Connecting marine reserves: it depends –Connectivity among reefs is a keystone component for reef persistence and is often highlighted as a key factor to inform conservation decisions.  This talk quantifies and discusses the benefits of incorporating dispersal connectivity for multiple different life histories into conservation prioritisation. We explore how conservation priorities change for such different species types in the wider coral triangle, identifying the types of species (by life history trait such as pelagic larval duration, spawning time, behaviour) that are most informative for conservation decisions at given spatial and temporal scales..

Biography:

Eric Treml is a Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne where he studies marine population connectivity. His research focuses on three primary questions: i) What are the physical and biological drivers of connectivity, ii) how does connectivity contribute to the diversity patterns we observe in nature, and iii) how can this information assist us in making more informed conservation decisions.