Overview
Background
Peter began his career helping to design MPAs in Belize, Central America. On realising how little science was available to guide this he moved to the University of Sheffield to undertake a PhD on the use of remote sensing for mapping coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves. After his PhD, Peter won a NERC Post-doctoral Fellowship to study ecological processes on coral reefs and moved to the University of Newcastle to join the Centre for Tropical Coastal Management Studies. He was then awarded a Royal Society Fellowship to integrate empirical ecological data into models of coral reefs with a view to studying how changes in human activity can affect the health of reefs. At this point he moved to the University of Exeter where he was made Professor at the age of 34. In 2010, Peter moved closer to coral reefs when he moved to the University of Queensland to take up an ARC Laureate Fellowship. He loves living in Australia! Peter was awarded a Pew Fellowship in Marine Conservation in 2010, and is also winner of the Rosenstiel Award for excellence in marine biology and fisheries, and the Marsh Award for contributions to marine conservation.
Availability
- Professor Peter Mumby is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Science (Advanced), University of Liverpool
- Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sheffield
Research interests
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Overview
Our research focuses on delivering science to improve the management of coral reefs. We carry out empirical ecological studies at scales ranging from millimetres (algal patch dynamics) to thousands of kilometres (gene flow in Caribbean corals) in an effort to plug gaps in our understanding of reef processes. Empirical data are then used to develop ecosystem models from which we can investigate the effectiveness of conservation measures in mitigating disturbance on reefs including climate change. Lastly, we combine the ecological models with remotely-sensed data to allow spatial conservation planning such as marine reserve design.
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Where we work
Caribbean: Bahamas, Belize, Bonaire; Pacific: Palau, Great Barrier Reef, French Polynesia; Indian Ocean: Philippines, Indonesia
Research impacts
We study how changes in management policy, such as implementing no-take marine reserves, reducing pollution, and keeping healthy mangrove systems, can influence the health and future of coral reefs. This involves extensive collaborations with decision-makers and colleagues in many areas. Our research has influenced policy in the following areas:
- Helped foster a change in the Belize government's policy over the fishing of parrotfishes, which led to a ban of this practice as requested by fishermen
- Influenced decisions in Bonaire to protect herbivores and ban the use of fish traps
- Continues to assist the Bahamas National Trust with their conservation planning, including the designation of MPAs for a resilient future
- Provide advisory briefs on the impacts of fishing on coral reef ecosystems and practical ways of reducing impacts without necessitating a ban
- Provide compelling evidence that mangroves are an important nursery ground for reef fish and fisheries productivity benefits from their preservation
- Provide tools to operationalise the mapping of reef resilience to climate change and other stressors
- Provide practical information on the cost-effectiveness and realistic setting of expectations for habitat mapping in the tropical coastal zone
Works
Search Professor Peter Mumby’s works on UQ eSpace
2023
Journal Article
Mobilisation thresholds for coral rubble and consequences for windows of reef recovery
Kenyon, Tania M., Harris, Daniel, Baldock, Tom, Callaghan, David, Doropoulos, Christopher, Webb, Gregory, Newman, Steven P. and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Mobilisation thresholds for coral rubble and consequences for windows of reef recovery. Biogeosciences, 20 (20), 4339-4357. doi: 10.5194/bg-20-4339-2023
2023
Journal Article
Habitat and distribution of the red decorator crab, Schizophrys aspera, a cryptic crown-of-thorns seastar predator
Wolfe, Kennedy, Desbiens, Amelia A., Pietsch, Emma and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Habitat and distribution of the red decorator crab, Schizophrys aspera, a cryptic crown-of-thorns seastar predator. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 80 (8), 2114-2124. doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fsad136
2023
Journal Article
Small‐scale habitat complexity preserves ecosystem services on coral reefs
Beese, Chelsey M., Mumby, Peter J. and Rogers, Alice (2023). Small‐scale habitat complexity preserves ecosystem services on coral reefs. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (9), 1854-1867. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14458
