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
-
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.
-
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
2015
Journal Article
Biogeochemical implications of biodiversity and community structure across multiple coastal ecosystems
Allgeier, Jacob E., Layman, Craig A., Mumby, Peter J. and Rosemond, Amy D. (2015). Biogeochemical implications of biodiversity and community structure across multiple coastal ecosystems. Ecological Monographs, 85 (1), 117-132. doi: 10.1890/14-0331.1
2015
Journal Article
Spatial and temporal variability of seagrass at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef
Saunders, Megan I., Bayraktarov, Elisa, Roelfsema, Chris M., Leon, Javier X., Samper-Villarreal, Jimena, Phinn, Stuart R., Lovelock, Catherine E. and Mumby, Peter J. (2015). Spatial and temporal variability of seagrass at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef. Botanica Marina, 58 (1), 35-49. doi: 10.1515/bot-2014-0060
2015
Journal Article
Synergistic impacts of global warming on the resilience of coral reefs
Bozec, Yves-Marie and Mumby, Peter J. (2015). Synergistic impacts of global warming on the resilience of coral reefs. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 370 (1659), 1-9. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0267
2015
Journal Article
A Holistic view of Marine Regime shifts
Conversi, Alessandra, Dakos, Vasilis, Gardmark, Anna, Ling, Scott, Folke, Carl, Mumby, Peter J., Greene, Charles, Edwards, Martin, Blenckner, Thorsten, Casini, Michele, Pershing, Andrew and Mollmann, Christian (2015). A Holistic view of Marine Regime shifts. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 370 (1659) 20130279, 1-8. doi: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0279
2015
Journal Article
The dynamics of architectural complexity on coral reefs under climate change
Bozec, Yves-Marie, Alvarez-Filip, Lorenzo and Mumby, Peter J. (2015). The dynamics of architectural complexity on coral reefs under climate change. Global Change Biology, 21 (1), 223-235. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12698
2015
Journal Article
Executives' Engagement with Climate Science and Perceived Need for Business Adaptation to Climate Change
Linnenluecke, Martina K., Griffiths, Andrew and Mumby, Peter J. (2015). Executives' Engagement with Climate Science and Perceived Need for Business Adaptation to Climate Change. Climatic Change, 131 (2), 321-333. doi: 10.1007/s10584-015-1387-1
2015
Journal Article
Regional-scale dominance of non-framework building corals on Caribbean reefs affects carbonate production and future reef growth
Perry, Chris T., Steneck, Robert S., Murphy, Gary N., Kench, Paul S., Edinger, Evan N., Smithers, Scott G. and Mumby, Peter J. (2015). Regional-scale dominance of non-framework building corals on Caribbean reefs affects carbonate production and future reef growth. Global Change Biology, 21 (3), 1153-1164. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12792
2015
Journal Article
Delineating optimal settlement areas of juvenile reef fish in Ngederrak Reef, Koror state, Republic of Palau
Ticzon, Victor S., Foster, Greg, David, Laura T., Mumby, Peter J., Samaniego, Badi R. and Madrid, Val Randolf (2015). Delineating optimal settlement areas of juvenile reef fish in Ngederrak Reef, Koror state, Republic of Palau. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 187 (1) 4089, 4089.1-4089.14. doi: 10.1007/s10661-014-4089-7
2015
Book Chapter
Marine protected area management
Day, Jon C., Laffoley, Dan, Zischka, Katherine, Gilliland, Paul, Gjerde, Kristina, Jones, Peter J. S., Knott, John, McCook, Laurence, Milam, Amy, Mumby, Peter J. and Wilhelm, Alulani (2015). Marine protected area management. Protected area governance and management. (pp. 609-650) edited by Graeme L. Worboys, Michael Lockwood, Ashish Kothar, Sue Feary and Ian Pulsford. Canberra: ANU Press.
