Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementDr April Hall (née Boaden)
Advance Queensland Postdoctoral Research Fellow
PhD (2015), James Cook University
James Cook University
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
Advance Queensland Postdoctoral Research Fellow
PhD (2015), James Cook University
James Cook University
April is a post-doctoral research fellow; her research activities explore fundamental concepts of coral reef fish ecology, with a particular focus on marine parks management and conservation of coral reef fish communities. April’s current research activities are focussed around evaluating the value of conservation park (yellow) zones to biodiversity conservation in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. April holds an Advance Queensland Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship, and works in collaboration with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, as well as the Reef and Ocean Ecology Laboratory. April’s PhD research focused on the importance of predatory fishes on reefs, and the trophic impacts of predator removals on coral reef fish communities. This project provided valuable information on how fishing of predators affects trophic dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef, and demonstrated the utility of no-take marine reserves in protecting ecosystem processes on reefs. Other research projects include investigation of the demographics, reproduction and habitat associations of nemipterid fishes, as well as collaborative projects examining spatial and temporal trends in coral trout abundance in the Capricorn Bunkers. April co-supervises post-graduate students and has held several roles as a course demonstrator in the College of Marine and Environmental Sciences.
April’s research activities explore fundamental concepts of coral reef fish ecology, with a particular focus on trophic relationships in coral reef fish communities. Her PhD research focused on the importance of predatory fishes on reefs, and the trophic impacts of predator removals on coral reef fish communities. This project provided valuable information on how fishing of predators affects trophic dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef, and demonstrated the utility of no-take marine reserves in protecting ecosystem processes on reefs. Other research projects include investigation of the demographics, reproduction and habitat associations of nemipterid fishes, as well as collaborative projects examining spatial and temporal trends in coral trout abundance in the Capricorn Bunkers. April currently co-supervises a masters student, and is a casual course demonstrator in the College of Marine and Environmental Sciences at James Cook University.
Dr Timothy Clark
Darren Cameron and David Wachenfeld (GBRMPA)
Co-supervisor (with Prof. Michael Kingsford) for Honours Student (first class) Stephanie Garra
Project: Inter-relationships between reef fishes and soft corals
Co-supervisor (with Prof. Michael Kingsford) for Masters Student: Lisa Vitale.
Project: Early Life History Traits of Scolopsis bilineatus
Hall AE, Vitale L, Kingsford MJ (2019) Planktonic larval duration, early growth, and the influence of dietary input on the otolith microstructure of Scolopsis bilineatus (Nemipteridae) Environmental Biology of Fishes 102:541-552 doi:10.1007/s10641-019-00852-z Link to full text
Hall, A.E. and Kingsford, M.J. (2016). Variation in the population demographics of Scolopsis bilineatus in response to predators. Coral Reefs. doi:10.1007/s00338-016-1486-0 Link to full text
Hall, A.E. and Clark, T.D. (2016). Seeing is believing: visual rather than chemosensory predator cues elicit a metabolic response in a prey species of coral reef fish. Animal Behaviour. 115:117-126. Link to full text
Hall, A.E. and Kingsford, M.J. (2016). Predators exacerbate competitive interactions and dominance hierarchies between two coral reef fishes. PLoS ONE. Link to full text
*Boaden, A. E. and Kingsford, M. J. (2015). Predators drive community structure in coral reef fish assemblages. Ecosphere DOI: 10.1890/ES14-00292.1. Link to full text
*Boaden, A. E. and Kingsford, M. J. (2013). Distributions and Habitat Associations of the Bridled Monocle Bream (Scolopsis bilineatus : Nemipteridae): a Demographic Approach. Journal of Fish Biology, 83: 618-641. Link to full text.
*Boaden, A.E., and Kingsford, M.J. (2012) Diel behaviour and trophic ecology of Scolopsis bilineatus (Nemipteridae). Coral Reefs 31: 817-883. Link to full text.
* Published in maiden name of April Boaden. Name change to April Hall as of November 2015.
Advance Queensland Fellowship announcement- ‘Centre scientists assess fishing zones’
JCU media release ‘Mix of marine zones matters most for prey fish’
CoE Media release- ‘Fishing impacts on the Great Barrier Reef‘
Science Daily article: ‘Fishing impacts on the Great Barrier Reef‘
The Age: ‘Fishing damaging Great Barrier Reef’s Food Chain’
New research shows that conservation initiatives often spread like disease, which helps scientists and policymakers to better design successful programs that are more likely to be adopted.In a st
Millions of people across the globe are suffering from malnutrition despite some of the most nutritious fish species in the world being caught near their homes, according to new research published in
An internationally respected group of scientists is calling on world leaders to urgently accelerate efforts to tackle climate change.Almost every aspect of the environment and ecology is changing
Scientists say bolder actions to protect coral reefs from the effects of global warming will benefit all ecosystems, including those on land.In an article published in Nature today two researcher
Abstract: Because coastal fisheries have been a major provider of food and economic growth in modern human history, the inherent characteristics of fish populations have been studied by researchers f
Abstract Climate change is the fastest-growing global threat to the world's natural and cultural heritage. No systematic approach to assess climate vulnerability of protected areas and their communit
Abstract: This presentation will provide an updated prognosis of the overgrazing collapse of kelp beds driven by the range-extending sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) and outline antidotes cur
Abstract: Disturbances are fundamental to structuring many ecosystems, yet climate-driven alterations to disturbance regimes may prevent recovery in many biomes. Coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef
Abstract: Outbreaks of the corallivorous Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) have been responsible for 40% of the decline in coral cover on the GBR over the last 35 years. With
Abstract: Complex interdependencies between social and ecological dynamics underpin many important environmental problems. To account for these complex dynamics, over the past several years my collea
Abstract: Coral reef restoration is gaining momentum globally in response to the threat of climate change and associated coral bleaching. In Australia, as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptatio
Abstract:Developing global environmental policies, and implementing these at a local level has proven extremely challenging. I will present research using ethnographic techniques and multi-level
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