2023
Journal Article
Emergent increase in coral thermal tolerance reduces mass bleaching under climate change
Lachs, Liam, Donner, Simon D., Mumby, Peter J., Bythell, John C., Humanes, Adriana, East, Holly K. and Guest, James R. (2023). Emergent increase in coral thermal tolerance reduces mass bleaching under climate change. Nature Communications, 14 (1) 4939, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s41467-023-40601-6
2023
Journal Article
Selecting coral species for reef restoration
Madin, Joshua S., McWilliam, Michael, Quigley, Kate, Bay, Line K., Bellwood, David, Doropoulos, Christopher, Fernandes, Leanne, Harrison, Peter, Hoey, Andrew S., Mumby, Peter J., Ortiz, Juan C., Richards, Zoe T., Riginos, Cynthia, Schiettekatte, Nina M. D., Suggett, David J. and van Oppen, Madeleine J. H. (2023). Selecting coral species for reef restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (8), 1537-1544. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14447
2023
Journal Article
Hierarchical drivers of cryptic biodiversity on coral reefs
Wolfe, Kennedy, Kenyon, Tania M., Desbiens, Amelia, de la Motte, Kimberley and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Hierarchical drivers of cryptic biodiversity on coral reefs. Ecological Monographs, 93 (3) e1586, 1-27. doi: 10.1002/ecm.1586
2023
Journal Article
Moving beyond heritability in the search for coral adaptive potential
Richards, Thomas J., McGuigan, Katrina, Aguirre, J. David, Humanes, Adriana, Bozec, Yves‐Marie, Mumby, Peter J. and Riginos, Cynthia (2023). Moving beyond heritability in the search for coral adaptive potential. Global Change Biology, 29 (14), 3869-3882. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16719
2023
Journal Article
Demographic resilience may sustain significant coral populations in a 2°C‐warmer world
Mason, Robert A. B., Bozec, Yves‐Marie and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Demographic resilience may sustain significant coral populations in a 2°C‐warmer world. Global Change Biology, 29 (14), 4152-4160. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16741
2023
Journal Article
Control efforts of crown‐of‐thorns starfish outbreaks to limit future coral decline across the Great Barrier Reef
Castro‐Sanguino, Carolina, Bozec, Yves‐Marie, Condie, Scott A., Fletcher, Cameron S., Hock, Karlo, Roelfsema, Chris, Westcott, David A. and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Control efforts of crown‐of‐thorns starfish outbreaks to limit future coral decline across the Great Barrier Reef. Ecosphere, 14 (6) e4580, 1-16. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.4580
2023
Journal Article
Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes
Cumming, Graeme S., Adamska, Maja, Barnes, Michele L., Barnett, Jon, Bellwood, David R., Cinner, Joshua E., Cohen, Philippa J., Donelson, Jennifer M., Fabricius, Katharina, Grafton, R. Quentin, Grech, Alana, Gurney, Georgina G., Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Hoey, Andrew S., Hoogenboom, Mia O., Lau, Jacqueline, Lovelock, Catherine E., Lowe, Ryan, Miller, David J., Morrison, Tiffany H., Mumby, Peter J., Nakata, Martin, Pandolfi, John M., Peterson, Garry D., Pratchett, Morgan S., Ravasi, Timothy, Riginos, Cynthia, Rummer, Jodie L., Schaffelke, Britta ... Wilson, Shaun K. (2023). Research priorities for the sustainability of coral-rich western Pacific seascapes. Regional Environmental Change, 23 (2) 66, 66. doi: 10.1007/s10113-023-02051-0
2023
Journal Article
No apparent trade-offs associated with heat tolerance in a reef-building coral
Lachs, Liam, Humanes, Adriana, Pygas, Daniel R., Bythell, John C., Mumby, Peter J., Ferrari, Renata, Figueira, Will F., Beauchamp, Elizabeth, East, Holly K., Edwards, Alasdair J., Golbuu, Yimnang, Martinez, Helios M., Sommer, Brigitte, van der Steeg, Eveline and Guest, James R. (2023). No apparent trade-offs associated with heat tolerance in a reef-building coral. Communications Biology, 6 (1) 400, 1-10. doi: 10.1038/s42003-023-04758-6
2023
Journal Article
Setting sustainable limits on anchoring to improve the resilience of coral reefs
Mason, Robert A.B., Bozec, Yves-Marie and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Setting sustainable limits on anchoring to improve the resilience of coral reefs. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 189 114721, 1-13. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114721
2023
Journal Article
Novel rubble-dwelling predators of herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)
Desbiens, Amelia A., Mumby, Peter J., Dworjanyn, Symon, Plagányi, Éva E., Uthicke, Sven and Wolfe, Kennedy (2023). Novel rubble-dwelling predators of herbivorous juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.). Coral Reefs, 42 (2), 579-591. doi: 10.1007/s00338-023-02364-w
2023
Journal Article
Emigration patterns of motile cryptofauna and their implications for trophic functioning in coral reefs
