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.
New research reveals marine heatwaves are a much bigger threat to coral reefs than previously thought, with effects that go beyond coral bleaching. In the study, scientists show for the first time th
The world’s largest coordinated study of coral reefs identifies just where and how to save coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific.More than 80 scientists, including an Australian team from the ARC
A group of Australian scientists has created the world’s first computer model that can accurately predict the movements of baby coral trout across the Great Barrier Reef.The study confirms the i
Being a fussy eater is a problem for reef fish who seek refuge from climate change on deeper reefs. But, scientists discovered, the coral that these fussy fish eat can support them.The study was l
Abstract:Developing global environmental policies, and implementing these at a local level has proven extremely challenging. I will present research using ethnographic techniques and multi-level
Abstract: Recurrent bleaching events since the early 1980’s have led to enduring ecosystems changes throughout the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea and the increasing frequency and intensity of
Abstract: Conservation relies largely on the ability to influence behaviours and ensure rule adherence. Yet, noncompliance in conservation contexts is common. For instance, poaching regularly neg
AbstractProjected near-future ocean CO2 levels alter behaviours that affect survival, such as predator escape and foraging, in marine invertebrates. However, the mechanisms responsible for these e
Abstract:The long-standing paradigm that ecology and evolution play out on different timescales is increasingly challenged by recent studies that show real-time interaction of the two. Similarly t
Abstract: The declining condition of many habitats in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area means marine park managers have to take a different approach to management. Managers can no longer rely
Abstract: Photosymbiosis is the main driver of reef development because it enhances calcification rates, thereby allowing corals to grow in oligotrophic environments. The reefal systems of the Palae
Abstract: Disease transmission is a natural process that helps shape the ecology and evolution of all organisms on Earth, yet, the burden and distribution of disease outbreaks is changing at an alarmi
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