Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementMary Bonin
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
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
Appointments:
Education:
Research Interests:
My research is motivated by innate curiosity in the natural world and also a keen interest in answering questions that can inform conservation and management efforts. In 2012, I joined the CoE as a postdoc investigating connectivity of coral trout and anemonefish populations among fished and protected areas on the Great Barrier Reef. In 2014, I took on a new project examining effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on the recruitment and fitness of coral reef fishes. I am also involved in a number of collaborative projects in Australia and Papua New Guinea that monitor fish and benthic coral communities in marine reserves.
In addition to research, I also really enjoy teaching and mentoring postgraduate students. I have supervised 1 Honours student and 3 Masters students to completion, and I am currently on the supervisory panel for 2 PhD students. I am also involved in teaching subjects on sampling design, statistics and marine conservation biology at JCU.
Bonin MC, Harrison HB, Williamson DH, Frisch AJ, Saenz-Agudelo P, Berumen ML, Jones GP (2016) The role of marine reserves in the replenishment of a locally-impacted population of anemonefish on the Great Barrier Reef. Molecular Ecology 25:478-499. View online
Wen CKC, Bonin MC, Harrison HB, Williamson DH, Jones GP (2016) Dietary shift in juvenile coral trout (Plectropomus maculatus) following coral reef degradation from a flood plume disturbance. Coral Reefs 35:451-455. View online
Bonin MC, Boström-Einarsson L, Munday PL, Jones GP (2015) The prevalence and importance of competition among coral reef fishes. Annual Review of Ecology, Evolution, and Systematics 46:169-190. View online
Bonin MC, Saenz-Agudelo P, Harrison HB, Nanninga GB, van der Meer MH, Mansour H, Perumal S, Jones GP, Berumen ML (2015) Characterization and cross-amplification of microsatellite markers in four species of anemonefish (Pomacentridae, Amphiprion spp.). Marine Biodiversity 46:135-140. View online
Boström-Einarsson L, Bonin MC, Munday PL, Jones GP (2014) Habitat degradation modifies the strength of interspecific competition in coral dwelling damselfishes. Ecology 95(11):3056-3067. View online
Boström-Einarsson L, Bonin MC, Munday PL, Jones GP (2013) Strong intraspecific competition and habitat selectivity influence abundance of a coral-dwelling damselfish. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 448:85-92. View online
Bonin MC (2012) Specializing on vulnerable habitat: Acropora selectivity among damselfish recruits and the risk of bleaching-induced habitat loss. Coral Reefs 31:287-297 View online
Bonin MC, Almany GR, Jones GP (2011) Contrasting effects of habitat loss and fragmentation on coral-associated reef fishes. Ecology 92(7):1503-1512 View online
Bonin MC, Munday PL, McCormick MI, Srinivasan M, Jones GP (2009) Coral-dwelling fishes resistant to bleaching but not to mortality of host corals. Marine Ecology Progress Series 394:215-222 View online
Bonin MC, Srinivasan M, Almany GR, Jones GP (2009) Interactive effects of competition and microhabitat on early post-settlement survival in a coral reef fish. Coral Reefs 28:265-274 View online
New DNA techniques are being used to understand how coral reacted to the end of the last ice age in order to better predict how they will cope with current changes to the climate. James Cook Univer
A new study on the effects of climate change in five tropical countries has found fisheries are in more trouble than agriculture, and poor people are in the most danger. Distinguished Profess
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
Abstract: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will likely be under strong selection. Individual variation in heat tolerance and its heritability underpin the potential fo
Abstract: The Reef Ecology Lab in KAUST’s Red Sea Research Center explores many aspects of movement ecology of marine organisms, ranging from adult migrations to intergenerational larval dispersal
Abstract: Macroalgal meadows are a prominent, yet often maligned component of the tropical seascape. Our work at Ningaloo reef in WA demonstrate that canopy forming macroalgae provide habitat for ad
Abstract: Sharks are generally perceived as strong and fearsome animals. With fossils dating back at least 420 million years, sharks are not only majestic top predators but they also outlived dinosa
Abstract: Connectivity plays a vital role in many ecosystems through its effects on fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes. Its consequences for populations and metapopulations have been
Abstract: Evolution of many eukaryotic organisms is affected by interactions with microbes. Microbial symbioses can ultimately reflect host’s diet, habitat range, and even body shape. However, how
Abstract: The past few years have seen unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) but the consequences of this on biodiversity are not yet known. This talk will expl
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
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