Prof Colin Simpfendorfer is a Professor of Marine Biology in the College of Science and Engineering. He has more than 25 years of experience in researching sharks, and has published extensively in the scientific literature on shark biology, ecology, fisheries and conservation. His expertise on sharks has been recognized by his appointment as the Co-Chair of the IUCN’s Shark Specialist Group. 

Colin is a graduate of James Cook University, having undertaken both his undergraduate and postgraduate training in Townsville. After completing his PhD he worked on shark fisheries at the Western Australian Fisheries Department before moving to Florida to work at the Centre for Shark Research at Mote Marine Laboratory. He returned to JCU in 2007 to lead the Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre, where he has helped build a research group focused on improving our understanding of sharks and how best to conserve and manage their populations.

Teaching

• BS1001: Introduction to Biological Processes (Level 1; TSV)
• MB3014: Managing Tropical Fisheries (Level 3; TSV)
• MB5014: Managing Tropical Fisheries (Level 5; TSV)
• MB5610: Fishing Gear and Technologies (Level 5; TSV)
• MB5620: Grand Challenges in Fisheries (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Status and sustainable use of elasmobranch populations
• Science for the conservation of elasmobranch populations
• Nursery areas for sharks
• Analytical tools for acoustic monitoring studies

Experience

• 2006 to present - Professor, James Cook University (Townsville, Queensland)
• 1999 to 2006 - Senior Scientist, Mote Marine Laboratory (Sarasota, Florida, USA)
• 1993 to 1999 - Senior Research Scientist, Western Australian Fisheries (Perth, Western Australia)
• 1987 to 1993 - Academic Level A, James Cook University (Townsville, Queensland)

Research Disciplines

• Ecology (0602)
• Fisheries Sciences (0704)
• Environmental Science and Management (0502)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)
• Ecosystem Assessment and Management (9605)
• Fisheries - Wild Caught (8302)

Awards

• 2013 - Advisor of the Year Award, Advisory Panel Category - Highly Commended
• 2011 - JCU Faculty of Science and Engineering Dean's Research Award (Group)

Other

• 2012 to 2015 - Co-Chair IUCN Shark Specialist Group

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Baje L, Smart J, Grant M, Chin A, White W and Simpfendorfer C (in press) Age, growth and maturity of the Australian blackspot shark (Carcharhinus coatesi) in the Gulf of Papua. Pacific Conservation Biology,
• Buddle A, Van Dyke J, Thompson M, Simpfendorfer C and Whittington C (2019) Evolution of placentotrophy: using viviparous sharks as a model to understand vertebrate placental evolution. Marine and Freshwater Research, 70 (7). pp. 908-924
• George L, Martins A, Heupel M and Simpfendorfer C (2019) Fine-scale movements of juvenile blacktip reef sharks Carcharhinus melanopterus in a shallow nearshore nursery. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 623. pp. 85-97
• Grant M, Kyne P, Simpfendorfer C, White W and Chin A (2019) Categorising use patterns of non-marine environments by elasmobranchs and a review of their extinction risk. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 29 (3). pp. 1-22
• Hays G, Bailey H, Bograd S, Bowen W, Campagna C, Carmichael R, Casale P, Chiaradia A, Costa D, Cuevas E, de Bruyn P, Dias M, Duarte C, Dunn D, Dutton P, Esteban N, Friedlaender A, Goetz K, Godley B, Halpin P, Hamann M, Hammerschlag N, Harcourt R, Harrison A, Hazen E, Heupel M, Hoyt E, Humphries N, Kot C, Lea J, Marsh H, Maxwell S, McMahon C, di Sciara G, Palacios D, Phillips R, Righton D, Schofield G, Seminoff J, Simpfendorfer C, Sims D, Takahashi A, Tetley M, Thums M, Trathan P, Villegas-Amtmann S, Wells R, Whiting S, Wildermann N and Sequeira A (2019) Translating marine animal tacking data into conservation policy and management. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34 (5). pp. 459-473
• Heupel M, Munroe S, Ledee E, Chin A and Simpfendorfer C (2019) Interspecific interactions, movement patterns and habitat use in a diverse coastal shark assemblage. Marine Biology, 166 (6).
• Mizrahi M, Duce S, Pressey R, Simpfendorfer C, Weeks R and Diedrich A (2019) Global opportunities and challenges for shark large marine protected areas. Biological Conservation, 234. pp. 107-115
• Scott M, Heupel M, Simpfendorfer C, Matley J and Pratchett M (2019) Latitudinal and seasonal variation in space use by a large, predatory reef fish, Plectropomus leopardus. Functional Ecology, 33 (4). pp. 670-680
• Thorbjørnsen S, Moland E, Simpfendorfer C, Heupel M, Knutsen H and Olsen E (2019) Potential of a no-take marine reserve to protect home ranges of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta). Ecology and Evolution, 9 (1). pp. 417-426
• Baje L, Smart J, Chin A, White W and Simpfendorfer C (2018) Age, growth and maturity of the Australian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon taylori from the Gulf of Papua. PLoS ONE, 13 (10).
• Bierwagen S, Heupel M, Chin A and Simpfendorfer C (2018) Trophodynamics as a tool for understanding coral reef ecosystems. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5.
• Bierwagen S, Emslie M, Heupel M, Chin A and Simpfendorfer C (2018) Reef-scale variability in fish and coral assemblages on the central Great Barrier Reef. Marine Biology, 165.

