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.
James Cook University researchers have found brightly coloured fish are becoming increasingly rare as coral declines, with the phenomenon likely to get worse in the future. Christopher Hemingson, a
Researchers working with stakeholders in the Great Barrier Reef region have come up with ideas on how groups responsible for looking after the reef can operate more effectively when the next bleaching
A new study has delivered a stark warning about the impacts of urban growth on the world’s coral reefs. As coastal developments expand at pace around the world, a year-long study of coral on a reef
Alarming new research shows global warming of 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels will be catastrophic for almost all coral reefs – including those once thought of as refuges. Associate Profes
Abstract: Molecular approaches have revolutionised our understanding of the systematics and evolution of most branches on the tree of life, including corals. Over the last twenty-five years molecula
Abstract: Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a major driver of coral decline across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and compound upon the impacts of increasingly frequent and severe coral
Abstract: Being a new staff member at JCU, I will start with a short overview of my research. Next I will zoom in on a specific topic that I have been interested in for a long time: the impact of e
Abstract: The harsh truth is that, despite exciting innovations and increases in activity, ocean conservation is not succeeding, at least not fast enough. This is my conclusion from the last decad
This talk is the last of the parachute science seminar series organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract Universities and institutions across th
This talk is the second of three on parachute science being organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract For millenia, Traditional Owners have hel
This talk is the first of three on parachute science being organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract Parachute science is the practice whereby
ABSTRACT Climate change loss and damage is known as the “third pillar” of international climate governance in addition to mitigation and adaptation. Although there is no agreed upon definition,
Partner Research Institutions
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
