JCU > Research Portfolio > Prof David Bellwood

About

Prof David Bellwood's research interests encompass the evolution and ecology of reef fishes. The central theme of his research is to understand the role that fishes play on coral reefs; from the origins of herbivory in the Cenozoic to the role of fishes in maintaining reef resilience. The approach is largely based on ecology, although it encompasses functional morphology, molecular phylogenetics, and palaeontology.

At larger scales, David's interests include global biogeography and the conservation of coral reefs, particularly the role of biodiversity in ecosystem processes.

Teaching

EA3120: The Fossil Record: Dinosaurs and Vertebrates Through Time (Level 3; TSV)
MB2050: Functional Biology of Marine Organisms (Level 2; TSV)
MB2070: Marine Biogeography (Level 2; TSV)
MB3160: Evolution and Ecology of Reef Fishes (Level 3; TSV)
MB5070: Marine Biogeography (Level 5; TSV)
MB5160: Evolution and Ecology of Reef Fishes (Level 5; TSV)

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

Publications

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

Cantalice K, Alvarado-Ortega J and Bellwood D (2020) †Chaychanus gonzalezorum gen. et sp. nov.: A damselfish fossil (Percomorphaceae; Pomacentridae), from the Early Paleocene outcrop of Chiapas, Southeastern Mexico. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 98.
Bellwood D, Pratchett M, Morrison T, Gurney G, Hughes T, Álvarez-Romero J, Day J, Grantham R, Grech A, Hoey A, Jones G, Pandolfi J, Tebbett S, Techera E, Weeks R and Cumming G (2019) Coral reef conservation in the Anthropocene: confronting spatial mismatches and prioritizing functions. Biological Conservation, 236. pp. 604-615
Brandl S, Tornabene L, Goatley C, Casey J, Morais R, Côté I, Baldwin C, Parravicini V, Schiettekatte N and Bellwood D (2019) Demographic dynamics of the smallest marine vertebrates fuel coral reef ecosystem functioning. Science, 364 (6446). pp. 1189-1192
Mihalitsis M and Bellwood D (2019) Morphological and functional diversity of piscivorous fishes on coral reefs. Coral Reefs, 38 (5). pp. 945-954
Wismer S, Tebbett S, Streit R and Bellwood D (2019) Young fishes persist despite coral loss on the Great Barrier Reef. Communications Biology, 2.
Wismer S, Tebbett S, Streit R and Bellwood D (2019) Spatial mismatch in fish and coral loss following 2016 mass coral bleaching. Science of the Total Environment, 650. pp. 1487-1498
Bellwood D, Tebbett S, Bellwood O, Mihalitsis M, Morais R, Streit R and Fulton C (2018) The role of the reef flat in coral reef trophodynamics: past, present, and future. Ecology and Evolution, 8 (8). pp. 4108-4119
Brandl S, Goatley C, Bellwood D and Tornabene L (2018) The hidden half: ecology and evolution of cryptobenthic fishes on coral reefs. Biological Reviews, 93 (4). pp. 1846-1873
Goatley C, Wroe S, Tebbett S and Bellwood D (2018) An evaluation of a double-tailed deformity in a coral-reef surgeonfish Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Acanthuridae) using micro-computed tomography. Journal of Fish Biology, 92 (5). pp. 1645-1650
Hemingson C and Bellwood D (2018) Biogeographic patterns in major marine realms: function not taxonomy unites fish assemblages in reef, seagrass and mangrove systems. Ecography, 41 (1). pp. 174-182
Huertas V and Bellwood D (2018) Feeding innovations and the first coral-feeding fishes. Coral Reefs, 37 (3). pp. 649-658
Kölbl-Ebert M, Ebert M, Bellwood D and Schulbert C (2018) A piranha-like Pycnodontiform fish from the Late Jurassic. Current Biology, 28 (21). pp. 3516-3521

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 267+ research outputs authored by Prof David Bellwood from 1999 onwards.