2015
Journal Article
Coral-algal phase shifts alter fish communities and reduce fisheries production
Ainsworth, Cameron H. and Mumby, Peter J. (2015). Coral-algal phase shifts alter fish communities and reduce fisheries production. Global Change Biology, 21 (1), 165-172. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12667
2015
Journal Article
Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change
Anthony, Kenneth R. N., Marshall, Paul A., Abdulla, Ameer, Beeden, Roger, Bergh, Chris, Black, Ryan, Eakin, C. Mark, Game, Edward T., Gooch, Margaret, Graham, Nicholas A. J., Green, Alison, Heron, Scott F., van Hooidonk, Ruben, Knowland, Cheryl, Mangubhai, Sangeeta, Marshall, Nadine, Maynard, Jeffrey A., McGinnity, Peter, Mcleod, Elizabeth, Mumby, Peter J., Nystrom, Magnus, Obura, David, Oliver, Jamie, Possingham, Hugh P., Pressey, Robert L., Rowlands, Gwilym P., Tamelander, Jerker, Wachenfeld, David and Wear, Stephanie (2015). Operationalizing resilience for adaptive coral reef management under global environmental change. Global Change Biology, 21 (1), 48-61. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12700
2015
Journal Article
Resilience metrics to inform ecosystem management under global change with application to coral reefs
Mumby, Peter J. and Anthony, Kenneth R. N. (2015). Resilience metrics to inform ecosystem management under global change with application to coral reefs. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 6 (9), 1088-1096. doi: 10.1111/2041-210X.12380
2015
Journal Article
High resilience masks underlying sensitivity to algal phase shifts of Pacific coral reefs
Mumby, Peter J., Steneck, Robert S., Adjeroud, Mehdi and Arnold, Suzanne N. (2015). High resilience masks underlying sensitivity to algal phase shifts of Pacific coral reefs. Oikos, 125 (5), 644-655. doi: 10.1111/oik.02673
2014
Journal Article
Mangrove habitat use by juvenile reef fish: meta-analysis reveals that tidal regime matters more than biogeographic region
Igulu, Mathias M., Nagelkerken, Ivan, Dorenbosch, Martijn, Grol, Monique G. G., Harborne, Alastair R., Kimirei, Ismael A., Mumby, Peter J., Olds, Andrew D. and Mgaya, Yunus D. (2014). Mangrove habitat use by juvenile reef fish: meta-analysis reveals that tidal regime matters more than biogeographic region. PloS One, 9 (12) e114715, 1-20. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0114715
2014
Journal Article
Global disparity in the ecological benefits of reducing carbon emissions for coral reefs
Ortiz, Juan Carlos, Bozec, Yves-Marie, Wolff, Nicholas H., Doropoulos, Christopher and Mumby, Peter J. (2014). Global disparity in the ecological benefits of reducing carbon emissions for coral reefs. Nature Climate Change, 4 (12), 1090-1094. doi: 10.1038/NCLIMATE2439
2014
Journal Article
Maps, laws and planning policy: working with biophysical and spatial uncertainty in the case of sea level rise
Bell, Justine, Saunders, Megan I., Leon, Javier X., Mills, Morena, Kythreotis, Andrew, Phinn, Stuart, Mumby, Peter J., Lovelock, Catherine E., Hoegh-Huldberg, Ove and Morrison, T. H. (2014). Maps, laws and planning policy: working with biophysical and spatial uncertainty in the case of sea level rise. Environmental Science and Policy, 44, 247-257. doi: 10.1016/j.envsci.2014.07.018
2014
Journal Article
Changing dynamics of Caribbean reef carbonate budgets: emergence of reef bioeroders as critical controls on present and future reef growth potential
Perry, Chris T., Murphy, Gary N., Kench, Paul S., Edinger, Evan N., Smithers, Scott G., Steneck, Robert S. and Mumby, Peter J. (2014). Changing dynamics of Caribbean reef carbonate budgets: emergence of reef bioeroders as critical controls on present and future reef growth potential. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 281 (1796) 20142018, 1-9. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2018
2014
Journal Article
Stratifying herbivore fisheries by habitat to avoid ecosystem overfishing of coral reefs
Mumby, Peter J. (2014). Stratifying herbivore fisheries by habitat to avoid ecosystem overfishing of coral reefs. Journal of Time Series Analysis, 35 (6), 266-278. doi: 10.1111/faf.12078
2014
Journal Article
Redefining thermal regimes to design reserves for coral reefs in the face of climate change
Chollett, Iliana, Enriquez, Susana and Mumby, Peter J. (2014). Redefining thermal regimes to design reserves for coral reefs in the face of climate change. PLoS One, 9 (10) e110634, e110634.1-e110634.8. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0110634
2014
Journal Article
A mid-term analysis of progress toward international biodiversity targets
Tittensor, Derek P., Walpole, Matt, Hill, Samantha L. L., Boyce, Daniel G., Britten, Gregory L., Burgess, Neil D., Butchart, Stuart H. M., Leadley, Paul W., Regan, Eugenie C., Alkemade, Rob, Baumung, Roswitha, Bellard, Celine, Bouwman, Lex, Bowles-Newark, Nadine J., Chenery, Anna M., Cheung, William W. L., Christensen, Villy, Cooper, H. David, Crowther, Annabel R., Dixon, Matthew J. R., Galli, Alessandro, Gaveau, Valerie, Gregory, Richard D., Gutierrez, Nicolas L., Hirsch, Tim L., Hoeft, Robert, Januchowski-Hartley, Stephanie R., Karmann, Marion, Krug, Cornelia B. ... Ye, Yimin (2014). A mid-term analysis of progress toward international biodiversity targets. Science, 346 (6206), 241-244. doi: 10.1126/science.1257484
