Fish diet heats up marine biodiversity hotspot
Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen biodiversity pattern of coral reef fishes that suggests some fishes might be exceptionally vulnerable to environmental change. A new study shows plank
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
Abstract: True sea snakes are a vulnerable, unique and highly speciose group of predatory, air breathing, marine reptiles. There are over 60 species globally and Australia hosts 35 described species, including 11 endemics. As middle order predators, sea snakes are critical in shaping ecosystems. They are characterised by low fecundity and long life spans, making them susceptible to decline from anthropogenic disturbances such as commercial fishing, coastal development, declining water and habitat quality, pollution and seismic testing. Declines have been observed on the East and West coasts of Australia, however the causes remain unknown. Despite their critical role in ecosystem function, sea snakes have received little research attention and critical knowledge gaps in our understanding are hindering our ability to conserve them. The depauperate state of the taxonomic, biological and ecological knowledge for many species has hampered capacity to undertake adequate vulnerability assessments and develop effective conservation strategies. The objective of this research is to examine the taxonomy, genetic structure, distribution, abundance and diet of four species of sea snakes in Western Australia.
Biography: Blanche grew up in coastal central Queensland and spent a lot of time at the beach, in the rainforest and in the bush; experiences which shaped her profound passion for conservation. Blanche has a professional back ground in conservation advocacy, having worked primarily on coastal dolphin conservation and marine reserve campaigns. At present, Blanche specialises in the conservation genetics of threatened species, including sawfish and sea snakes, as a researcher. She is a member of the IUCN Sea Snake Specialist Group and a co-author on the IUCN’s global status review of sawfish. Blanche undertook her undergraduate degree and Honours research at James Cook University and is currently undertaking a multidisciplinary research project encompassing ecology and genetics of true sea snakes in Western Australia, supervised by Dr. Vimoksalehi Lukoschek, Dr. Lynne van Herwerden, Dr. Colin Simpfendorfer (James Cook University) and Dr. Jean-Paul Hobbs at the University of Western Australia. Blanche is also very fond of bats and frogs.
Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen biodiversity pattern of coral reef fishes that suggests some fishes might be exceptionally vulnerable to environmental change. A new study shows plank
Scientists say stable seafood consumption amongst the world’s poorer coastal communities is linked to how local habitat characteristics influence fishing at different times of the year. In the co
An international group of scientists is predicting markedly different outcomes for different species of coral reef fishes under climate change – and have made substantial progress on picking the ‘
New research has found as climate change causes the world’s oceans to warm, baby sharks are born smaller, exhausted, undernourished and into environments that are already difficult for them to survi
Abstract: The vast majority of reef fishes have a life history consisting of a pelagic larval phase of typically 20 to 60 days, followed by larval settlement where they remain through their juvenile a
Abstract: Social networks have been and remain important across the Pacific Islands, and beyond, for building and maintaining social-ecological resilience. However, there is little quantitative infor
Abstract: The global conservation community is comprised of a range of organisations, processes, and professionals. Given the diversity of these actors, and the complexity of the systems that conser
Abstract: Seasons create a rhythm in nature and, by extension, in the lives of people who depend directly on natural resources. However, our understanding of how seasons affect the ways that people
Abstract: Oceanic shark populations have declined 77% over the past 60 years as a result of overexploitation in fisheries. However, sustainable shark management is limited to a few developed nations
Abstract: Vertigo3 is a new class of small, fast and agile ‘true-flight’ underwater glider, purposely designed for robotic, artificial intelligence-assisted broadscale marine surveys, and capable
Abstract: Recurrent marine heat waves are leading to widespread coral bleaching, transforming the structure and function of tropical coral reefs. Past bleaching events have highlighted large variatio
Abstract: Shallow-water tropical seascapes typically include a range of habitat types such as coral reefs, mangroves, macroalgal and seagrass beds. These habitats can occur in close proximity and are
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au