Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementCarolyn Wheeler
PhD Candidate
MSc, University of Massachusetts Boston (2019); BSc, University of New England (2015)
James Cook University; The University of Massachusetts Boston
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
PhD Candidate
MSc, University of Massachusetts Boston (2019); BSc, University of New England (2015)
James Cook University; The University of Massachusetts Boston
Bio
Originally from New York state, Carolyn found her passion for fish biology during her undergraduate honors research at the University of New England. There she conducted physiological research on sturgeon and a variety of species of sharks and skates. Carolyn is currently a co-tutelle PhD student between the School for the Environment at the University of Massachusetts Boston and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University jointly supervised by Drs. John Mandelman and Jodie Rummer. Carolyn spent the first half of her PhD working with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium in Boston studying the effects of temperature on development and physiological performance of epaulette shark embryos and hatchlings. She was recently awarded a graduate fellowship through the American Australian Association to continue her research at JCU assessing the impacts of thermal stress on reproduction in adult epaulette sharks.
Publications
Wheeler CR, Gervais CR, Johnson MS, Vance S, Rui R, Mandelman JW, Rummer JL. 2020. Anthropogenic stressors influence reproduction and development in elasmobranch fishes. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 30: 373-386 (doi: 10.1007/s11160-020-09604-0).
Prohaska BK, Tsang PCW, Driggers III WB, Hoffmayer ER, Wheeler CR, Sulikowski JA. 2018. Effects of delayed phlebotomy on plasma steroid hormone concentrations in two elasmobranch species. Journal of Applied Ichthyology, 00:1–6 (doi: 10.1111/jai.13700).
Wheeler CR, Novak AJ, Wippelhauser GS, Sulikowski JA. 2018. Validity of external morphology to determine sex of Atlantic Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus). Journal of Applied Ichthyology, (doi:10.1111/jai.13775).
Novak AJ, Carlson AE, Wheeler CR, Wippelhauser GS, Sulikowski JA. 2017. Critical Foraging Habitat of Atlantic Sturgeon Based on Feeding Habits, Prey Distribution, and Movement Patterns in the Saco River Estuary, Maine. Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, (doi: 10.1080/00028487.2016.1264472).
Wheeler CR, Novak AJ, Wippelhauser GS, Sulikowski JA. 2016. Using circulating reproductive hormones for sex determination of Atlantic sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrinchus oxyrinchus) in the Saco River estuary, Maine. Conservation Physiology, (doi: 10.1093/conphys/cow059).
Sulikowski JA, CR Wheeler, AJ Gallagher, BK Prohaska, JA Langan, N Hammerschlag. 2016. Variation in the reproductive ecology of a marine apex predator, the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier), at a protected female aggregation site. Aquatic Biology, 24:175-184 (doi: 10.3354/ab00648).
Prohaska BK, Tsang PCW, Driggers III WB, Hoffmayer ER, Wheeler CR, Brown AC, Sulikowski JA. 2013. Assessing reproductive status in elasmobranch fishes using steroid hormones extracted from skeletal muscle tissue. Conservation Physiology, 1(1) (doi: 10.1093/conphys/cot028).
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
Researchers have discovered a new way to measure the complexity of the world’s habitats—a crucial factor as environments across the globe face extraordinary change. The study was led by Damaris T
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
Abstract: The Torres Strait is an asset for the world’s life support system. But the region’s people are facing a number of serious challenges including rising sea levels, extreme weather and poo
Abstract: Sponges underpin the productivity of coral reefs, yet few of their microbial symbionts have been functionally characterized. Here we present an analysis of ~1200 metagenome-assembled genome
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