This post lists some of the scientists and research projects utilizing the facilities of the Australian Museum’s Lizard Island Research Station this year. A complete list will be published as part of the Station’s full 2017 Report. The results from most of these projects will be published in scientific journals. For prior years, see Publications & Projects on the Station website.
The links show the great breadth and depth of scientific talent at the Station. Lizard Island research is part of an impressive web of Australian and international scientific enquiry across multiple disciplines, all advancing our knowledge of life on the Reef and our ability to conserve it for future generations.
Trond Amundsen (NTNU Norway): Effects of coral bleaching on fishes.
Kristen Anderson King (JCU) Recovery of coral growth after bleaching
Maria del Mar Palacios (JCU): Effect of habitat degradation on reef fish & Top predators
Alexandra Ordonez Alvarez & Guillermo Diaz Pulido (Griffith): Coralline algae evolution and ocean acidification. See also Coral Algae Research Lab and Coralcoe
Derek Sun (UQ) as field leader for Paul Sikkell (Arkansas): The role of micropredators and cleaning behaviour in coral reef fish communities
Rebecca Fox (UTS) & Jennifer Donelson (JCU): Exploring the nexus between physiology and behaviour in a warming world. Rebecca & Jennifer were awarded a LIRRF Isobel Bennett Biology Fellowship to help fund this research.
Zoe Richards (Curtin) & Daniela Ceccarelli (Independent researcher): Temporal dynamics and response to disturbance in coral and fish communities at Lizard Island – see Counting Survivors
Mark McCormick (JCU): Fish and benthic survey of Lizard Island
Sjannie Lefevre Nilsson & Goran Nilsson (UiO): Physiological responses to hypoxia of the Humpback Conch
Samantha Aird (JCU): Long-term Aboriginal resource use on the Great Barrier Reef
Luis Alonso Gomez Lemos (Griffith): Ecological interactions between crustose coralline algae and early life stages of seaweeds and corals
Ellie Bergstrom (Griffith): Biological traits responsible for acclimation/adaptation of coralline algae to ocean acidification
Naomi Green (UQ): Seeing and responding to colour signals
Maureen Ho (Griffith): The role of macroalgae and their different carbon uptake strategies
Zoe Loffler (JCU): The effect of canopy-forming macroalgae on reef processes. Zoe was awarded a LIRRF / Ian Potter Foundation Fellowship to help fund this research.
Martin Luehrmann (UQ): Visual ecology of cardinalfishes Apogonidae
Renato Morais Araujo (JCU): Structural complexity effects on fish productivity over multiple spatial scales: the influence of cyclone damage and massive bleaching events
Robert Streit (JCU): Benthic feeding video grids
Damaris Torres-Pulliza (Macquarie): A multi-scale approach for quantifying habitat complexity of coral reef from space
Cedric Van Den Berg (UQ): Luminance detection and discrimination thresholds in the Picasso Triggerfish.
Rachael Woods (Macquarie): Cyclone mapping project – coral recruitment on mapped sites
Sue Anne Watson (JCU): Effects of bleaching on giant clams
Smooth Giant Clam Tridacna derasa at Big Vikis Reef Lizard Island. © Andy Lewis
See also
Coral recovery – the time perspective and Basis for hope
Vinegar – controlling COTS at half the cost (updated to note GBRMPA approval).