Fields of Research

Fisheries management
Aquaculture and fisheries stock assessment
Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Fisheries sciences
Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation
Biological oceanography
Surveying (incl. hydrographic surveying)
Aquaculture
Sustainable agricultural development
Horticultural crop growth and development
Post-harvest fisheries technologies (incl. transportation)
Fish physiology and genetics
Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Maritime engineering
Behavioural ecology
Phycology (incl. marine grasses)
Ecosystem function
Traditional, complementary and integrative medicine
Natural resource management
Crop and pasture nutrition
Food safety, traceability, certification and authenticity
Environmental management
Fish pests and diseases

Research Objectives

Fisheries - wild caught
Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in marine environments
Wild caught edible molluscs
Marine biodiversity
Wild caught fin fish (excl. tuna)
Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Wild caught rock lobster
Understanding climate change
Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems
Coastal or estuarine biodiversity
Fisheries - aquaculture
Rehabilitation or conservation of marine environments
Effects of climate change on Australia (excl. social impacts)
Measurement and assessment of marine water quality and condition
Horticultural crops
Assessment, development and evaluation of curriculum
Organic fertilisers
Control of pests, diseases and exotic species in coastal and estuarine environments
Wild caught crustaceans (excl. rock lobster and prawns)
Assessment and management of Antarctic and Southern Ocean ecosystems
Climate change adaptation measures (excl. ecosystem)
Aquaculture fin fish (excl. tuna)
Ecosystem adaptation to climate change
Nutraceuticals and functional foods
Stone fruit (excl. avocado)
Field grown vegetable crops
Macadamias
Soils
Industrial crops
Wine grapes
Aquaculture molluscs (excl. oysters)

Career Best Publications

First record of mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, in Tasmania, Australia: stock structure and reproductive biology; New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 2004
Ichthyoplankton-based spawning dynamics of blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) in south-eastern Australia: links to the East Australian Current; Fisheries Oceanography
Larval fish assemblages along the south-eastern Australian shelf: linking mesoscale non-depth-discriminate structure and water masses; Fisheries Oceanography
Molecular discrimination of shelf-spawned eggs of two co-occurring Trachurus spp. (Carangidae) in southeastern Australia: a key step to future egg-based biomass estimates; ICES Journal of Marine Science
Niche differentiation of ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in response to paper and pulp mill effluent; Microbial Ecology
Nitrifying and denitrifying microbial communities and their relationship to nutrient fluxes and sediment geochemistry in the Derwent Estuary, Tasmania; Aquatic Microbial Ecology
Shelf spawning habitat of Emmelichthys nitidus in south-eastern Australia - Implications and suitability for egg-based biomass estimation; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Spawning biomass of jack mackerel (Trachurus declivis) off eastern Australia: critical knowledge for managing a controversial fishery; Fisheries Research

