Research Projects 2013

The following research projects were carried out at Lizard Island Research Station during 2013.

Coral reef fish coloration: sexual selection, diversity and speciation
Trond Amundsen, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Diversity and chemical ecology of opisthobranchs
Conxita Avila, University of Barcelona, Spain

Coral demography
Andrew Baird and Sean Connelly, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Maria Dornelas, University of St Andrews, UK
Joshua Madin, Macquarie University

Cooperative and cognitive aspects of cleaning symbiosis
Redouan Bshary, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland

Stomatopod behaviour
Roy Caldwell, University of Berkeley, USA

The importance of neophobia to predator-prey dynamics
Doug Chivers and Maud Ferrari, University of Saskatchewan, Canada

Eye evolution in sarsiellonid ostracods (Crustacea: Ostracoda)
Celia Churchill, Emily Ellis, Todd Oakley and Alannah Pique, University of California Santa Barbara, USA

Vulnerability and survival of fish released following fisheries encounters: towards lower post-release predation and more sustainable catch-and-release fishing
Timothy Clark, Australian Institute of Marine Science
Andrew Hoey and Vanessa Messmer, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Andrew Tobin, James Cook University

The role of hindgut symbionts in protein uptake and recycling in marine herbivorous fishes
Kendall Clements, University of Auckland, New Zealand
Lindsey White, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand
Esther Angert, Cornell University, USA
Howard Choat, James Cook University

Transversotrematid trematodes of GBR fishes
Thomas Cribb, University of Queensland
Rod Bray, Natural History Museum London, UK
Terrence Miller, University of Queensland

Properties of natural polarized light fields in air and water
Tom Cronin, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA

Perkinsosis in bivalves from Queensland
Cecile Dang, University of Queensland

Apex predators on coral reefs: do marine parks need sharks?
Ashley Frisch, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Ecology of novel coral reef ecosystems
Nicholas Graham, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Latitudinal & seasonal variation in the functional impact of reef fishes
Andrew Hoey, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Macroalgal driven feedbacks on coral reefs
Morgan Pratchett, Andrew Hoey and Jacob Johansen James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Metabolic scaling with polyp and colony size for reef corals
Mia Hoogenboom, James Cook University

Polarising vision and behaviour in stomatopods
Martin How, University of Queensland

Polychaete taxonomy workshop
Pat Hutchings, Elena Kupriyanova and Anna Murray, Australian Museum
Yanan Sun (PhD student), Australian Museum and Macquarie University
Maria Teresa Aguado, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Spain
Tom Alvestad, UniMiljo, Norway
Nataliya Budaeva, University Museum of Bergen, Norway
Maria Capa, Museum of Natural History and Archaeology, NUST, Norway
Chris Glasby, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Karin Meissner, Senkenberg Institute and Museum, University of Hamburg, Germany
Joao Noguiera, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil
Julio Parapar, University of A Coruña, Spain
Vasily Radashevskiy, Institute of Marine Biology, Vladivostok, Russia
Alexander Semenov, White Sea Biological Station of Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
Joana Zanol, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Anna Zhadan, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia

Exploring the links between personality and metabolism
Shaun Killen, University of Glasgow, UK

Effect of high CO2 on temperature preference on coral reef fish
Floriana Lai and Goran Nilsson, University of Oslo, Norway

Temperature and high-CO2 effects in the Humpbacked Conch, Gibberulus gibberulus
Sjannie Lefevre Nilsson and Goran Nilsson, University of Oslo, Norway

Orientation in the pelagic environment
Jeff Leis, Australian Museum
Uli Siebeck, University of Queensland
Claire Paris, University of Miami, USA

Polarisation vision
Justin Marshall and Yakir Gagnon, University of Queensland
Karen Carleton, University of Maryland College Park, USA

Recording bird sounds
David McCartt, Cornell University, USA

Does the infection rate of gnathiids onto fish vary with cleaner presence or between day and night?
Eva McClure as field leader for Alexandra Grutter, University of Queensland

Speciation in chitons
Eva McClure as field leader for Libby Liggins, University of Queensland

The role of parasites and cleaning behaviour in coral reef fish recruitment
Eva McClure as field leader for Alexandra Grutter, University of Queensland

Metabolic predictors of fish behaviour
Mark McCormick James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Monitoring fish abundance and diversity in relation to habitat
Mark McCormick James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Influence of boat sound and elevated CO2 on fish settlement and survival
Mark McCormick and Mathew Mitchell James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
Mark Meekan, Australian Institute of Marine Science

WormNet II: assembling the annelid tree of life
Damhnait McHugh, Colgate University, USA
Frank Anderson, Southern Illinois University, USA
Kenneth Halanych, Auburn University, USA
Nancy Schult, Colgate University, USA
Anja Schulze, Texas A&M University, USA
Torsten Struck, Zoological Research Museum Bonn, Germany
Charlotte Watson, Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Sandy Richter and Anne Wiegert (PhD students), University of Leipzig, Germany

