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Simon J. Brandl

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PhD-Candidate in Coral Reef Ecology, James Cook University

I am generally interested in the effects of biodiversity on ecosystem functioning. In this context, morphological and behavioral drivers of functional performance have formed the backbone of my PhD research, which has primarily focused on the functional role of herbivorous coral reef fishes. I have incorporated comparisons between fossil and Modern reef fish communities, novel analytical approaches, and social aspects into my investigative framework, to shed light on the magnitude of functional niche partitioning in herbivorous fish communities and the effect of the latter on ecosystem stability.
I actively engage in science communication through various media and I am a strong advocate of opening dialogues between scientists and the public.

Experience

  • –present
    PhD-Candidate in Coral Reef Ecology, James Cook University

Education

  • 2011 
    James Cook University, Postgraduate Diploma of Research Methods

Publications

  • 2014
    Individual-based analyses reveal limited functional overlap in a coral reef fish community., Journal of Animal Ecology 83, 661-670.
  • 2014
    Micro-topography mediates interactions between corals, algae, and herbivorous fishes., Coral Reefs 33, 421-430.
  • 2014
    Fifty million years of herbivory: fossils, fishes and functional innovations., Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281, 20133046.
  • 2014
    Local extinction of a coral reef fish explained by inflexible prey choice. , Coral Reefs (in press)
  • 2014
    Transplantation of corals into a new environment results in substantial skeletal loss in Acropora tenuis., Marine Biodiversity (in press)
  • 2014
    Pair formation in coral reef fishes: an ecological perspective., In Hughes, R.N., Hughes, D.J., Smith, I.P. (Eds.) Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review 52, pp. 1-80.
  • 2013
    Morphology, sociality, and ecology: can morphology predict pairing behaviour in coral reef fishes?, Coral Reefs, 32, 835–846.
  • 2013
    Diet and cross-shelf distribution of rabbitfishes (f. Siganidae) on the northern Great Barrier Reef: implications for ecosystem function., Coral Reefs 32, 973-982.
  • 2013
    Pair formation in the herbivorous rabbitfish Siganus doliatus., Journal of Fish Biology, 82, 2031–2044.