Isabelle Ng
James Cook University, Townsville
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)
Growing up in Hong Kong – the center of the food fish and shark fin trade – Isabelle witnessed the ramifications of overexploitation, which catapulted her engagement in marine conservation from a young age. It drove her to pursue a bachelor’s degree in Organismal Biology and Environmental Policy from Pitzer College in California. Upon completion of her undergraduate degree, Isabelle made the move to Singapore, where she worked as an outdoor educator, teaching terrestrial and marine ecology around South-East Asia.
Fast forward to this year, Isabelle completed her Master of Science (Professional) degree in Marine Biology at James Cook University (JCU). Her MSc Minor Project, supervised by Dr. Alexandre Siqueira and Prof. David Bellwood, was focused on understanding the various ecological, environmental, and biogeographical factors that shape global patterns of hybrid richness in reef fishes. Through the duration of this project, Isabelle realized her strong affinity for learning, discovering, and expanding on ideas, which ultimately drove her to pursue a PhD. For the next 3-4 years, Isabelle will be completing her PhD at JCU under the supervision of Dr. Alexandre Siqueira, Prof. David Bellwood, and Prof. Jan Strugnell. She is interested in investigating tropical marine taxa from a biogeographical and evolutionary lens.
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