Institution
James Cook University
Education•Townsville, Queensland, Australia•
About: James Cook University is a education organization based out in Townsville, Queensland, Australia. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Coral reef. The organization has 9101 authors who have published 27750 publications receiving 1032608 citations. The organization is also known as: JCU.
Topics: Population, Coral reef, Reef, Coral, Coral reef fish
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
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TL;DR: A high-resolution 130,000-year environmental record is used to resolve the cause and reconstruct the ecological consequences of extinction of Australia’s megafauna, suggesting that human arrival rather than climate caused megafaunal extinction, which then triggered replacement of mixed rainforest by sclerophyll vegetation.
Abstract: Giant vertebrates dominated many Pleistocene ecosystems. Many were herbivores, and their sudden extinction in prehistory could have had large ecological impacts. We used a high-resolution 130,000-year environmental record to help resolve the cause and reconstruct the ecological consequences of extinction of Australia's megafauna. Our results suggest that human arrival rather than climate caused megafaunal extinction, which then triggered replacement of mixed rainforest by sclerophyll vegetation through a combination of direct effects on vegetation of relaxed herbivore pressure and increased fire in the landscape. This ecosystem shift was as large as any effect of climate change over the last glacial cycle, and indicates the magnitude of changes that may have followed megafaunal extinction elsewhere in the world.
266 citations
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TL;DR: It is shown how substantial variation in consumption-rate data, and hence trophic interaction strengths, arises because consumers tend to encounter resources more frequently in three dimensions (3D) than two dimensions (2D) (for example, terrestrial and benthic zones).
Abstract: Interactions between the feeding habits of different organisms in a food chain or web trophic interactions can take place in two or three dimensions, and many communities show a mix of the two. By relating search rate and consumption rate to body mass, the authors show that the relationship between trophic-interaction strength and body size scales sublinearly in two-dimensional interactions but superlinearly in three-dimensional ones. They develop a model to show how this explains differences between, for example, aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems because the extra dimension provides an additional niche or opportunity in which to find resources. As an example, the model predicts that a foraging Galpagos sea lion could enjoy a consumption rate up to 30 times higher in a pelagic zone near the surface of the ocean (in three dimensions) than deep-down in a benthic zone (in two dimensions).
265 citations
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TL;DR: Analysis of lipids in body tissues of blennies and assimilation of nutrients from the alimentary canal of scarids and acanthurids provide strong evidence that detritus is assimilated by coral reef fishes, making detritivorous fishes a critically important component of coral reef trophodynamics.
Abstract: The epilithic algal matrix (EAM) is a ubiquitous component of coral reefs and is the primary grazing surface for many reef fishes. Detritus accounts for at least 10% to 78% of all the organic matter present in the EAM, variation being attributed to hydrodynamic forces such as wave energy and biological elements such as algal morphology. When compared with filamentous algae, the other major source of organic matter in the EAM, protein:energy ratios, C:N ratios and total hydrolysable amino acids all suggest that detritus is of higher nutritional value than the algae. Lipid biomarkers indicate that more than 70% of the detritus is derived from the filamentous algae but the addition of bacteria and microalgae add essential nutrients and improve the nutritional value of the detritus. The detritus is typically of an amorphic form with protein:energy ratios which indicate that it is capable of sustaining fish growth. Detritus within the EAM may be derived from dissolved organic matter, which reduces refractory material, enhancing the palatability and digestibility of detritus relative to filamentous algae. Detritus in the EAM may also come from settling material and fish faeces. Studies that quantified the amount of detritus ingested by fishes have identified at least 24 species from five families that predominantly ingest detritus. These species represent some of the most widespread and abundant EAM feeding fishes on coral reefs. It is estimated that detritivorous fishes account for at least 20% of individuals and 40% of the biomass of an EAM-feeding fish assemblage on the Great Barrier Reef. Comparisons of ingested material with the EAM indicate that many of these species selectively feed on detritus, particularly the small, organic rich particles <125 μm. Furthermore, analysis of lipids in body tissues of blennies and assimilation of nutrients from the alimentary canal of scarids and acanthurids provide strong evidence that detritus is assimilated by coral reef fishes. Consequently, a large percentage of EAM-feeding fishes on coral reefs can unequivocally be classified as detritivores. The ingestion and assimilation of detritus by these fishes represents a significant pathway for transferring energy from within the EAM to secondary consumers, making detritivorous fishes a critically important component of coral reef trophodynamics.
265 citations
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TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the gecko skin has an antibacterial action where Gram-negative bacteria are killed when exposed to the surface however eukaryotic cell compatibility (with human stem cells) is demonstrated.
265 citations
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TL;DR: In this paper, the roles of parrotfish on coral reefs were examined on reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef in each of three cross-shelf regions and the distribution of 24 species of Parrotfish was quantified on three reefs.
Abstract: Herbivorous fishes are a key functional group on coral reefs. These fishes are central to the capacity of reefs to resist phase shifts and regenerate after disturbance. Despite this importance few studies have quantified the direct impact of these fishes on coral reefs. In this study the roles of parrotfishes, a ubiquitous group of herbivorous fishes, were examined on reefs in the northern Great Barrier Reef. The distribution of 24 species of parrotfish was quantified on three reefs in each of three cross-shelf regions. Functional roles (grazing, erosion, coral predation and sediment reworking) were calculated as the product of fish density, bite area or volume, bite rate, and the proportion of bites taken from various substrata. Inner-shelf reefs supported high densities but low biomass of parrotfishes, with high rates of grazing and sediment reworking. In contrast, outer-shelf reefs were characterised by low densities and high biomass of parrotfish, with high rates of erosion and coral predation. Mid-shelf reefs displayed moderate levels of all roles examined. The majority of this variation in functional roles was attributable to just two species. Despite being rare, Bolbometopon muricatum, the largest parrotfish species, accounted for 87.5% of the erosion and 99.5% of the coral predation on outer-shelf reefs. B. muricatum displayed little evidence of selectivity of feeding, with most substrata being consumed in proportion to their availability. In contrast, the high density of Scarus rivulatus accounted for over 70% of the total grazing and sediment reworking on inner-shelf reefs. This marked variation in the roles of parrotfishes across the continental shelf suggests that each shelf system is shaped by fundamentally different processes.
265 citations
Authors
Showing all 9184 results
Name | H-index | Papers | Citations |
---|---|---|---|
Christopher J L Murray | 209 | 754 | 310329 |
Hui-Ming Cheng | 147 | 880 | 111921 |
Joseph T. Hupp | 141 | 731 | 82647 |
Graeme J. Hankey | 137 | 844 | 143373 |
Bryan R. Cullen | 121 | 371 | 50901 |
Thomas J. Meyer | 120 | 1078 | 68519 |
William F. Laurance | 118 | 470 | 56464 |
Staffan Kjelleberg | 114 | 425 | 44414 |
Mike Clarke | 113 | 1037 | 164328 |
Gao Qing Lu | 108 | 546 | 53914 |
David J. Williams | 107 | 2060 | 62440 |
Tim J Peters | 106 | 1037 | 47394 |
Michael E. Goddard | 106 | 424 | 67681 |
Ove Hoegh-Guldberg | 106 | 425 | 63750 |
John C. Avise | 105 | 413 | 53088 |