Dr Morgan Pratchett

Principal Research Fellow

ARC Australian Research Fellow (2007-2011) , ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship (2008-2009), American Australian Association Sir John and Laurine Proud Research Fellow (2008), Lizard Island Research Station Churchill Fellow (2007-2008), University of Newcastle

Research Interests

• Impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems
• Population outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish
• Population dynamics of scleractinian corals
• Ecological versatility in coral reef fishes
• Biology and ecology of butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)

Dr Morgan Pratchett is a Principal Research Fellow in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, based at James Cook University, Townsville. He has broad interests in population and community ecology of coral reef organisms, especially corals and fishes. His current research focuses on major disturbances that impact coral reef ecosystems, with a view to understanding differential responses and vulnerabilities among coral reef organisms. Dr Morgan Pratchett has written several papers describing direct and indirect effects of coral bleaching and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, considering impacts on both coral assemblages and associated assemblages of coral reef fishes. He is also an international authority on the biology and ecology of coral reef butterflyfishes and his currently writing and editing a monograph dedicated to this iconic family of coral reef fishes (Biology of Butterflyfishes, Science Publishers Inc.).

Dr Morgan Pratchett is supported by a 5-year ARC Australian Research Fellowship, with research support from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies. He also has grants from the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) and Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation (LIRRF). Recently, organ was also awarded a Churchill Fellowship (2007-08) to collaborate with Professor Nicholas Polunin at the University of Newcastle, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and the Sir Keith Murdoch Fllowship (2008-09) from the American Australian Association to collaborate with Dr Bernhard Reigl at the National Coral Reef Institute, Nova Southeastern University, Florida.

Member of: Australian Coral Reef Society, Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Recording Secretary for International Coral Reef Society

 

Cuurent Graduate Students

Andrew Cole (PhD) Impacts of chronic fish predation on reef-building corals James Cook University

Darren Coker (PhD) Importance of live corals in settlement, competition and predation among coral reef fishes, James Cook University

Danielle Dixon (PhD) The role of olfactory cues in settlement site selection by larval anemonefishes, James Cook University

Marcus Gregson (PhD) Latitudinal differences in diet and behaviour of butterflyfishes in Eastern Australia. University of Technology, Sydney

Rebecca Lawton (PhD) Ecological specialization versus susceptibility to disturbance among coral-feeding butterflyfishes. James Cook University

Dominique McCowan (PhD) Differential bleaching susceptibility and the future of coral communities, James Cook University

Jairo Rivera Posada (PhD) Pathogenesis in crown-of-thorns starfishes, James Cook University

Jessica Stella (PhD) Effects of coral bleaching and coral loss on coral reef biodiversity, James Cook University

Chun-Hong (James) Tan (PhD) Latitudinal variation in life-histories of reef-building corals, James Cook University

Colin Wen (PhD) Habitat associations and coral reef dependence among commercially-important piscivorous fishes, James Cook University.

Select Publications (Complete publication list)

• Coker DJ, Pratchett MS, Munday PL (2009) Coral bleaching and habitat degradation increase susceptibility to predation for coral-dwelling fishes. Behavioural Ecology doi:10.1093/beheco/arp113.
• Munday PL, Dixson DL, Donelson JM, Jones GP, Pratchett MS, Devitsina GV, Doving KB (2009) Ocean acidification impairs olfactory discrimination and homing ability of a marine fish. Proc Nat Acad Sci 106(6): 1848-1852.
• Pratchett MS, Schenk TJ, Baine M, Syms C, Baird AH. (2009) Selective coral mortality attributable to an outbreak of Acanthaster planci L. in Bootless Bay, Central Province, Papua New Guinea. Marine Environmental Research.  67: 230-236.
• Pratchett MS, Wilson SK, Graham NAJ, Munday PL, Jones GP, Polunin NVC (2009) Coral Bleaching and Consequences for Motile Reef Organisms: Past, Present and Uncertain Future Effects Pages 139-158. In: M van Oppen and J Lough (ed). Coral Bleaching: patterns and processes, causes and consequences. Springer, Heidelberg.
• Pratchett MS, Munday MS, Wilson SK, Graham NAJ, Cinner JE, Bellwood DR, Jones GP, Polunin NVC, McClanahan TR (2008) Effects of climate-induced coral bleaching on coral-reef fishes: ecological and economic consequences. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review 46: 251-296
• Berumen ML, Pratchett MS (2008) Tradeoffs associated with dietary specialisation in corallivorous butterflyfishes (Chaetodonitdae: Chaetodon). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology. 62: 989-994.
• Hughes TP. Rodrigues MJ, Bellwood DR, Ceccerelli D, Hoegh-Guldberg O. McCook L, Moltchaniwskyj N, Pratchett MS, Steneck RS, Willis BL (2007) Regime-shifts, herbivory and the resilience of coral reefs to climate change. Current Biology 17: 1-6.
• Wilson SK, Graham NAJ, Pratchett MS, Jones GP, Polunin NVC. (2006) Multiple disturbances and the global degradation of coral reefs: are reef fishes at risk or resilient? Global Change Biology. 12: 2220-2234
• Berumen ML, Pratchett MS (2006) Persistent disturbance and long-term shifts in the structure of fish and coral communities at Tiahura Reef, Moorea. Coral Reefs. 25: 647-653.

Click here for complete publication list

Contact Details

Dr Morgan Pratchett
Phone: +61 7 4781 5747
Fax: +61 7 4725 1570
Email: Morgan.Pratchett@jcu.edu.au