People

PhD Candidate

Personal website: http://www.mariadelmar-palacios.com/

Profile @ Google Scholar

Maria grew up in Cali (Colombia) and completed her BSc in Biology at Universidad del Valle. Before graduating in 2010, she fell in love with coral reef fish while studying the structure and composition of fish communities from Gorgona and Malpelo Islands (Eastern tropical Pacific). Guided by professor Fernando Zapata and associated to the Coral Reef Ecology research group, Maria won a research grant to study the impacts of pufferfish corallivory on pocilloporid reefs and led numerous research projects describing the coral reefs of the Colombian Pacific Coast (funded by WWF and TNC). In 2013 she moved to Australia to begin her Phd at JCU under the supervision of Professor Mark McCormick. Her research focuses on interactions among reef fish mesopredators and how these can be modified by the fear responses to top predators and by intra/ interspecific guild dynamics

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Project Title:

Controlling Mesopredators: importance of intraguild behavioural interactions in trophic cascades

Project Description:

Populations of large predators have been overfished and decimated from oceans worldwide. Loss of predation force (top down control) has triggered trophic cascades and phase shifts due to the explosion of small consumers that deplete resource prey species. Using a reef fish food web I will experimentally address how the effect of small predators on their resource prey can be modified by the fear response to top predators and by intra/ interspecific guild interactions. Understanding the behavioural interactions among predators and its impact on trophic cascades is indispensable to predict consequences of predator loss and design appropriate management policies on coral reefs

Supervisor:

Principal supervisor: Prof Mark McComick

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Publications List:

Research Articles:

• Palacios, M.M., S.S. Killen, L.E. Nadler., J.R. White & M.I. McCormick. 2016. Top- predators negate the effects of mesopredators on prey physiology.  Journal of Animal Ecology 85: 1078-1086
• Palacios, M.M., D.T. Warren & M.I. McCormick. 2016. Sensory cues of a top‐predator indirectly control a reef fish mesopredator. Oikos 125: 201 -209
• Zapata, F.A. M.M. Palacios & V. Zambrano. Submitted. First record of the crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster planci (Spinulosida: Acanthasteridae) in Gorgona Island, Colombian Pacific. Marine Biodiversity Records.
• Palacios, M.M. C.G. Muñoz & F.A. Zapata. 2014. Fish corallivory on a pocilloporid reef and experimental coral responses to predation. Coral Reefs 33: 625 -636
• Palacios, M.M. & F.A. Zapata. 2014. Fish community structure on coral habitats with contrasting architecture in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation 62(1): 343-357
• Palacios, M.M., & F.A. Zapata. 2011. Biases associated with visual surveys of reef fish in the Eastern Tropical Pacific: Implications of using single or mixed size transects, of the experience of the divers, and of fish size estimations. Bulletin of Marine and Coastal Research 40: 111-132

Book Chapters:

• Palacios, M.M., F.A. Zapata, E.J. Pena, & M. Murillo. 2012. III. The Coral Formations of Gorgona National and Natural Park. p. 47- 70. In: Giraldo, A. & B. Valencia (eds). Gorgona Island: Paradise of biodiversity and science. Editorial Program Universidad del Valle. Cali, Colombia. ISBN: 978-958-670-988-0
• Zapata, F.A., M.M. Palacios & V. Zambrano. 2011. Protocol for data collection on coral reefs. p. 123-147. In: Giraldo, A. & X. Moreno (eds). Research protocols for terrestrial, intertidal, subtidal and pelagic fauna at Gorgona National and Natural Park. Department of Biology, Universidad del Valle. Cali, Colombia. ISBN: 978-958-44-9675-1

 Awards & grants:

Grants:

• Ian Potter Doctoral Fellow at Lizard Island – Lizard Island Research Station (2015)- $20,000 AUD
• ACRS research award – Australian Coral Reef Society (2015) – $2,500 AUD
• Graduate Research Scheme – James Cook University (2014) & (2015) – $4,000 AUD

Scholarships:

• Postgraduate Research Scholarship– James Cook University (2013-2016)
• Scholarship for doctoral studies– COLCIENCIAS, Colombia (2013-2016)

Other Awards: 

• Student oral presentation award @ Postgraduate student conference JCU (2014) • 89th ACRS confernce (2015)
• Photography competition winner: Postgraduate student conference JCU (2014) • 88th ACRS conference (2014) • 89th ACRS conference (2015)

In the media:

Study: Small Fish comforted by big predators – The scientist

Less fish stress for youngsters when big barrier reef predators nearby– Fishens magazine

Baby fish are comforted by the presence of large marine predators– Phys.org

Stress relief on coral reef fish  – 7 local news Townsville (skip to 6:03 for story)

Baby fish “less stressed” around large ocean predators  – Brisbane times

Baby fish breathe easier around large predators- CoE for Coral Reef Studies & James Cook University 

Controlling Mesopredators: importance of intraguild behavioural interactions in trophic cascades (2016) – ACRS newsletter 

Fear tactics in fish  – Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation