Heather, Freddie

Scarus rubroviolaceus, (aka Black-veined Parrotfish, Ember Parrotfish, Half and Half Parrotfish). Parrotfishes occurred in fewer surveys across northern reefs after the 2016 bleaching event, but this response was not directly associated with sites of coral-cover loss. These herbivorous fishes play an important role in preventing algae from taking over and displacing corals on disturbed reefs. They appeared particularly sensitive to the warmer conditions, and their loss may affect the capacity...

Fish Hook Bay at Rottnest Island near Perth, Western Australia. Fish communities found here during the 2011 marine heatwave were equivalent to those normally found 250 kilometres farther north. They had moved south with their climate niche. Image: Rick Stuart-Smith

Sustained, coordinated monitoring is vital to national biodiversity assessments, but few such programs exist for Australia’s marine environment. This study shows that data collected by volunteer divers can fill the gaps....

5 February 2014

A global study by Tasmanian researchers shows what is needed to make marine parks effective, the findings of which were published in Nature.

In collaboration with overseas investigators and skilled recreational divers, University of Tasmania biologists, including researchers from the NERP Marine Biodiversity Hub, counted numbers and sizes of more than 2000 fish species along underwater transect lines set at 1986 sites in 40 countries. They then used this...