Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementChiara Pisapia
PhD candidate
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
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Building 32, Room 108
James Cook University
Phone: +61 7 4781 6063
Email: chiara.pisapia@my.jcu.edu.au
Chiara is originally from Rome, Italy where she completed both her Undergraduate and Postgraduate degree in Marine Science. She always dreamed about doing research on coral reefs and after working in Indonesia she moved to Townsville in 2009 to start a Master of Applied Science in Marine Biology. In 2012 Chiara started her PhD in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and AIMS@JCU, she is interested in understanding intraspecific variation in the ability of corals to withstand disturbances. Her PhD is entitled: Drivers of colony-level variation in condition and resilience for reef-building corals
Drivers of colony-level variation in conditions and resilience for reef-building corals
It is critical to better understand intra-specific variation in the ability of corals to withstand disturbances. Many studies have documented significant variation in the capacity of corals to withstand and recover from major disturbances, but the underlying basis of this variation is still poorly understood. This project will attempt to account for these differences in susceptibility, based on inherent and experimentally-induced variation in colony condition. Specifically the aim of this project is quantify background rates of partial mortality for coral populations at a hierarchy of spatial scales along the Great Barrier Reef. 2) To test influence of disturbance history versus other biological and environmental factors on colony condition. 3) To test both, the role of colony condition in determining capacity for tissue repair, and energetic consequences of tissue repair following experimentally induced partial mortality. 4) To explicitly test whether colony condition influence “resilience” (resistance and recovery) of corals to thermally-induced bleaching. Investigating drivers of colony-condition and their energetic consequences for colony resilience, provides a strong framework for predicting resistance, recovery capacity and resilience of reef-building corals.
Principal supervisor: Morgan Pratchett
Supervisory committee: Dr Hugh Sweatman
Pratchett M.S., Pisapia C., Sheppard C. 2013. Background mortality rates for recovering populations of Acropora cytherea in the Chagos Archipelago, central Indian Ocean. Marine Environmental Research 86: 29–34.
Pisapia C., Cole A.J., Pratchett M.S. 2012. Changing feeding preferences of butterflyfishes following coral bleaching. ISBN 978-0-9808572-5-2. Proceedings of the 12th International Coral Reef Symposium In: 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, 9-13 July 2012, Cairns, QLD, Australia.
Pisapia C., Hennige S.J., Haapkylä J., Matteucci R., Smith D.J. 2012. Morphological changes in polyp structure of massive coral species in clear and turbid waters. Bulletin of Marine Science 88(1):183–191.
Pisapia C., Pratchett MS. Spatial variation in background mortality of dominant coral taxa along Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. Fifteen minute talk. Australian Coral Reef Society Conference. Sydney, August 2013.
Pisapia C., Pratchett M.S. Changing feeding preferences of butterflyfishes following coral bleaching. Fifteen minute talk. 12th International Coral Reef Symposium, 9-13 July 2012, Cairns, QLD, Australia (15 min talk)
Pisapia C., Pratchett MS. Changing feeding preferences of butterflyfishes following coral bleaching. Student Conference AIMS (Australian Institute of Marine Science, Townsville QLD) June 2012
Pisapia C, Pratchett MS. Feeding preferences in butterflyfishes with coral bleaching. School of Marine and Tropical Biology, James Cook University School Conference. 2011
2013- ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Graduate Research Scheme (GRS).
2013- Student Travel Award to attend the 87th Annual Australian Coral Reef Society Conference (Sydney).
2012- AIMS@JCU project grant. Australian Institute for Marine Science, Townsville, QLD.
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