Analysis of video footage suggested competition was enforced without agonistic behaviour access to the resource not governed by size. The singularity set...
Limited data pertaining to life history and population connectivity of the data-deficient southern stingray (Hypanus americanus) are available. To determine potential vulnerabilities their populations, this study aimed analyse movement patterns genetic variability. A stingrays encompassing nine sites around Cape Eleuthera, Bahamas, has been monitored using mark-recapture, spanning a 2.5 year period. Out 200 individual stingrays, more than third were encountered again. The home range females...
Abstract Long held notions of the universally asocial octopus are being challenged due to identification high-density and interacting populations in Australia, Indonesia, Japan deep sea. This study experimentally assessed social tolerance presence potential prey items Caribbean reef , Octopus briareus, a tropical marine lake (25°21′40″N, 76°30′40″W) on island Eleuthera, The Bahamas, by deploying artificial dens multi-den groups or ‘units’ months May June 2019. Fifteen were observed occupying...
Feeding wildlife as a tourist activity is growing industry around the world. However, providing alternative food sources can affect ecology and behaviour. In this study, we combined animal-borne cameras on five sub-adult green turtles (Chelonia mydas) from Bahamas with global review to directly assess impacts of provisioning behaviour an endangered marine species for first time. Descriptive evidence video footage, videos included in manuscript, showed that tagged spent 86% their time shallow...
Stomach contents were collected from 117 yellow rays Urobatis jamaicensis three locations in south Eleuthera, The Bahamas and compared with ambient infauna via sediment surveys. Diets relatively limited a total of 535 prey items recovered, representing five taxonomic groups dominated by polychaetes decapod crustaceans (87% diet), while environmental sampling reported 5249 individual taxa represented 62 groups. Regardless gravidity, sex or density among sites, no significant differences...