A5085248035- Amphibian and Reptile Biology
- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Genetic diversity and population structure
- Marine and fisheries research
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Turtle Biology and Conservation
- Marine animal studies overview
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
- Genomics and Phylogenetic Studies
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Identification and Quantification in Food
- Species Distribution and Climate Change
- Ecology and biodiversity studies
- Fish Ecology and Management Studies
- Digital Imaging for Blood Diseases
- Ocean Acidification Effects and Responses
- Evolution and Paleontology Studies
- Animal Behavior and Reproduction
- Mercury impact and mitigation studies
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Crustacean biology and ecology
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Fish Biology and Ecology Studies
- Fish biology, ecology, and behavior
- Environmental and Biological Research in Conflict Zones
James Cook University
2011-2022
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
2010-2022
Australian Research Council
2011-2018
University of California, Irvine
2008-2012
Field Museum of Natural History
2010
University of Auckland
2006-2009
Assessing Biodiversity Declines Understanding human impact on biodiversity depends sound quantitative projection. Pereira et al. (p. 1496 , published online 26 October) review scenarios that have been developed for four main areas of concern: species extinctions, abundances and community structure, habitat loss degradation, shifts in the distribution biomes. are projected whole 21st century all scenarios, but with a wide range variation. Hoffmann 1503 draw results five decades' worth data...
Evolutionary and biogeographic studies increasingly rely on calibrated molecular clocks to date key events. Although there has been significant recent progress in development of the techniques used for dating, many issues remain. In particular, controversies abound over appropriate use placement fossils calibrating clocks. Several methods have proposed evaluating candidate fossils; however, few compared results obtained by different approaches. Moreover, no previous study incorporated...
Genomic studies are uncovering extensive cryptic diversity within reef-building corals, suggesting that evolutionarily and ecologically relevant is highly underestimated in the very organisms structure coral reefs. Furthermore, endosymbiotic algae host species can confer adaptive responses to environmental stress may represent additional axes of genetic variation not constrained by taxonomic divergence cnidarian host. Here, we examine a common widespread, coral, Acropora tenuis, its...
Marine snakes represent the most speciose group of marine reptiles and are a significant component reef coastal ecosystems in tropical oceans. Research on this has historically been challenging due to difficulty capturing, handling keeping these animals for field- lab-based research. Inexplicable declines snake populations across global hotspots have highlighted lack basic information elevated multiple species as conservation priorities. With increased interest research snakes, we conducted...
Effective conservation action relies on access to the best-available species data. Reptiles have often been overlooked in prioritization, especially because of a paucity population Using data for 549 reptile populations representing 194 from Living Planet database, we provide first detailed analysis this database specific taxonomic group. We estimated an average global decline 54–55% between 1970 and 2012. Disaggregated indices at taxonomic, system, biogeographical levels showed trends...
Evolutionary relationships within and between the marine hydrophiine sea snake groups have been inferred primarily using morphological characters, two major traditionally are recognized. The Aipysurus group comprises nine species in genera, taxonomically chaotic Hydrophis as many 40 species, of which 27 generally allocated to genus 13 ten additional genera. In addition these three putatively 'primitive' monotypic Hydrelaps darwiniensis, Ephalophis greyi Parahydrophis mertoni. present study...
Polymorphic microsatellites are widely considered more powerful for resolving population structure than mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) markers, particularly recently diverged lineages or geographically proximate populations. Weaker subdivision biparentally inherited nuclear markers maternally mtDNA may signal male-biased dispersal but can also be attributed to marker-specific evolutionary characteristics and sampling properties. We discriminated between these competing explanations with a genetic...
Cyclone Yasi, one of the most severe tropical storms on record, crossed central Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in February 2011, bringing wind speeds up to 285 km hr−1 and wave heights at least 10 m, causing massive destruction exposed reefs Palm Island Group. Following cyclone, mean (± S.E.) hard coral cover ranged from just 2.1 (0.2) % 5.3 (0.4) no reproductively mature colonies any species Acropora remained. Although fragments were found impacted sites following small juvenile (<10 cm diameter)...
