People

Scott grew up in Bowen, North Queensland, home to some of the most beautiful beaches in Australia. Growing up in such a location resulted in his fascination with the ocean and its inhabitants. He completed his Bachelor of Science majoring in Marine Biology at James Cook University in 2017 and then joined the Reef and Ocean Ecology laboratory in 2018 to undertake an honours project under the supervision of Professor Michael Kingsford. Scott examined the utility of statolith elemental chemistry as a means to reconstruct and elucidate the movements of cubozoan jellyfish and gained a first-class Honours through doing so. Scott then began his PhD in 2020, under the supervision of Professor Michael Kingsford and Professor Dean Jerry. Scott’s PhD research will involve using environmental DNA (eDNA) to locate previously unknown habitats occupied by the benthic polyps of cubozoan jellyfish and investigate the polyp phase of the jellyfish’s life history.

Publications:

Morrissey, S. J., Schlaefer, J. A., & Kingsford, M. J. (2020). Experimental validation of the relationships between cubozoan statolith elemental chemistry and salinity and temperature. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 527, 151375.