Marine and River Health experts
Murdoch University has a whole-of-ecosystem approach to protecting the health of our waterways. Our research expertise into aquatic life spans from seagrass through to fish and marine mammals, with specialists on every aspect from coral reef ecology to fishery management.
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Dr John HuismanTaxonomy of marine plants; invasive seaweeds Dr John Huisman is a seaweed biologist specialising in the taxonomy and biodiversity of Australia's marine algae. His present focus is the tropical marine flora and he has two major projects documenting the marine algae of North-West Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. He also has interests in marine biosecurity and in the introduction, spread and ecological impacts of invasive seaweeds. Dr Huisman is currently a Senior Research Fellow and holds a joint appointment with Murdoch University and the Western Australian Herbarium . |
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Dr Mike van KeulenMarine ecology and biological hydrodynamics; coral reef ecology; seagrass ecology Dr Mike van Keulen is a marine ecologist with a broad range of interests including seagrass ecology, coral reef ecology and biological hydrodynamics. He is an expert in hydrodynamics of seagrass ecosystems, seagrass restoration and physiology. He also has interests in ecology and interactions of coral reef organisms. As well as his expertise in marine plants, Dr van Keulen has research collaborations in a broad range of tropical marine topics, including invertebrate and vertebrate biology and wildlife ecology. Dr van Keulen is currently Senior Lecturer in Plant Sciences & Marine Biology at Murdoch University as well as Director of the Coral Bay Research Station, which also operates out of Murdoch. |
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Associate Professor Lars BejderCetaceans (whales and dolphins) He works closely with wildlife management agencies to optimise the conservation- and management outcomes of his research. He has advised on human impacts on cetaceans to the US Marine Mammal Commission, the US National Marine Fisheries Service, the International Whaling Commission, the Australian Federal Government, the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation and the New Zealand Department of Conservation. |
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Dr Hugh FinnWildlife conservation, conservation biology Dr Hugh Finn is a post-doctoral fellow at Murdoch University research focus on black-cockatoos and bottlenose dolphins. He became involved with dolphins in the Swan River through his PhD research in Cockburn Sound and the Swan River from 2000-3. He is also involved with Dolphin Watch, a collaborative project with the Swan River Trust and Curtin University in which community volunteers record observations of dolphins within the Swan Canning Riverpark. His current research is examining the ecology of black-cockatoos in the Jarrah Forest and the Swan Coastal Plain. |
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Dr Stephen BeattyFreshwater ecology, fish, crayfish Dr Beatty’s major area of expertise is in freshwater ecology. He has worked extensively on freshwater fish and crayfish biology and ecology in south-western Australia. Specific areas of research have included the ecological sustainability of surface and groundwater extraction projects, assessing and overcoming the impacts of river regulation, mitigating the impacts of the draining of water-supply reservoirs, and investigating and controlling the impacts of introduced aquatic organisms. He also has expertise in population and reproductive biology of freshwater fish and crayfishes such as assessing the sustainability of inland recreational fisheries. Dr Beatty is currently a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research. |
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Professor Neil LoneraganMarine and Estuarine Ecosystems, Fish and Fisheries Science Neil Loneragan is the Director of the Centre for Fish and Fisheries Research and holds the inaugural Chair in Fisheries Science at Murdoch University.In recent years Professor Loneragan has been researching ecosystem approaches to fisheries and cetacean populations, fisheries ecology and fisheries interactions with protected, threatened and endangered species. Prior to joining Murdoch, Professor Loneragan spent nearly 15 years with CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric research, investigating the linkages between coastal habitats, fisheries production (particularly penaeid prawns) and biodiversity and stock enhancement. His research in Australia, Malaysia and Papua New Guinea has provided the basis for major reviews of mangrove fishery linkages and stock enhancement, and major multi-disciplinary research projects in fisheries ecology and prawn stock enhancement. He has published extensively in international journals and he has served on a variety of national and international committees for fisheries, marine ecosystems and stock enhancement. |
To reach these experts for media enquiries, contact:
| Rob Payne Media & Communications Coordinator Phone: 08 9360 2491 r.payne@murdoch.edu.au |
Candice Barnes Media & Communications Coordinator Phone: 08 9360 2474 c.barnes@murdoch.edu.au |
Pepi Smyth Media & Communications Coordinator Phone: 08 9360 1289 p.smyth@murdoch.edu.au |
For all other enquiries, please ring reception on 08 9360 6000.
