Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementSamantha Aird
PhD candidate
BA/Hons
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
Samantha’s research interests rest across the fields of archaeology and marine science. Her passion for tropical marine environments and cultural heritage led to the completion of her undergraduate degree (BA (hons) Archaeology) at James Cook University in 2014. Samantha’s PhD research focuses on the long-term importance and resilience of marine resources in socio-ecological settings. Her PhD study site is one of the most significant archaeology sites in the Great Barrier Reef due to its size and age – Woppaburra’s Mazie Bay midden, North Keppel Island. Radiocarbon dates confirm Woppaburra’s Mazie Bay midden to be at least 5000-years-old. More specifically, Samantha employs morphometric, sclerochronology, and stable isotope techniques to reconstruct palaeoclimates using archaeological mollusc remains. She completed a 5-month internship at the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station in 2016-2017 and continues to work as a research assistant on archaeological material from key Papua New Guinea sites. Her PhD supervisory panel includes A/Prof. Katherine Szabó (Monash University), Dr Andrew Hoey (JCU), Dr Patrick Faukner (University of Sydney), A/Prof. Mike Rowland (JCU) and Dr Amy Prendergast (University of Melbourne).
Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE) Professor Terry Hughes was recently awarded an honorary Doctor in Science from Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland. Pr
Scientists say coral reefs on a tiny island in the South Pacific have shown incredible resilience and recovery from a recent but very severe disturbance: a volcanic eruption that created a new island.
A flotilla of Vietnamese fishing boats with crews suffering in harsh conditions is stripping Pacific coral reefs of seafood as the poaching escalates to become an international human rights and securi
In a study published today, scientists report that the long-term success of clownfish depends more on living in a good neighbourhood than it does on good genes. The natural home of the clownfish is
Abstract: I will talk about what we have learned from studying symbioses in algae and corals. Origin of the photosynthetic organelle in algae led to the major rewiring of host metabolic pathw
Abstract: Because coastal fisheries have been a major provider of food and economic growth in modern human history, the inherent characteristics of fish populations have been studied by researchers f
Abstract Climate change is the fastest-growing global threat to the world's natural and cultural heritage. No systematic approach to assess climate vulnerability of protected areas and their communit
Abstract: This presentation will provide an updated prognosis of the overgrazing collapse of kelp beds driven by the range-extending sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) and outline antidotes cur
Abstract: Disturbances are fundamental to structuring many ecosystems, yet climate-driven alterations to disturbance regimes may prevent recovery in many biomes. Coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef
Abstract: Outbreaks of the corallivorous Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) have been responsible for 40% of the decline in coral cover on the GBR over the last 35 years. With
Abstract: Complex interdependencies between social and ecological dynamics underpin many important environmental problems. To account for these complex dynamics, over the past several years my collea
Abstract: Coral reef restoration is gaining momentum globally in response to the threat of climate change and associated coral bleaching. In Australia, as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptatio
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