I am pleased to have an energetic group with varied interests and backgrounds.

PhD

Henry Wootton
I’m interested in the effects of harvests on fish populations. Specifically, I’m investigating evolution in key life-history traits such as size- and age-at-maturity, growth rate, and reproductive investment in harvested populations. I aim to uncover the drivers of any evolution and develop tools for long term monitoring of these traits for use by managers. I am currently employing a suite of statistical and experimental techniques to ask questions within this space.

 

 

 

 

 

Josh Barrow
Freshwater fish have been profoundly impacted by both natural and human induced change to flow regimes, temperature, and connectivity. I am interested in how these changes have influenced native fish. My PhD project focusses on the relationship between movement and growth of golden perch from across the Murray-Darling Basin. I am using otoliths (‘ear stones’) to understand when, how far, and where individual fish have moved and how this relates to growth.

 

 

 

Giorgia Cecino
My research focuses on exploring marine metapopulations dynamics and how fisheries management strategies affect persistence of marine species of the south-east coast of Australia. I am investigating the spatial structure of metapopulations using marine-based species distribution models. I am studying metapopulation persistence using two complementary approaches, network-based methods and population viability analysis. I am using a graph-theoretical approach to explore how metapopulation persistence is influenced by explicitly including dispersal in metapopulation models. My research aims to investigate how spatially explicit population viability analysis can be used to evaluate the potential effects of alternative fisheries management scenarios on commercially important marine species.

 

 

Trish Koh
In 2020, I joined the lab to work with John Morrongiello and Matt West to further understand trout populations in Victoria, Australia. Trout were introduced to Australia in the 1800s, and are highly prized as a recreational fishery, representing great economic and social importance. However, as a non-native species, trout have been shown to contribute to declines of native fish and frog populations. I plan to further understand trout demography and their prey items to help balance environmental, economic and social priorities.

Prior to joining the lab, I worked as a zoology technical officer, a science communicator and a researcher of marine larval ecology.

 

 

 

 

Jessica Randall
Climate change and fishing impacts in Pacific

 

 

Masters

Nick Fawcett
Coastal ecosystems are increasingly impacted by climate change and warming events across the world. I have always been interested in the coastline, and when I was younger spent much of my time around these ecosystems, swimming, surfing and exploring. Now, I have a keen interest in examining how climate change and warming waters are affecting these vulnerable, but essential, oceanic communities. My research focuses on how seasonal acclimation can affect endemic fish species’ response to acute temperature events, such as those seen during a Marine Heatwave (MHW). MHWs are becoming increasingly deadly and more frequent as the planet continues to endure the effects of climate change, and coastal systems are suggested to be one of the main victims of these effects. With a greater research base, I believe we can provide triage to systems, communities and species which will bear the brunt of climate effects. In the future, I would like to extend my research into other systems, or assess the impacts of warming events on coastal ecosystems as a whole.

 

Juan Wang
I have a strong interest in aquatic swimming fauna, almost every aspect about them. My current research is using experiments to investigate fish’s cognitive capacity (particularly learning and memory) and behavioural personality in catch-and-release fisheries, and how the fisheries potentially drive the evolution of the two aspects of fish. Besides, I am also using a meta-analysis to complement my research questions by focusing on what behavioural characteristics causing fish vulnerable in fishing and how does fishing alter fish behaviour when the fish getting released back into the water. I enjoy using a variety of statistical methods to draw fascinating conclusions. I am an R fan.

 

 

 

Ruby Stoios

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Wellington

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Gemma Walker

 

 

 

 

Honours

Clement Ng
Warming ocean temperatures and exploitative fishing are having a profound impact on the productivity of marine fish stocks globally. My honours project focusses on identifying the key drivers of growth variation in the Australasian snapper (Pagrus auratus) along a latitudinal gradient. I will be using otoliths to reconstruct the environmental histories of individuals, which would allow me to assess how growth has varied over time in changing environmental conditions. My research will improve our understanding of snapper population dynamics, and thus, ensuring the sustainable management of this commercially important species.

 

 

 

 

 

Ashlen Campbell

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sarah Hill

 

 

 

 

 

 

---

Please contact me on john.morrongiello@unimelb.edu.au if you would like to discuss student and collaborative research opportunities.

At Melbourne, I am working closely with other academic staff including:

Prof Steve Swearer

A/Prof. Tim Dempster

Dr. Eric Treml