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
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Creating a carbonate budget for the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
The ecology and restoration of coral rubble
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
Creating a carbonate budget for the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
The importance of reef geomorphology in driving ecological dynamics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris, Dr Gerard Ricardo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Superstars and Outbreaks: consequences of juvenile predation to the boom-bust of crown-of-thorns starfish
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Impacts of climate change-induced large-scale disturbances on coral reef connectivity and recovery
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Callaghan
-
Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Climate change undermines connectivity of the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
-
Master Philosophy
Incorporating realistic fisheries into the design of Marine Protected Areas
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Ian Tibbetts
-
Master Philosophy
The effects of Climate change on coral fecundity in the GBR
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Drivers and limitations of early recovery for spawning corals on the Great Barrier Reef
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gerard Ricardo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Superstars and Outbreaks: consequences of juvenile ecology to the boom and bust of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster sp.)
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Critical density thresholds for coral reproduction
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Gerard Ricardo
-
Doctor Philosophy
Putting the pieces together: Coral recovery dynamics in Rubble beds
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris
-
Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Drivers of Juvenile Coral Mortality and Implications for Reef Restoration and Recovery
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
The importance of reef geomorphology in driving ecological dynamics
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Daniel Harris, Dr Gerard Ricardo
-
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
-
Doctor Philosophy
Connectivity of seagrasses for megaherbivores under environmental change
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Daniel Dunn
-
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
Completed supervision
-
2023
Doctor Philosophy
Optimising Fisheries Management to Sustain Tropical Reef Fisheries
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Russell Richards
-
2022
Doctor Philosophy
Coral reef futures under climate change and ocean acidification
Principal Advisor
-
2021
Doctor Philosophy
The ecology of grouper spawning aggregations in Palau
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Cynthia Riginos
-
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
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Ecological drivers of the brown macroalgal genus Lobophora on Pacific coral reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr John Dwyer
-
2020
Doctor Philosophy
Integrating coral reef ecosystem services into marine planning
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor David Callaghan
-
2019
Doctor Philosophy
Bottlenecks of coral recruitment on degraded reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock
-
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
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
The Dynamics and Resilience of Coral Reefs
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Richard Fuller
-
2017
Doctor Philosophy
Dynamic vulnerability of the Great Barrier Reef: Impacts of local versus global stressors
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Hugh Possingham
-
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
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Dynamics of carbon storage in subtropical seagrass meadows
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Catherine Lovelock
-
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
-
2016
Doctor Philosophy
Effect of Predators and Microhabitat Availability on the Behaviour of Juvenile Parrotfishes
Principal Advisor
-
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
-
2013
Doctor Philosophy
Building resilience of Caribbean coral reefs to macroalgal phase shifts: identifying key habitat features
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Coral reef futures under climate change and ocean acidification
Principal Advisor
-
Doctor Philosophy
Modelling the Role of Diversity in Ecosystem Responses to Warming
Principal Advisor
-
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
-
2018
Doctor Philosophy
Patterns and drivers that determine the structure and composition of Caribbean seascapes
Associate Advisor
-
2012
Doctor Philosophy
Disturbance effects to coral recruitment dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef
Associate Advisor
-
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
Need help?
For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team: