Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementAlyssa Marshell
PhD Graduate
University of Queensland
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
Alyssa was lucky to spend her teenage years growing up on the gorgeous northern New South Wales coast, where she snorkelled regularly and learnt to dive as part of the high school curriculum there. She completed her Bachelor of Science degree majoring in marine biology at James Cook University in Townsville before heading off to explore the world working in the dive and tourism industries. Alyssa eventually ended up at the University of Guam Marine Lab in Guam, Micronesia where she completed her Masters of Science degree investigating unicornfish movement patterns and population dynamics under the supervision of Dr Jennifer McIlwain, and worked as a Graduate Research Assistant with the Government of Guam Coral Reef Monitoring Group. Alyssa completed her PhD investigating the ecological roles of herbivorous surgeonfish on coral reefs, under the supervision of Professor Peter Mumby, Dr Alastair Harborne and Dr Ian Tibbetts.
Scientists say a ‘portfolio’ of protected areas within marine parks such as the Great Barrier Reef can help secure sustainable fish populations. Dr Hugo Harrison from the ARC Centre of Excellen
Scientists have developed a new genetic tool that can help them better understand and ultimately work to save coral reefs. “Surprisingly, we still don’t know how many coral species live on the
A new study suggests ‘dead’ coral rubble can still sustain life, with a large number of tiny animals hidden and living amongst the ruins. While the study does not suggest dead coral has the sam
A new study on coral evolution has found climates similar to what we’re seeing today have previously devastated hard-bodied corals—the architects of coral reefs—while making way for their softer
Abstract: When abundant, seabirds feeding in the open ocean transport large quantities of nutrients onto islands, enhancing the productivity of island fauna and flora. These nutrients can leach int
Abstract: Current-day populations of coral reef fish suffer when exposed acutely to elevated temperatures, but future warming will occur over greater timescales. Recent studies show that developmenta
Abstract: There is often a mismatch between the scales at which ecosystems are threatened by human impacts and those at which management and policy are implemented. Better understanding the scales ov
Abstract: Ocean warming and acidification are challenging the tolerance limits of scleractinian corals. However, beneficial acclimation and stress-hardening via phenotypic plasticity may be pathw
Abstract: Globally, coral reefs are under threat. Unfortunately, the rate of ecosystem degradation often surpasses the rate of generation of knowledge required to support management. Despite the consi
Abstract: Illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing threatens resource sustainability and equity. A major challenge with such activity is that most fishing vessels do not broadcast their positions
Abstract: Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive ecosystem's worldwide, but their future is threatened by a host of anthropogenic disturbances. To protect reefs and their services to hu
Abstract: Differentiating the relative contribution of host genetic background and surrounding environment on microbiome structure is critical to assess how microbial associations are determined and t
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