Researchers
Students
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ManagementPeter Cowman
Research Fellow in Ecosystem Dynamics
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
Research Fellow in Ecosystem Dynamics
James Cook University
Peter is originally from Ireland were he completed a BSc (Hon) degree in Marine Science at the National University of Ireland, Galway (NUIG). He completed his PhD at James Cook University in 2012 on the topic of the evolutionary origins and biogeography of coral reef fishes.
After his PhD he was a Postdoctoral fellow in the Macroevolution and Macroecology group at the Australian National University in Canberra, where he investigated the genetic links between molecular evolution, life history and diversification in plants and animals. In 2014, he was awarded the Donnelley Environmental Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies (YIBS).
At Yale he worked on the phylogenetic reconstruction of the Fish Tree of Life and using it as a frame work to explore rate variation and biogeography across the largest vertebrate group.
He joined the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies in 2016 where he continues to leverage phylogenetic data for fishes and corals to explore their evolutionary history under the Centre Program 2: Ecosystem dynamics: past, present and future.
For nearly 50 years, researchers have been stumped as to why sea shells from warm tropical waters are comparatively larger than their cold water relatives. New research, led by the ARC Centre of Excel
Strategic delays in conservation efforts could be the key to protecting more species according to research led by the University of Queensland and the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (
Centuries-old nautical charts, mapped by long-deceased sailors to avoid shipwrecks, have been used by modern scientists to study loss of coral reefs. A new US and Australian study – including res
Who cares about the Great Barrier Reef? Many people, and according to a paper published today in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, some of the most passionately connected
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Abstract. The Outlook Report is an evidence-based report written by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Preparation for the next Outlook report is underway and we need to arm ourselves with
Abstract. Coral-associated bacteria have been proposed to provide important functions in promoting corals’ success by enhancing nutrition, enabling nutrient cycling and providing resistance against
Abstract. The structure of stakeholder interaction is a critical precursor to the ability to solve complex environmental challenges. The structure relates not just of social interactions, but also of
Abstract. Over the last century, the anthropogenic production of CO2 has led to warmer and more acidic oceans, resulting in increasingly frequent and severe mass bleaching events worldwide. Unless co
Abstract. Abundance patterns in ecological communities have important implications for biodiversity maintenance and ecosystem functioning. However, ecological theory has been largely unsuccessful at
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Abstract. It is increasingly apparent that sustainable management of marine ecosystems requires understanding both the ecological and social values of these complex environments. Local and traditional
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