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 217+ research outputs authored by Prof Colin Simpfendorfer from 2002 onwards.

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• Distribution, Abundance and Conservation Threats of Elasmobranchs in the River Systems of Papua New Guinea (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• A Challenging Environment in a Changing World for Juvenile Sharks: Ecological Energetics of Climate Change with Implications Toward Conservation (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Resolving the global occurrence and distribution of sawfishes using genetic techniques (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Functional roles of reef sharks on the Great Barrier Reef (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Conservation Biology of Wedgefishes and giant guitarfishes (Order Rhinopristiformes) (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• A holistic approach to shark fisheries science and management: The role of contempory indigenous knowledge (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• The biology and ecology of Carcharhiniform sharks in the Gulf of Papua prawn trawl fishery;; (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Habitat Use, Movement Patterns and Trophic Ecology of Sharks and rays within Mangrove Forests (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Conservation Genomics and Ecology of True Sea Snakes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Effects of Environmental Variation on Habitat Use and Movement of the Blacktip Reef Shark, Carcharhinus Melanopterus. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Evaluating the Effectiveness of Marine Sanctuaries for Wide-Ranging Animals: A Case Study of the Cook Islands Shark Sanctuary. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Assessing ecological risk posed to common rays by prawn trawling (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

• Large bodied fish communities and drivers of use in the shallow waters of a coastal habitat mosaic (2015, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Movements, Habitat Use and Connectivity of Reef-associated Sharks: Implications for Management and Conservation (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Diversity in Shark Nursery Area Function in the Great Barrier Reef (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Life history of deepwater chondrichthyans (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Habitat and dietary selectivity of nearshore shark populations (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Movement of an exploited coral reef teleost across multiple temporal and spatial scales (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Improving understanding of spatial ecology through network analysis of acoustic monitoring data (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Spatial ecology of true sea snakes (Hydrophiinae) in coastal waters of North Queensland (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Investigation of Coral Trout (Plectropomus spp.) Movement Patterns and Resource Use: A Multidisciplinary Approach Using Acoustic Telemetry and Dietary Indicators (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Life history and demographic modelling of shark species caught in Indo-Pacific fisheries (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Understanding the risk to flatback turtles (Natator depressus) from expanding industrial development in Western Australia (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Population genomics informs conservation and management of the Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) at local, regional and oceanic scales (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Ecology of rays on tropical coral reefs (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Refining the ecological role of stingrays in coral reef ecosystems (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit the JCU Research Data Catalogue.

• D'Anastasi, B. (2018) Conservation genomics of Western Australian Aipysurus group sea snake species. James Cook University
• Harry, A. (2012) Data for: Comparison of the reproductive ecology of two sympatric blacktip sharks (Carcharhinus limbatus and Carcharhinus tilstoni) off north-eastern Australia with species identification inferred from vertebral counts. James Cook University

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
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