Effects of climate change on coral trout
Vanessa Messmer and Andrew Hoey, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Metabolic and behavioural effects of high carbon dioxide
Goran Nilsson, University of Oslo, Norway

Understanding coral ageing
Helen Nilsson Skold, Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Evolution of colour signals in mantis shrimp
Megan Porter, University of South Dakota, USA

Initiation and spread of outbreaks of Crown-of-Thorns Starfish on the GBR
Morgan Pratchett, Vanessa Messmer and Jacob Johansen, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Crown-of-Thorns Starfish control
Jairo Rivera Posada and Morgan Pratchett James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Seagrass monitoring
Michael Rasheed, Katie Chartrand, Paul Leeson, Mark Leith, Cath McCormack, Skye McKenna and Ross Thomas, James Cook University
Verena Schrameyer, University of Technology Sydney

Seeing the reef in a new light: polarization imaging of the reef and its inhabitants
Nicholas Roberts, University of Bristol, UK

Do coral reef fish without access to cleaner fish invest more in immune protection?
Albert Ros, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland

Temperature and metabolism in a high performance, schooling coral reef fish
Jodie Rummer, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Diversity and chemical ecology of polychaetes
Rafael Sarda, National Council of Research, Spain

Diversity of symbionts in marine invertebrates and sediments
Ursula Shepherd, University of New Mexico, USA
Maren Ziegler

Impacts of boat noise on coral reef fish
Stephen Simpson, University of Exeter, UK

Sentinel: a media art installation
Josephine Starrs , University of Sydney
Leon Cmielewski, University of Western Sydney

The comparison of the freshwater cichlid and marine reef fish visual system
Sara Stieb, University of Queensland and University of Basel, Switzerland

Polarised vision in fish and cephalopods
Shelby Temple, University of Bristol, UK

Ecological significance of coral disease on the Great Barrier Reef
Gergely Torda as field leader for Bette Willis, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Lizard Island Archaeological Project: Mangrove Beach headland midden
Sean Ulm, James Cook University
Ian McNiven, Monash University

Effects of global climate change on marine organisms
Sue-Ann Watson and Philip Munday, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

What happens to reefs without cleaner fish?
Joanna Werminghausen as field leader for Alexandra Grutter, University of Queensland

Social behaviour of coral gobies
Marian Wong, University of Wollongong

Assessing late Holocene human predation on Trochus and Tridacna on Lizard Island, Northeastern Australia (Honours)
Samantha Aird, James Cook University

Ontogentic shifts in lateralization (PhD)
Bridie Allan, James Cook University

Effects of environmental change on the growth rates of branching corals
Kristen Anderson, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Can coral reef fish change their shape to suit their environment? (PhD)
Sandra Binning, Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Competition and coexistence in the butterflyfish community (PhD)
Shane Blowes, James Cook University

Influence of predation and competition on growth and otholith microstructure of prey (PhD)
April Boaden, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Microbial nitrogen fixation in the hindgut of marine herbivorous fishes (PhD)
Lilly Bojarski, University of Auckland, New Zealand

UV vision in mantis shrimp (PhD)
Michael Bok, University of Maryland Baltimore County, USA

Feeding of herbivorous fishes on cryptic surfaces (PhD)
Simon Brandl, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

UV-induced DNA damage and UV avoidance (PhD)
Christoph Braun, University of Queensland

Chemical crypsis in reef fish (PhD)
Rohan Brooker, James Cook University

The role of territorial grazer behaviour and community structure in coral reef trophic dynamics (PhD)
Jordan Casey, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Is fish shape density dependent? (Honours)
Katy Corkill, James Cook University

Being brown or yellow: ecological and molecular base for colour adaptation in Pseudochromis fuscus (PhD)
Fabio Cortesi, University of Queensland and University of Basel, Switzerland

The visual system of stomatopods (PhD)
Ilse Daly, University of Bristol, UK

Mechanisms, ultrastructure and behavioural function of flashing in Ctenoides ales 'disco clams' (PhD)
Lindsey Dougherty, University of Berkeley, USA

Do fish use polarization to see through veiling light? (PhD)
James Foster, University of Bristol, UK

Adaptations to cleaning mutualism: a comparative approach (PhD)
Simon Gingins, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland

Effects of chronic/ repeated boat noise on Acanthochromis polyacanthus (PhD)
Sophie Holles, University of Bristol, UK

Flow and settlement of coral larvae (PhD)
Tom Hata, Stanford University, USA

Ultrastructure and function of the hindgut in marine herbivorous fishes (PhD)
Kate Johnson, University of Auckland, New Zealand

Role of canopy structures in the ecology of large reef fishes (PhD)
James Kerry, James Cook University

Trophic importance of crustacea on coral reefs (PhD)
Michael Kramer, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Influence of topography on predator/prey dynamics in reef fish (MSc)
Iris Krehahn, James Cook University

Temperature effect on predator/prey interactions (PhD)
Govinda Lienart, James Cook University

Predator-prey interactions and the importance of sensory cues in a changing world (PhD)
Oona Lonnstedt, James Cook University

