Prof Colin Simpfendorfer is the Director of the Centre for Sustainable Tropical Fisheries and Aquaculture. 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)
• BZ1001: Introduction to Biological Processes (Level 1; TSV)
• EV3014: Managing Tropical Fisheries (Level 3; TSV)
• EV5014: Managing Tropical 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

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

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

• Smart J, Chin A, Baje L, Tobin A, Simpfendorfer C and White W (2017) Life history of the silvertip shark Carcharhinus albimarginatus from Papua New Guinea. Coral Reefs, 36 (2). pp. 577-588
• Smart J, Chin A, Tobin A, White W, Kumasi B and Simpfendorfer C (2017) Stochastic demographic analyses of the silvertip shark (Carcharhinus albimarginatus) and the common blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus) from the Indo-Pacific. Fisheries Research, 191. pp. 95-107
• Whitty J, Keleher J, Ebner B, Gleiss A, Simpfendorfer C and Morgan D (2017) Habitat use of a critically endangered elasmobranch, the largetooth sawfish Pristis pristis, in an intermittently flowing riverine nursery. Endangered Species Research, 34. pp. 211-227
• Adkins M, Simpfendorfer C and Tobin A (2016) Large tropical fishes and their use of the nearshore littoral, intertidal and subtidal habitat mosaic. Marine and Freshwater Research, 67. pp. 1534-1545
• Chin A, Heupel M, Simpfendorfer C and Tobin A (2016) Population organisation in reef sharks: new variations in coastal habitat use by mobile marine predators. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 544. pp. 197-211
• D'Anastasi B, van Herwerden L, Hobbs J, Simpfendorfer C and Lukoschek V (2016) New range and habitat records for threatened Australian sea snakes raise challenges for conservation. Biological Conservation, 194. pp. 66-70
• Dulvy N, Davidson L, Kyne P, Simpfendorfer C, Harrison L, Carlson J and Fordham S (2016) Ghosts of the coast: global extinction risk and conservation of sawfishes. Aquatic Conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems , 26 (1). pp. 134-153
• Espinoza M, Heupel M, Tobin A and Simpfendorfer C (2016) Evidence of partial migration in a large coastal predator: opportunistic foraging and reproduction as key drivers? PLoS ONE, 11 (2). pp. 1-22
• Harry A, Saunders R, Smart J, Yates P, Simpfendorfer C and Tobin A (2016) Assessment of a data-limited, multi-species shark fishery in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park and south-east Queensland. Fisheries Research, 177. pp. 104-115
• Hays G, Ferreira L, Sequeira A, Meekan M, Duarte C, Bailey H, Bailleul F, Bowen W, Caley M, Costa D, Eguíluz V, Fossette S, Friedlaender A, Gales N, Gleiss A, Gunn J, Harcourt R, Hazen E, Heithaus M, Heupel M, Holland K, Horning M, Jonsen I, Kooyman G, Lowe C, Madsen P, Marsh H, Phillips R, Righton D, Ropert-Coudert Y, Sato K, Shaffer S, Simpfendorfer C, Sims D, Skomal G, Takahashi A, Trathan P, Wikelski M, Womble J and Thums M (2016) Key Questions in marine megafauna movement ecology. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 31 (6). pp. 463-475
• Heinrich D, Watson S, Rummer J, Brandl S, Simpfendorfer C, Heupel M and Munday P (2016) Foraging behaviour of the epaulette shark Hemiscyllium ocellatum is not affected by elevated CO2. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 73 (3). pp. 633-640
• Huveneers C, Simpfendorfer C, Kim S, Semmens J, Hobday A, Pederson H, Stieglitz T, Vallee R, Webber D, Heupel M, Peddemors V and Harcourt R (2016) The influence of environmental parameters on the performance and detection range of acoustic receivers. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 7 (7). pp. 825-835

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 169+ 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)
• Effects of Environmental Variation on Habitat Use and Movement of the Blacktip Reef Shark, Carcharhinus Melanopterus. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Conservation Genomics and Ecology of True Sea Snakes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Diversity, Abundance and Distribution of Batoids on Coral Reefs (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Examining Coral Reef Carrying Capacity and Trophic Roles of Grey Reef Sharks in the Central GBR. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Assessing Ecological Risk Posed to Common Rays by Prawn Trawling (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Population Genomics Informs Conservation and Management of the Galapagos Shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis) at Local, Regional and Oceanic Scales (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Conservation Approaches for Hammerhead Sharks in Australian Waters. (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Global Survey of Sawfishes Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• A Challenging Environment in a Changing World for Juvenile Sharks: Ecological Energetics of Climate Change with Implications Toward Conservation (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• A holistic approach to shark fisheries science and management: The role of contempory indigenous knowledge (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)
• The Biology and Ecology of Carcharhiniform Sharks Caught in the Gulf of Papua Prawn Trawl Fishery. (PhD , Primary Advisor)

Completed

• Movement, Connectivity and Population Structure of a Large, Non-Diadromous, Tropical Estuarine Teleost. (2012, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Utilisation of vertebral microchemistry techniques to determine population structure of two inshore shark species along the east coast of Queensland, Australia (2012, Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Understanding the risk to flatback turtles (Natator depressus) from expanding industrial development in Western Australia (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Life history and demographic modelling of shark species caught in Indo-Pacific fisheries (2017, PhD , Secondary 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)
• The communal nursery area paradigm revisited: niche overlap versus niche separation among juvenile shark species of Cleveland Bay (2012, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The endocrine control of embryonic diapause in the Australian sharpnose shark Rhizoprionodon taylori (2013, Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Recreational fishing of sharks in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area: species composition and incidental capture stress (2013, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• The biology and ecology of the blacktip reef shark Carcharhinus melanopterus (Quoy & Gaimard, 1824) and implications for management (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Scaling up to form marine protected area networks: the role of coordination of initiatives and institutional collaborations in the Philippines (2014, PhD , Associate Advisor)
• The ecology of shark-like batoids: implications for management in the Great Barrier Reef region (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Large bodied fish communities and drivers of use in the shallow waters of a coastal habitat mosaic (2015, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• Habitat and dietary selectivity of nearshore shark populations (2015, PhD , Primary 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)
• Spatial ecology of true sea snakes (Hydrophiinae) in coastal waters of North Queensland (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Improving understanding of spatial ecology through network analysis of acoustic monitoring data (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Movement of an exploited coral reef teleost across multiple temporal and spatial scales (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

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.

• 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.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.