Current Funding

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

Australian Research Council - Discovery - Australian Laureate Fellowships

A new functional approach to coral reefs

Indicative Funding: $3,130,000 over 6 years
Summary: Around the world coral reefs are changing fast, challenging traditional scientific, management, and governance approaches. This project will address this challenge by implementing a new function, approach exploiting a unique combination of evolution ary and ecological methodologies. Expected outcomes include a global overview of ecosystem function and an in-depth understanding of how ecosystems change. This is likely to result in specific, and practical, management objectives by identifying crucial ecosystem functions that support reefs and the people who rely on them.
Investigators: David Bellwood (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Ecology; Fish; Marine; Biodiversity; Coral Reef; Evolution

Australian Research Council - Centres of Excellence

ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated Coral Reef Studies

Indicative Funding: $28,000,000 over 7 years
Summary: The overarching aim of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrated Coral Reef Studies is to provide the scientific knowledge necessary for sustaining ecosystem goods and services of the world's coral reefs, which support the livelihoods and food security of millions of people in the tropics. The Centre will enhance Australia's global leadership in coral reef science through three ambitious research programs addressing the future of coral reefs and their ability to adapt to change. A key outcome of the research will be providing tangible benefits to all Australians by bui8lding bridges between the natural and social sciences, strengthening capacity, and informing and supporting transformative changes in coral reef governance and management.
Investigators: Terry Hughes, Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, Malcolm McCulloch, Peter Mumby, Sean Connolly, John Pandolfi, Bob Pressey, Andrew Baird, David Bellwood, Joshua Cinner, Sophie Dove, Maja Adamska, Mia Hoogenboom, Geoff Jones, Mike Kingsford, Ryan Lowe, Mark McCormick, David Miller, Philip Munday, Morgan Pratchett, Garry Russ and Tiffany Morrison in collaboration with Janice Lough, David Wachenfeld, Stephen Palumbi, Serge Planes and Philippa Cohen (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, The University of Queensland, The University of Western Australia, College of Science & Engineering, Australian National University, College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, Australian Institute of Marine Science, Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Stanford University, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and WorldFish)
Keywords: coral reef ecosystems; Climate Change Adaptation; ecological resilience; biodiversity goods and services; social-ecological dynamics

Supervision

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

Regulators of coral reef diversity in deep time and space (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
Community Assembly and Diversity-Stability Relationship in Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Spatial and temporal dynamics of reef fish diversity: Combining community ecology and phylogenetics. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The functional ecology of piscivorous coral reef fiahes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Feeding ecology of corallivorous reef fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The Evolution, Biogeography and Ecological Significance of Colour in Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The productivity of coral reef fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Space use by fishes on coral reefs: Establishment, fidelity and reef resilience;; (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The Functioning of Future Coral Reefs: Fishes, Sediments and Productivity (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

Recreational spearfishing: an historical, ecological and sociological perspective (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Crustacea on coral reefs: habitat associations and trophic relationships (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Functional niche partitioning in herbivorous coral reef fishes (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
The Role of Tabular Structure in the Ecology of Large Reef Fishes (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Small cryptic fishes on coral reefs: ecological effects of extreme life history traits (2016, Masters , Primary Advisor)

Data

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.

Streit, R. (2020) Site fidelity of juvenile reef fishes after displacement. James Cook University
Morais Araujo, R. (2020) Data from: Severe coral loss shifts energetic dynamics on a coral reef. James Cook University
Bellwood, D. (2019) Data from ''Human exploitation shapes productivity-biomass relationships on coral reefs". James Cook University
Tebbett, S. (2019) Data from: A 3D perspective on sediment accumulation in algal turfs: implications of coral reef flattening. James Cook University
Siqueira Correa, A. (2019) Data from 'Historical biogeography of herbivorous coral reef fishes: the formation of an Atlantic fauna'. James Cook University
Morais, R. (2019) Data from 'Pelagic subsidies underpin fish productivity on a degraded coral reef'. James Cook University
Hemingson, C. (2018) Data from: Colour pattern divergence in reef fish species is rapid and driven by both range overlap and range symmetry. James Cook University
Morais Araujo, R. (2018) Data from 'Global drivers of reef fish growth'. James Cook University
Bellwood, D. (2018) Data from: The role of the reef flat in coral reef trophodynamics: past, present and future. James Cook University
Brandl, S. (2017) Data from: Individual-based analyses reveal limited functional overlap in a coral reef fish community. James Cook University

Collaboration

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.