Wolfe, Kennedy, Desbiens, Amelia A. and Mumby, Peter J. (2023). Emigration patterns of motile cryptofauna and their implications for trophic functioning in coral reefs. Ecology and Evolution, 13 (3) e9960, 1-14. doi: 10.1002/ece3.9960
2023
Book
Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 61
S. J. Hawkins, B.D. Russell, P. A. Todd, A.J. Lemasson, A.L. Allcock, M. Byrne, L.B. Firth, C.H. Lucas, E.M. Marzinelli, P.J. Mumby, J. Sharples, I.P. Smith and S.E. Swearer eds. (2023). Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 61. Boca Raton, FL United States: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003363873
2022
Book Chapter
Editorial: an OMBAR perspective on the united nations' decade of ocean science for sustainable development
Allcock, A. Louise, Firth, Louise B., Todd, Peter A., Mumby, Peter J., Marzinelli, Ezequiel M., Lucas, Cathy H., Byrne, Maria, Russell, Bayden D., Lemasson, Anaëlle J. and Hawkins, Stephen J. (2022). Editorial: an OMBAR perspective on the united nations' decade of ocean science for sustainable development. Oceanography and marine biology: an annual review, volume 60. (pp. 15-17) edited by S. J. Hawkins, A. J. Lemasson, A. L. Allcock, A. E. Bates, M. Byrne, L. B. Firth, C. H. Lucas, E. M. Marzinelli, P. J. Mumby, B. D. Russell, J. Sharples, I. P. Smith, S. E. Swearer and P. A. Todd. Boca Raton, FL USA: CRC Press. doi: 10.1201/9781003288602-2
2022
Journal Article
Coral rubble dynamics in the Anthropocene and implications for reef recovery
Kenyon, Tania M., Doropoulos, Christopher, Wolfe, Kennedy, Webb, Gregory E., Dove, Sophie, Harris, Daniel and Mumby, Peter J. (2022). Coral rubble dynamics in the Anthropocene and implications for reef recovery. Limnology and Oceanography, 68 (1), 110-147. doi: 10.1002/lno.12254
2022
Journal Article
Drivers of global mangrove loss and gain in social-ecological systems
Hagger, Valerie, Worthington, Thomas A., Lovelock, Catherine E., Adame, Maria Fernanda, Amano, Tatsuya, Brown, Benjamin M., Friess, Daniel A., Landis, Emily, Mumby, Peter J., Morrison, Tiffany H., O’Brien, Katherine R., Wilson, Kerrie A., Zganjar, Chris and Saunders, Megan I. (2022). Drivers of global mangrove loss and gain in social-ecological systems. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 6373, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33962-x
2022
Journal Article
Indirect effects of cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on fish grazing per reef area and benthic community structure
Grutter, A. S., Bejarano, S., Sun, D. and Mumby, P. J. (2022). Indirect effects of cleaner fish Labroides dimidiatus on fish grazing per reef area and benthic community structure. Marine Biology, 169 (10) 135. doi: 10.1007/s00227-022-04122-y
2022
Journal Article
Coral conservation in a warming world must harness evolutionary adaptation
Colton, Madhavi A., McManus, Lisa C., Schindler, Daniel E., Mumby, Peter J., Palumbi, Stephen R., Webster, Michael M., Essington, Timothy E., Fox, Helen E., Forrest, Daniel L., Schill, Steven R., Pollock, F. Joseph, DeFilippo, Lukas B., Tekwa, E. W., Walsworth, Timothy E. and Pinsky, Malin L. (2022). Coral conservation in a warming world must harness evolutionary adaptation. Nature Ecology and Evolution, 6 (10), 1405-1407. doi: 10.1038/s41559-022-01854-4
Funding
Current funding
Past funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Peter Mumby is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Available projects
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Marine Protected Area design for highly exploited fisheries on coral reefs
We've been developing theory and practical tools to design MPAs to protect biodiversity and help people rebuild their fisheries. There's considerable scope to advance these approaches so that they consider effects of climate change and more realistic scenarios of how reefs are fished. This kind of work combines computer models with the potential for some field work for verification purposes.
See also: Krueck, N., et al. (2017). "Incorporating larval dispersal into MPA design for both conservation and fisheries." Ecological Applications 27: 925-941.
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Design of resilience-based management in response to climate change on the Great Barrier Reef
We have developed sophisticated ecological models that can simulate the effects of disturbance and climate change throughout the entire Great Barrier Reef. The models also allow us to simulate an endless range of management responses. The question is, what sort of strategies have the greatest impacts? Where should we intervene, when, and with which tools? Answering these questions requires to apply ecological theory to a clear understanding of how different interventions achieve their benefit. This research involves close collaboration with industry and the Reef Authority.
See: Bozec, Y. M., et al. (2022). "Cumulative impacts across Australia's Great Barrier Reef: a mechanistic evaluation." Ecological Monographs 92(1): e01494.
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The sensitivity of coral reef ecosystems to degradation
The net outcome of coral bleaching events and other forms of disturbance is a gradual reduction in the number of colonies on the reef. In theory, low densities of coral can take much longer to recover than higher densities - partly because they become too far apart to reproduce successfully. We need to study these processes so that we can better identify critical thresholds that might slow down recovery and conversely to target restoration activities. This is a field-based PhD but with links to ecological models that connect the field experiments into scaled-up outcomes.
Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Impacts of climate change-induced large-scale disturbances on coral reef connectivity and recovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Callaghan
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Doctor Philosophy
Superstars and Outbreaks: consequences of juvenile predation to the boom-bust of crown-of-thorns starfish
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Climate change undermines connectivity of the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
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Master Philosophy
The effects of Climate change on coral fecundity in the GBR
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
The ecology and restoration of coral rubble
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
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Doctor Philosophy
Drivers and limitations of early recovery for spawning corals on the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gerard Ricardo
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Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Critical density thresholds for coral reproduction
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gerard Ricardo
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Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
The importance of reef geomorphology in driving ecological dynamics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris, Dr Gerard Ricardo
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Doctor Philosophy
Superstars and Outbreaks: consequences of juvenile ecology to the boom and bust of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Creating a carbonate budget for the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
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Doctor Philosophy
Creating a carbonate budget for the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
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Doctor Philosophy
The importance of reef geomorphology in driving ecological dynamics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris, Dr Gerard Ricardo
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Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Resilience potential of coral reefs in Indonesia Resilience potential of coral reefs in Indonesia (a study case between MPA and non-MPA)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Simone Blomberg, Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts
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Doctor Philosophy
Enhancing coral reef resilience in the face of climate change through sediment pollution management
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Amelia Wenger, Dr Nicola Browne
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Doctor Philosophy
Connectivity of seagrasses for megaherbivores under environmental change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Daniel Dunn
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Optimising Fisheries Management to Sustain Tropical Reef Fisheries
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Russell Richards
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2022
Doctor Philosophy
Coral reef futures under climate change and ocean acidification
Principal Advisor
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
The ecology of grouper spawning aggregations in Palau
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Cynthia Riginos
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2021
Doctor Philosophy
From Rubble to Reef: The physical and biological dynamics of coral reef rubble beds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Gregory Webb, Dr Daniel Harris
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Ecological drivers of the brown macroalgal genus Lobophora on Pacific coral reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Dwyer
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Integrating coral reef ecosystem services into marine planning
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Callaghan
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2019
Doctor Philosophy
Bottlenecks of coral recruitment on degraded reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
The effect of temperature variability and life-history strategy in coral response to long-term increase in sea surface temperature
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Jianxin Zhao
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
The Dynamics and Resilience of Coral Reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Richard Fuller
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2017
Doctor Philosophy
Dynamic vulnerability of the Great Barrier Reef: Impacts of local versus global stressors
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Algal dynamics on coral reefs: a study of macroalgal traits and growth strategies of Lobophora J. Agardh (Dictyotales, Phaephyceae)
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Dynamics of carbon storage in subtropical seagrass meadows
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Ecological drivers of Halimeda abundance and its implication for the carbonate production of coral reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock
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2016
Doctor Philosophy
Effect of Predators and Microhabitat Availability on the Behaviour of Juvenile Parrotfishes
Principal Advisor
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2014
Doctor Philosophy
The grazing impact of common surgeonfish on algal dynamics of the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts
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2013
Doctor Philosophy
Building resilience of Caribbean coral reefs to macroalgal phase shifts: identifying key habitat features
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Coral reef futures under climate change and ocean acidification
Principal Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Modelling the Role of Diversity in Ecosystem Responses to Warming
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
The ecological and functional roles of commercially important rabbitfish species in a marine environment
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts
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2018
Doctor Philosophy
Patterns and drivers that determine the structure and composition of Caribbean seascapes
Associate Advisor
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
Disturbance effects to coral recruitment dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef
Associate Advisor
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2012
Doctor Philosophy
A Reefscape Approach for Characterising the Dynamics of Macroalgal Cover in Shark Bay Reef Flat, Heron Reef, Australia
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Stuart Phinn
Media
Enquiries
Contact Professor Peter Mumby directly for media enquiries about:
- Coasts
- Coral reefs ecology
- Ecology - reefs
- Marine conservation
- Marine reserves
- Oceans
- Reefs
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