Marine Conservation Biology and the Detection of Biological Change

Research in this field has developed in response to increasing demands for a better conceptual basis for the development of marine conservation programs. There is also a need for improved sampling and monitoring procedures designed to detect changes in coral reef biota and assess the relative importance of human impacts.

The program has an international aspect with work being carried out in the tropical Pacific, Asia and the Caribbean. There are strong links with this and other research activities. Examples are long-term monitoring of coral reefs in Australia and the Caribbean and of reef fish reserves in the Philippines.

On-going Research Programs:

• Coral reef fish communities: ecology and conservation: Professor Geoffrey .P. Jones, Dr Mark McCormick and Dr Phil Munday.