Fields of Research

Marine and estuarine ecology (incl. marine ichthyology)
Environmental rehabilitation and restoration
Community ecology (excl. invasive species ecology)
Ecosystem function
Ecological impacts of climate change and ecological adaptation
Conservation and biodiversity
Aquaculture
Phycology (incl. marine grasses)
Fish pests and diseases
Carbon sequestration science
Biological oceanography
Natural resource management
Ecological physiology
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture
Social and cultural anthropology
Ocean engineering
Global change biology
Ecological applications
Bioremediation
Environmental management
Ecosystem services (incl. pollination)

Research Objectives

Coastal or estuarine biodiversity
Rehabilitation or conservation of marine environments
Assessment and management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems
Rehabilitation or conservation of coastal or estuarine environments
Marine biodiversity
Assessment and management of terrestrial ecosystems
Marine systems and management
Coastal and estuarine systems and management
Assessment and management of benthic marine ecosystems
Ecosystem adaptation to climate change
Expanding knowledge in the biological sciences
Fisheries - aquaculture
Oceanic processes (excl. in the Antarctic and Southern Ocean)
Climate change mitigation strategies
Environmentally sustainable plant production
Terrestrial biodiversity
Environmental education and awareness
Other environmental management
Effects of climate change on Australia (excl. social impacts)
Climate change adaptation measures (excl. ecosystem)
Climate adaptive plants
Conserving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and culture
Social impacts of climate change and variability
Environmental policy, legislation and standards
Wild caught edible molluscs

Career Best Publications

Research Publications

A successful method of transplanting adult Ecklonia radiata kelp, and relevance to other habitat-forming macroalgae; Restoration Ecology
Chemical microenvironments within macroalgal assemblages: implications for the inhibition of kelp recruitment by turf algae; Limnology and Oceanography
Density-dependence and seasonal variation in reproductive output and sporophyte production in the kelp, Ecklonia radiata; Journal of Phycology
Ecosystem engineering by a canopy-forming kelp facilitates the recruitment of native oysters; Restoration Ecology
Ecosystem engineering kelp limits recruitment of mussels and microphytobenthic algae; Marine Biology
Ectoparasites increase swimming costs in a coral reef fish; Biology Letters
Expert perceptions of seaweed farming for sustainable development; The Journal of Cleaner Production
Farms and forests: evaluating the biodiversity benefits of kelp aquaculture; Journal of Applied Phycology
From Tasmania to the world: long and strong traditions in seaweed use, research, and development; Botanica Marina
Giant kelp rafts wash ashore 450 km from the nearest populations and against the dominant ocean current; Ecology
Global change, phase-shifts and recovery potential of Tasmania’s rapidly warming reef ecosystems; The 2023 International Temperate Reefs Symposium
Habitat fragmentation causes collapse of kelp recruitment; Marine Ecology Progress Series
High kelp density attracts fishes except for recruiting cryptobenthic species; Marine Environmental Research
Interactive effects of canopy-driven changes in light, scour and water flow on microscopic recruits in kelp; Marine Environmental Research
Kelp forest restoration in Australia; Frontiers in Marine Science
Kelp patch size and density influence secondary productivity and diversity of epifauna; Oikos
Key principles for managing recovery of kelp forests through restoration; Bioscience
Ocean resource use: building the coastal blue economy; Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
Patch size and density of canopy-forming kelp modify influences of ecosystem engineering on understorey algal and sessile invertebrate assemblages; Marine Ecology - Progress Series
Playing to the positives: using synergies to enhance kelp forest restoration; Frontiers in Marine Science
Resilience and stability of kelp forests: the importance of patch dynamics and environment-engineer feedbacks; PLoS ONE
Restored kelp facilitates lobster recruitment but not other mid-trophic macroinvertebrates; Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems
Safeguarding marine life: conservation of biodiversity and ecosystems; Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries
Seaweed ecosystems may not mitigate CO₂ emissions; ICES Journal of Marine Science
Status-dependent foraging behaviour in coral reef wrasses; Coral Reefs
The role of restoration for conserving matters of national environmental significance in marine and coastal environments

Research Projects

Developing production systems for offshore kelp mariculture; Blue Economy CRC Co (BECRC)
Fish and invertebrate recruitment in response to varying kelp habitat population dynamics; Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment (HWRE)
Habitat restoration for red handfish; Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment (DAWE)
NESP MaC 1.28: Assessment of thermal tolerance in giant kelp; Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment (DAWE)
Palawa Shell Necklace Practice and Ocean Change: Climate Change and Aboriginal Culture; Department of Premier and Cabinet (DPAC)
Biodiversity monitoring in restored giant kelp forests
Giant kelp restoration & My Daily Impact with CMA CGM
NRM South Giant kelp biodiversity
Restoration and permaculture of giant kelp forests in Tasmania
Restoration of endangered giant kelp forests in South East Tasmania
TNC Kelp Conservation Project
Upscaling the restoration of endangered giant kelp forests in Tasmania

Research Candidate Supervision