B Com, B Science (Hons)

PhD candidate, Marine Ecology

Contact details for Student Name

Thesis

The ecology of the mud crab (Scylla serrata): their invasion of estuaries and role as scavengers in ecosystem processes

Description

My research revolves around estuarine ecosystems and is presently exploring ways to assess the ‘health’ of estuarine ecosystems by measuring biotic processes. I am particularly interested in processes driven by the animals we can see with the naked eye, for example fish, crabs and birds. These animals are of direct interest to human societies because they are often fishery species or closely linked to them in the food web. Animals like this are integral to certain ecosystem processes and they may be subject to high levels of predation from humans, thereby directly affecting the vigour and resilience of the processes which they perform.

Supervisor

Associate Professor Rod Connolly

Research expertise

• Estuarine Ecology

Teaching areas

• Coastal Environments (2nd Year)
• Marine Vertebrates (2nd year)
• Estuarine Ecology (3rd Year
• Marine Biology (3rd year)

Publications

• Webley J.A.C., Connolly R.M. (2007) Vertical movement of mud crab megalopae (Scylla serrata) in response to light: doing it differently down under. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol 341:196-203
• Webley J.A.C.(2005) Fisheries long term monitoring program – addressing the Department of the Environment and Heritage’s recommendations for monitoring Queensland’s mud crab and blue swimmer crab fisheries., Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries, Brisbane
• Leis J.M., Carson-Ewart B.M., Webley J. (2002) Settlement behaviour of coral-reef fish larvae at subsurface artificial-reef moorings. Mar Freshw Res 53:319-327