From 2005 to 2022, the main node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies was headquartered at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland (Australia)
PhD candidate
Shannon attained a Bachelor of Communications from the University of Western Sydney (2009) before coming to James Cook University and attaining a Bachelor of Science – Marine Biology (2015) and First Class Honours (2016). He commenced his PhD with the COE in mid-2017.
James Cook University
Hailing from the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney, Shannon grew up fascinated with the Ocean and each trip to the beach was spent exploring rock pools, digging through the intertidal zones, and surfing. However, it wasn’t until after completing a bachelors in communication and travelling abroad that Shannon realized he wanted to do something that would involve the understanding and protection of our oceans. This led to Shannon’s relocation to Townsville where he undertook a BSc in Science at James Cook University. Through this undergrad he became drawn to the research of our oceans, particularly the future challenges they may face, which ultimately lead him to undertake Honours with Prof. Philip Munday & Dr Jennifer Donelson, where he investigated the effects of climate change on coral reef fish. After Honours he was determined to pursue a PhD focusing on the effects of climate change on reef mesopredators and started this journey in 2017 under the supervision of Dr. Jennifer Donelson & Prof. Philip Munday.
New DNA techniques are being used to understand how coral reacted to the end of the last ice age in order to better predict how they will cope with current changes to the climate. James Cook Univer
A new study on the effects of climate change in five tropical countries has found fisheries are in more trouble than agriculture, and poor people are in the most danger. Distinguished Profess
James Cook University researchers have found brightly coloured fish are becoming increasingly rare as coral declines, with the phenomenon likely to get worse in the future. Christopher Hemingson, a
Researchers working with stakeholders in the Great Barrier Reef region have come up with ideas on how groups responsible for looking after the reef can operate more effectively when the next bleaching
Abstract: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will likely be under strong selection. Individual variation in heat tolerance and its heritability underpin the potential fo
Abstract: The Reef Ecology Lab in KAUST’s Red Sea Research Center explores many aspects of movement ecology of marine organisms, ranging from adult migrations to intergenerational larval dispersal
Abstract: Macroalgal meadows are a prominent, yet often maligned component of the tropical seascape. Our work at Ningaloo reef in WA demonstrate that canopy forming macroalgae provide habitat for ad
Abstract: Sharks are generally perceived as strong and fearsome animals. With fossils dating back at least 420 million years, sharks are not only majestic top predators but they also outlived dinosa
Abstract: Connectivity plays a vital role in many ecosystems through its effects on fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes. Its consequences for populations and metapopulations have been
Abstract: Evolution of many eukaryotic organisms is affected by interactions with microbes. Microbial symbioses can ultimately reflect host’s diet, habitat range, and even body shape. However, how
Abstract: The past few years have seen unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) but the consequences of this on biodiversity are not yet known. This talk will expl
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