Research Publications

2017 Small bivalve fishery assessment: Venerupis largillierti - Northern Zone, Georges Bay Katelysia scalarina - Ansons Bay
2018 Small bivalve fishery assessment: Ostrea angasi - Georges Bay; Katelysia scalarina - Ansons Bay; Venerupis largillierti - Northern Zone, Georges Bay
2021 Small bivalve fishery assessment: Katelysia scalarina - Ansons Bay
2021 Small bivalve fishery assessment: Ostrea angasi - Georges Bay
5th Tasmanian seafood industry award winners
A database of marine larval fish assemblages in Australian temperate and subtropical waters; Scientific Data
A shellfish attitude change
Assessing processing waste from the sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) fishery as an organic fertilizer; Agronomy
Autonomous adaptation to climate-driven change in marine biodiversity in a global marine hotspot; Ambio
Can commercial harvest of the long-spined sea urchin, Centrostephanus rodgersii, reduce the impact of destructive urchin grazing on macroalgae communities and associated fisheries?; Australian Society of FIsheries Biology
Can we trust southern rock lobsters to control range-expanding, habitat-destroying longspined sea urchins in Tasmania?; World Fisheries Congress
Centrostephanus Subsidy Program: Initial Evaluation
Commonwealth Small Pelagic Fishery: Status Report 2010
Decadal resurvey of long-term lobster experimental sites to inform Centrostephanus control
Determining when and where to fish: Linking scallop spawning, settlement, size and condition to collaborative spatial harvest and industry in-season management strategies
Development of eggs and larvae of Emmelichthys nitidus (Percoidei: Emmelichthyidae) in south-eastern Australia, including a temperature-dependent egg incubation model; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Diver Control of Long-spined Sea Urchin in Tasmania; Kelp Restoration Guidebook: Lessons Learned from Kelp Projects Around the World
Effects of estuarine sediment hypoxia on nitrogen fluxes and ammonia oxidizer gene transcription; FEMS Microbiology Ecology
Egg distribution, reproductive parameters and spawning biomass of blue mackerel, Australian sardine and tailor off the east coast during late winter and early spring
Empowering undergraduate education through support of student societies; 25th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education
Establishment of a fishery for a range extending species; SE Australia MCIA symposium
Evaluation of egg production as a method of estimating spawning biomass of redbait off the east coast of Tasmania
Evaluation of egg production as a method of estimating spawning biomass of redbait off the east coast of Tasmania
Finalist for Science Innovation Award
First record of mosquitofish, Gambusia holbrooki, in Tasmania, Australia: stock structure and reproductive biology; New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 2004
Fishing for climate: establishing a harvest industry on a range-extender to protect a reef ecosystem; The 2023 International Temperate Reefs Symposium
From ocean menace to possible garden saviour. Is this the pest you want in your garden?
Global change, phase-shifts and recovery potential of Tasmania’s rapidly warming reef ecosystems; The 2023 International Temperate Reefs Symposium
Ichthyoplankton-based spawning dynamics of blue mackerel (Scomber australasicus) in south-eastern Australia: links to the East Australian Current; Fisheries Oceanography
Identifying Reefs at Risk: Modelling Local Ecological Knowledge of a range-extending sea urchin; SE Australia MCIA symposium
Industry-independent video survey of commercial scallop (Pecten fumatus) densities in Great Oyster Bay – May 2017 survey
Influence of a burrowing, metal-tolerant polychaete on benthic metabolism, denitrification and nitrogen regeneration in contaminated estuarine sediments; Marine Pollution Bulletin
Larval fish assemblages along the south-eastern Australian shelf: linking mesoscale non-depth-discriminate structure and water masses; Fisheries Oceanography
Linking larval fish assemblages with water masses for non-depth discriminate data in shelf waters off south-eastern Australia; ASFB conference and workshop on cutting-edge technologies in fish and fisheries science
Linking larval fish assemblages with water masses from non-depth-discriminate data in shelf waters off south-eastern Australia; Catchments to Coast
Mapping abalone habitat impacted by Centrostephanus on the east coast of Tasmania: Final contracted report for the Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund (AIRF Project 2021) and Tasmanian Climate Change Office (Climate Research Grants Program 2021)
Mesoscale Characterisation of the Pelagic Shelf Ecosystem of South-Eastern Australia: Integrated Approach Using Larval Fish Assemblages and Oceanography
Molecular discrimination of shelf-spawned eggs of two co-occurring Trachurus spp. (Carangidae) in southeastern Australia: a key step to future egg-based biomass estimates; ICES Journal of Marine Science
Niche differentiation of ammonia-oxidising archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in response to paper and pulp mill effluent; Microbial Ecology
Nitrifying and denitrifying microbial communities and their relationship to nutrient fluxes and sediment geochemistry in the Derwent Estuary, Tasmania; Aquatic Microbial Ecology
Periwinkle fishery of Tasmania: supporting management and a profitable industry
Periwinkle fishery of Tasmania: supporting management and a profitable industry
Periwinkle fishery of Tasmania: supporting management and a profitable industry
Periwinkle potential
Range extension of the long spined sea urchin - Centrostephanus rodgersii; SE Australia MCIA symposium
Redmap Australia: challenges and successes with a large-scale citizen science-based approach to ecological monitoring and community engagement on climate change; Frontiers in Marine Science
Resetting urchin barrens: liming as a rapid widespread urchin removal tool
Resurvey of the longspined sea urchin (Centrostephanus rodgersii) and associated barren reef in Tasmania
Roe v weed: urchinomics turns pest to gourmet gold
Sea urchin fertiliser trials are underway in Tasmania and are already showing promising results
Sea urchin fertiliser trials are underway in Tasmania and are already showing promising results, by Fiona Breen
Sea urchins are wreaking havoc on Tasmania's kelp forests. How can we stop this environmental disaster? by Zoe Kean
Shelf spawning habitat of Emmelichthys nitidus in south-eastern Australia - Implications and suitability for egg-based biomass estimation; Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science
Spawning biomass of jack mackerel (Trachurus declivis) off eastern Australia: critical knowledge for managing a controversial fishery; Fisheries Research
Spawning biomass of redbait (Emmelichthys nitidus) in the east sub-area of the small pelagic fishery during October 2020
Spiny lobsters prefer native prey over range-extending invasive urchins; ICES Journal of Marine Science
Summer spawning patterns and preliminary daily egg production method survey of jack mackerel and Australian sardine off the East Coast
Sustainable overfishing of longspined sea urchins to protect key abalone habitat; The 11th International Abalone Symposium
Tasmanian Longspined Sea Urchin Fishery Assessment 2018/19
Tasmanian Longspined Sea Urchin Fishery Assessment 2019/20
Tasmanian Longspined Sea Urchin Fishery Assessment 2020/21
Tasmanian scallop fishery assessment 2017
Tasmanian Scallop Fishery Assessment 2018
Tasmanian Scallop Fishery Assessment 2019
Team award for creative partnerships
Urchins Beware!
Waste to profit in urchin fisheries: developing business opportunities to ensure fishery sustainability and safeguard reef dependent fisheries from destructive urchin grazing
Water mass selectivity by larvae of small pelagic fishes in south-eastern Australian shelf waters: a proxy for key spawning habitats; ASFB conference and workshop on spatial management in fisheries
Will a native predator help to control novel, range-extending urchins on temperate reefs in Tasmania?; 2023 International Temperate Reefs Symposium

Research Projects

2019-149 Status of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) reports 2020, and further development of the SAFS production and dissemination system; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Babel Island 'take-all' research support; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Can Commercial Harvest of Long-Spined Sea Urchins Reduce the Impact of Urchin Grazing on Abalone and Lobster Fisheries; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Commercial upscaling of urchin fertiliser; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Developing a spatial planning framework for Longspined Sea Urchin control in Tasmania; Tasmanian Abalone Council Ltd (TACL)
Effects of urchin fishing on urchin populations and recovery; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Egg distribution, reproductive parameters and spawning biomass of blue mackerel, Australian sardine and tailor off the east coast during late winter and early spring; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Evaluation of the subsidy for the Centrostephanus fishery; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Fisheries biology of short-spined sea urchins (Heliocidaris erythrogramma) in Tasmania: supporting a profitable harvest and appropriate management; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
FRDC Sea Urchin Fertiliser Project; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Lobster predation re-survey; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Lose home or eat more: comparative prey choice and consumption of different rock lobster species on barren forming sea urchins; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (HWRE)
Mapping abalone habitat impacted by Centrostephanus on the east coast of Tasmania; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Mapping warming reefs for management strategy evaluation; Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC)
Resetting urchin barrens: Liming as a rapid widespread urchin removal tool; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Risk profile for paralytic shellfish toxins in Tasmanian Periwinkles; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Social-economic analysis of the Tasmanian Commercial Dive Fishery; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Spawning biomass of Jack Mackerel (Trachurus declivis) between western Tasmania and Kangaroo Island, South Australia: Plankton surveys and egg identification; Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA)
Spawning biomass of Jack Mackerel (Trachurus declivis) in the East sub-area of the Small Pelagic Fishery; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Stable isotopes: a rapid method to determine lobster diet and trace lobster origin?; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
Understanding Centrostephanus Age, Growth and Size of Maturity; Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania (NRE Tas)
Waste to profit in urchin fisheries: developing business opportunities to ensure fishery sustainability and safeguard reef dependant fisheries from destructive urchin grazing; Fisheries Research & Development Corporation (FRDC)
(SMRCA Core) Centrostephanus Barren Assessment
(SMRCA Core) Population Biology: Centro
Post-harvest best practice for Tasmanian sea urchin fisheries
Shellfish Survey 2017-2019
Status of key Australian fish stocks (SAFS) reports 2018, and further development of the SAFS production and dissemination system

Research Candidate Supervision