Breaking the bottleneck: methods for enhancing post-settlement survival in coral reef fishes
UWA and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) through the AIMS@UWA alliance are seeking motivated students to participate in this PhD opportunity as part of the Reef Song Project, co-funded by AIMS and BHP under the Australian Coral Reef Resilience Initiative (ACRRI).
ACRRI brings together novel research from two World Heritage sites, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef, to develop the knowledge, skills and tools required to deliver innovative solutions for the management and sustainability of Australia’s coral reefs. Reef Song will explore the role of fishes in promoting resilient coral reefs, improve our understanding of reef recovery and adaptation, and develop new interventions that support reef restoration.
When larval reef fishes return to the reef most do not survive, limiting the number that can recruit into the broader population. Reef fishes play an important role in maintaining the health of coral reefs and supporting resilience and so we need to understand what mediates post-settlement survival, how survival is affected by changing conditions on reefs, and explore new ways to enhance this process.
This PhD will test novel ways and methods of enhancing the survival of reef fishes at a critical early life stage, including examining the feasibility of using these techniques to enhance coral reef restoration efforts and reef resilience. Within this general theme, it will explore new aspects of sensory ecology, learning and cognition in fishes, with implications for our understanding of predator-prey interactions and associated behaviours that can increase survival.
Successful applicants will be located in the Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre, where they will work as part of a diverse team of researchers and postgraduate students.
As part of this PhD, the applicant will develop and conduct a program of multidisciplinary field and laboratory-based experiments, focusing on the behavioural and sensory ecology of reef fishes.
The supervisory panel will include A/ProfJan Hemmi and Dr Jennifer Kelley from UWA, and Dr Rohan Brooker and Dr Martial Depczynski from AIMS.
Suggested readings
- Almany GR, Webster MS. 2006. The predation gauntlet: early post-settlement mortality in reef fishes. Coral Reefs 25, 19–22.
- Brooker RM, Feeney WE, White JR, et al. 2016. Using insights from animal behaviour and behavioural ecology to inform marine conservation initiatives. Anim. Behav. 120: 211-221.
- Chivers DP, McCormick MI, Fakan EP et al. 2019. Coral degradation alters predator odour signatures and influences prey learning and survival. Proc. R. Soc. B. 286: 20190562
Research team leader: Associate Professor Jan Hemmi
I have a special interest in how animals use their eyes and other senses to move around their world, escape from predators, find food, or defend a refuge. My lab take a comparative approach to study a wide range of species including fishes and sharks. We work in both the laboratory and the field and apply a broad range of behavioural, physiological and computational and robotics techniques to understand how animals and their nervous systems function in their natural environment.
Funding and Collaborations
Funding - Each project funding is $34,200 per annum for three years
External Collaborators:
How to Apply
Check criteria
- To be accepted into the Doctor of Philosophy, an applicant must demonstrate they have sufficient background experience in independent supervised research to successfully complete, and provide evidence of English language proficiency
- Requirements specific to this project -
- Competitive applicants will have advanced training in evolution and ecology and demonstrated research experience in behavioural and sensory ecology or a related field.
- The candidate should be willing to undertake marine field work and have a keen interest in coral reef fishes and reef restoration.
- A willingness to SCUBA dive and spend extended periods working remotely is required.
- Applicants should be available to start their studies in early 2022.
- This opportunity is open to domestic and international applicants, although preference may be given to individuals currently residing in Australia due to border restrictions.
Submit enquiry to research team leader
- Prospective candidates should send a single PDF file that clearly identifies the preferred project and includes: a brief cover letter/statement of interest and experience (1 page max), a CV including the names and contact details of 3 referees (2 pages max), and an academic transcript.
- Please forward EOI to A/Prof Jan Hemmi [email protected] or Dr Rohan Brooker [email protected]
Scholarship specific to this project
- Breaking the bottleneck: interventional methods for enhancing post-settlement survival in coral reef fishes PhD Scholarship
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This project is part of the Reef Song Project, co-funded by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and BHP as part of the Australian Coral Reef Resilience Initiative (ACRRI). ACRRI brings together novel research from two World Heritage sites, Ningaloo and the Great Barrier Reef, to develop the knowledge, skills and tools required to deliver innovative solutions for the management and sustainability of Australia's coral reefs. Reef Song will explore the role of fishes in promoting resilient coral reefs, improve our understanding of reef recovery and adaptation, and develop new interventions that support reef restoration. These PhD projects are three years positions and are supported by a generous annual stipend and research budget and combine field and laboratory based research.
