Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementSamuel Payet
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
Sam grew up in North-West Australia on a plantation in the small coastal town of Carnarvon. He was given free rein to explore on weekends and quickly developed a curiosity for the ocean through fishing and diving. In 2014 Sam completed a BSc. (Hons.) in Marine Science at Curtin University where he studied hybrid reef fish at Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean. He then worked as a research intern at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia. This time, studying colour polymorphism in coral reef fish. Upon returning home Sam spent a memorable year living in a shack in Shark Bay, Western Australia. He worked as an Aquarist and Dive Master in the world heritage site and after spending a little too long away from civilization he decided it was time to do a PhD. Sam started at JCU in 2017 and is studying the role of natural selection and hybridisation in the evolution of Coral Trout (Genus: Plectropomus). His research is based in the Coral Sea where he hopes to combine genetic and ecological tools to study these iconic species.
A new study raises questions on whether current conservation science and policy for protected areas could be saving more biodiversity—with political and economic expediency often having taken prece
A new study reveals the strategies that stop bandits from illegally fishing in Australian waters—but warns there is a cost to the region’s poorer countries. Co-author Dr Brock Bergseth, from th
Five world-renowned scientists have signed a letter to UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay to "thank UNESCO for its leadership in recognising the threat of climate change to the Great Barrier Reef
A new study has found baby coral reef fishes can outpace all other baby fishes in the ocean. Lead author Adam Downie is a PhD candidate at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at Jam
Abstract: Coral assemblages from the remote Kimberley coast in North Western Australia thrive despite experiencing extreme heat, aerial exposure and fluctuating turbidity. These corals present an
Abstract: Bio-physical interactions can shape the structures and dynamics of populations. Open populations are well mixed over hundreds to thousands of kilometres. In contrast, closed populations exc
Abstract: The elusive Greenland shark (Somniosus microcephalus) is an understudied and putatively important species in the Arctic. They inhabits large parts of the North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean inc
Abstract: The presentation will explore the National NAIDOC Theme and contextualise the connection between Indigenous Self-Determination and Country. The presentation will provide an overview of hist
Abstract: Among all epigenetic modifications, gene body methylation (GBM) is the most studied but arguably the least understood in terms of its function. It is believed by many to facilitate rapid ada
Abstract: I will present some findings showing genetically-identified cryptic coral species within a functional group differing in their response to disturbance (bleaching), environmental gradients (
Abstract: This project aims to set some of the fundamentals necessary for the study of antipatharians (black corals) in the disciplines of ecology, phylogenomics, biology and conservation management.
Abstract: In 1990, Elinor Ostrom published Governing the Commons, a demonstration that communities could successfully manage common pool resources without resorting to individual private property ri
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