Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementAshton Gainsford
PhD graduate
James Cook University
ashton.gainsford@my.jcu.edu.au
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
Molecular Ecology & Evolution Laboratory, School of Marine and Tropical Biology,
and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies,
James Cook University
Townsville, QLD 4811 Australia
phone: 61-07-4781 5001
email: ashton.gainsford@my.jcu.edu.au
profile: ashtongainsford.wordpress.com
A multi-disciplinary evaluation of the hybrid anemonefish Amphiprion leucokranos: behaviour shaping evolutionary outcomes of hybridization.
Hybridization is an important source of genetic variation within the marine environment. The highly diverse nature of coral reef assemblages offers many opportunities to broaden our understanding of ecological and evolutionary implications associated with current and historical gene exchange between naturally hybridizing species. The project aims to evaluate the ecological and evolutionary implications of reef fish hybridization with the application of genetic techniques to provide high resolution inference of genetic structure within and among taxa. The broad objective of the project is to evaluate localised differences between regions across the narrow hybrid zone between two anemonefish species, and a confirmed hybrid. This project will use ecological and morphological techniques, as well as phylogenetic and population genetic analyses, to address this question, as well as how populations outside the hybrid zone compare to those within, how species are changing through time and whether an advantage or disadvantage exists for hybrids within mixed species groups with strong social structuring behaviour.
Dr. Lynne van Herwerden and Prof. Geoffrey P. Jones
Gainsford, A., L. van Herwerden, and G. P. Jones. (In Review) Hierarchical behaviour, habitat use and species size differences shape evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish. Journal of Evolutionary Biology.
Gainsford, A., L. van Herwerden, G. P. Jones. 2013 Behaviour shapes evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish. Presented at the 9th Indo-Pacific Fish Conference, Okinawa, Japan.
Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc. Research Funding, 2014
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies Travel Award, 2014
Australian Postgraduate Award, James Cook University, 2012 – 2015
First Class Honours Research Thesis (GPA 7), James Cook University, 2011
Australian National Network in Marine Science Coursework Scholarship, 2010
Researchers have identified key factors that increase the risk of diseases that threaten coral reefs – and their work could one day be used to predict and manage future outbreaks. “Reducing disea
Prof Terry Hughes, Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University, was awarded with the BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award in Ecology and Conservati
Scientists discovered dozens of new coral species on a recent voyage along the length of the Great Barrier Reef. A team of scientists completed a 21-day trip from the Capricorn Bunkers off Gladston
Scientists say a type of algae crucial to the survival of coral reefs may be able to resist the impacts of ocean acidification caused by climate change. In a world-first, the team—including resea
Who: Julian Cribb Where: JCU HY002, UQ CMS Meeting Room When: Monday 20 March 2006, 11.00am-12.00pm
The Lizard Island Doctoral Fellowships Program provides financial support for field-intensive coral reef research at Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef by outstanding PhD student
Who: Go Suzuki, Kyoto University Where: ARC Centre of Excellence Conference Room, James Cook University, Townsville with video link to Centre for Marine Studies, UQ, Brisbane When: 1.00pm Monday 23
Who: Lead by Meir Sussman Where: ARC Centre of Excellence Conference Room, JCU, Townsville with video link to Centre for Marine Studies, UQ, Brisbane When: 4.00pm, Thursday 26 April 2007
Dr. Frank Thomalla is a Research Fellow at the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) where he leads the Stockholm-based group of the “Risk, Livelihoods and Vulnerability Programme” and at the re
Dr Troy Day is a theoretical evolutionary ecologist at Queen’s University, Kingston, Canada (http://www.mast.queensu.ca/~tday/index.html). His primary research interests are in the evolution of in
Who: Lead by Dr Sophie Dove Where: Video link ARC Centre of Excellence Conference Room, JCU, Townsville and Centre for Marine Studies, UQ, Brisbane When: 4.00pm, Thursday 10 May 2007
Who: Lead by Professor Terry Hughes Where: Video link ARC Centre of Excellence Conference Room, JCU, Townsville and JCU Cairns, Room B1.108 When: 12.00pm, Monday 14 May 2007
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