Connectivity underpins the persistence and recovery of marine ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is world's largest coral reef ecosystem managed by an extensive network no-take zones; however, information about connectivity was not available to optimize network's configuration. We use multivariate analyses, Bayesian clustering algorithms assignment tests population genetic data set for any organism on GBR date (Acropora tenuis, >2500 colonies; >50 reefs, genotyped ten microsatellite...
Abstract Aim Widespread coral bleaching, crown‐of‐thorns seastar outbreaks, and tropical storms all threaten foundational species of the Great Barrier Reef, with impacts differing over time space. Yet, dispersal via larval propagules could aid reef recovery by supplying new settlers enabling spread adaptive variation among regions. Documenting predicting spatial connections arising from planktonic in marine species, however, remains a formidable challenge. Location The Australia. Methods...
Abstract We report the results of molecular monitoring ‘whalemeat’ markets in Republic (South) Korea based on nine systematic surveys from February 2003 to 2005. As has no programme commercial or scientific whaling and there is a closure hunting dolphins porpoises, only legal source these products was assumed be incidental fisheries mortalities (‘bycatch’) as reported by government International Whaling Commission. Species identification 357 using mitochondrial DNA control region cytochrome...
Abstract Pleistocene sea‐level fluctuations profoundly changed landmass configurations around northern Australia. The cyclic emergence of the Torres Strait land bridge and concomitant shifts in distribution shallow‐water marine habitats repeatedly sundered east west coast populations. These biogeographical perturbations invoke three possible scenarios regarding directions interglacial range expansion: to east, west, or bidirectional. We evaluated these for olive sea snake, Aipysurus laevis,...
The extent to which populations are connected by dispersal influences all aspects of their biology and informs the spatial scale optimal conservation strategies. Obtaining direct estimates is challenging, particularly in marine systems, with studies typically relying on indirect approaches evaluate connectivity. To overcome this challenge, we combine information from an eight-year mark-recapture study high-resolution genetic data demonstrate extremely low restricted gene flow at small scales...
Abstract Increases in the frequency of perturbations that drive coral community structure, such as severe thermal anomalies and high intensity storms, highlight need to understand how communities recover following multiple disturbances. We describe dynamics cover assemblage composition corals on exposed inshore reefs Palm Islands, central Great Barrier Reef, over 19 years encapsulating major disturbance events bleaching event 1998 Cyclone Yasi 2011, along with other minor storm heat stress...
During the Cenozoic, Southeast Asia was profoundly affected by plate tectonic events, dynamic river systems, fluctuating sea levels, shifting coastlines, and climatic variation, which have influenced ecological evolutionary trajectories of Asian flora fauna. We examined role these paleogeographic factors on shaping phylogeographic patterns focusing a species semiaquatic snake, Enhydris subtaeniata (Serpentes: Homalopsidae) using sequence data from three mitochondrial fragments (cytochrome b,...
Coral reefs surrounding the islands lying close to coast are unique Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in that they frequently exposed disturbance events including floods caused by cyclonic rainfall, strong winds and occasional periods of prolonged above-average temperatures during summer. In one such group southern GBR, Keppel Island archipelago, climate-driven disturbances result major coral mortality. Whilst these island have clearly survived dramatic past, consequences extreme mortality may...
Marine megafauna populations in coastal waters are increasingly threatened by anthropogenic impacts. Moreton Bay, a large embayment south-east Queensland, lies adjacent to one of the fastest growing regions Australia and has resident population bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops aduncus. Evaluation effectiveness any proposed management strategy requires robust abundance estimates. We estimated abundances dolphins central eastern Bay (350 km2) using two commonly used estimation methods for...
Abstract Aim Our aim was to investigate the evolutionary response of a freshwater Gondwanan relictual lineage ongoing aridification Australian landmass. snapping turtles ( Elseya spp.) are riverine specialist species and were used examine biogeographical hypotheses associated with changes connectivity through eustatic sea‐level change, landform development aridity across this understudied region. Location Northern Eastern Australia New Guinea. Methods Phylogenetic relationships inferred for...