Taxonomy and bigeography of the trematode genus Hamacreadium in tropical fishes (Honours)
Storm Martin, University of Queensland

Influence of a warming climate on the aerobic metabolism and predator defence strategies of pufferfish (Honours)
Georgia McGee, James Cook University

Carbon dioxide effects on mollusc response to fish predators (PhD)
Gabrielle Miller, James Cook University

Effect of temperature on the efficiency of schooling behaviour in coral reef fish (PhD)
Lauren Nadler, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Object recognition in fish (PhD)
Cait Newport, University of Queensland

Coral disease dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef (PhD)
Katia Nicolet, James Cook University

Effects of environmental correlates on foraging ecology of Sand Perch (PhD)
Jess Nowicki James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Orientation strategies of larval fish in the pelagic environment (PhD)
Jack O’Connor, Australian Museum and University of Technology Sydney

Interactions among coral reef fish predators (PhD)
Maria del Mar Palacios, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Coral gobies competition (PhD)
Pedro Pereira, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

The function of reef fish colour patterns: how did the coral trout get its spots? (PhD)
Genevieve Phillips, University of Queensland

Effect of reef soundscapes and anthopogenic noise on larval recruitment (PhD)
Julius Piercy, University of Essex, UK

Ontogeny of cognition in bluestreak cleaner wrasse, Labroides dimidiatus (PhD)
Ana Pinto as field leader for Sharon Wismer, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland

Intraspecific variation in coral colony condition (PhD)
Chiara Pisapia, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Understanding white syndrome in the Indo-Pacific (PhD)
F. Joseph Pollock, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Prior residency effects and the dynamics of fish communities in a changing environment (PhD)
Davina Poulos, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Benthic foraminifera as a tool for detecting environmental and ecological changes on the GBR (PhD)
Martina de Freitas Prazeres, University of Queensland and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Indirect effects of predators on coral reef trophic ecology (PhD)
Justin Rizzari James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Gill parasites of coral reef fishes (Monogenea) (PhD)
Dominique Roche Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Bio-physical interactions and predator-prey relationships in coral reef fishes (PhD)
Dominique Roche Australian National University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Monorchiidae of haemulids on the Great Barrier Reef (Honours)
Emily Searle, University of Queensland

Mortality estimation of herbivorous coral reef fish using direct telemetry methods (Honours)
Tara Stephens, James Cook University

Genetic diversity of Symbiodinium in a number of invertebrate hosts and communities at Lizard Island (Honours)
Elizabeth Stone, University of New Mexico, USA

The role of parasites and cleaning behaviour in coral reef fish recruitment (PhD)
Derek Sun, University of Queensland

Parallel vs convergent processing in the polarisation vision system in the stomatapod (PhD)
Rachel Templin, University of Queensland

Colour vision in mantis shrimp (PhD)
Hanne Thoen, University of Queensland

Effects of hormones on mutualistic cleaning interactions in parasitizaed client reef fish (MSc)
Zegni Triki, University of Neuchatel, Switzerland

Cooperative hunting between groupers, moray eels and octopus (PhD)
Alex Vail, University of Cambridge, UK

Microclimate use and behavioural thermoregulation of reptiles (PhD)
Mathew Vickers, James Cook University

Understanding coral bacterial aggregates (MSc)
Naohisa Wada, Australian Institute of Marine Science

Spatial ecology of coral reef fishes (PhD)
Justin Welsh, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Short term consistency in fish behaviour (PhD)
James White, James Cook University and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Evolution of chemical defence and visual warning signals in opisthobranch molluscs
warning signals in opisthobranch molluscs (PhD)
Anne Winters, University of Queensland

Diversity of Symbiodinium in invertebrate host species
Amy Adams, University of New Mexico, USA

Development stages in the nudibranch Phyllodesmium lizardensis
Rosstin Ahmadian, University of New Mexico, USA

Lateralization changes in ontogentic stages of coral reef damselfishes
Rebecca Choi, School for International Training, USA

Effects of ocean acidification on mollusc behavior
Jennifer Fields, School for International Training, USA

Exploring a novel method of controlling Crown-of-Thorns Starfish: lethal effects of oxbile and impacts on surrounding coral reef organisms
Lian Guo, School for International Training, USA

Indirect benefits of high-coral cover for benthic invertebrate feeding butterflyfish Chaetadon auriga and Chaetadon vagabundus
Elizabeth Kubacki, School for International Training, USA

Bacterial diversity in several invertebrate taxa at Lizard Island
Dominic Medina, University of New Mexico, USA

Disease dynamics: interactions of the coral-eating Drupella and Chaetodon plebeius with black band disease on the Great Barrier Reef.
Matthew Norstad, School for International Training, USA

How does boat noise affect behaviour and community structure of Acanthochromis polyacanthus?
Leanne Pearl, School for International Training, USA

Glucose and lipids in xenid corals under different light regimes
Jillian Sweeney, University of New Mexico, USA

A novel method for controlling Crown-of-Thorns Starfish populations using oxbile and oxgall solutions
Clara Weston, School for International Training, USA