Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementKatie Motson
PhD candidate
BSc Geography, The University of Edinburgh (2012); MSc Marine Biology & Ecology, James Cook University (2014)
Marine Parasitology Laboratory
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
PhD candidate
BSc Geography, The University of Edinburgh (2012); MSc Marine Biology & Ecology, James Cook University (2014)
Marine Parasitology Laboratory
James Cook University
Katie grew up in the North of England, spending most of her free-time living abroad and diving the world’s oceans. She graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2012 with a BSc in Geography and took to the skies once more, dreaming of diving and studying on the Great Barrier Reef. In 2014 Katie obtained her MSc in Marine Biology & Ecology at James Cook University, investigating the capacity for thermal developmental acclimation in three tropical wrasse species. After spending two years working in various research positions: as a research assistant for Prof. Philip Munday; as a Research Projects Officer with CSIRO in Brisbane; and researching the effects of Cyclone Winston on coral reefs in Fiji, Katie returned to her academic nest at JCU to begin her next adventure. Under the supervision of Dr. Andrew Hoey and Dr. Kate Hutson, Katie’s PhD looks at the effects of coral reef condition and disturbance on the parasite communities infecting herbivorous fish on the Great Barrier Reef.
A new study of the Great Barrier Reef shows populations of its small, medium and large corals have all declined in the past three decades. Lead author Dr Andy Dietzel, from the ARC Centre of Excell
Scientists have found that as the world undergoes profound environmental change, identifying and protecting ‘novel’ communities of species can help prevent extinctions within vulnerable ecosystems
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
Abstract: How can we care about something we never see or experience? Virtual reality has the potential to connect people with far-away places, and is an effective medium to generate empathy and sel
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
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