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

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)
SC1101: Science: Nature, Knowledge and Understanding (Level 1; TSV)

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

Bellwood D, Goatley C and Bellwood O (2017) The evolution of fishes and corals on reefs: form, function and interdependence. Biological Reviews, 92 (2). pp. 878-901
Connolly S, Hughes T and Bellwood D (2017) A unified model explains commonness and rarity on coral reefs. Ecology Letters, 20 (4). pp. 477-486
Fulton C, Wainwright P, Hoey A and Bellwood D (2017) Global ecological success of Thalassoma fishes in extreme coral reef habitats. Ecology and Evolution, 7 (1). pp. 466-472
Goatley C, González-Cabello A and Bellwood D (2017) Small cryptopredators contribute to high predation rates on coral reefs. Coral Reefs, 36 (1). pp. 207-212
Hughes T, Barnes M, Bellwood D, Cinner J, Cumming G, Jackson J, Kleypas J, van de Leemput I, Lough J, Morrison T, Palumbi S, van Nes E and Scheffer M (2017) Coral reefs in the Anthropocene. Nature, 546 (7656). pp. 82-90
Hughes T, Kerry J, Álvarez-Noriega M, Alvarez-Romero J, Anderson K, Baird A, Babcock R, Beger M, Bellwood D, Berkelmans R, Bridge T, Butler I, Byrne M, Cantin N, Comeau S, Connolly S, Cumming G, Dalton S, Diaz-Pulido G, Eakin C, Figueira W, Gilmour J, Harrison H, Heron S, Hoey A, Hobbs J, Hoogenboom M, Kennedy E, Kuo C, Lough J, Lowe R, Liu G, McCulloch M, Malcolm H, McWilliam M, Pandolfi J, Pears R, Pratchett M, Schoepf V, Simpson T, Skirving W, Sommer B, Torda G, Wachenfeld D, Willis B and Wilson S (2017) Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals. Nature, 543 (7645). pp. 373-377
Kerry J and Bellwood D (2017) Environmental drivers of sheltering behaviour in large reef fishes. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 125 (1-2). pp. 254-259
Khan J, Goatley C, Brandl S, Tebbett S and Bellwood D (2017) Shelter use by large reef fishes: long-term occupancy and the impacts of disturbance. Coral Reefs, 36 (4). pp. 1123-1132
Konow N, Price S, Abom R, Bellwood D and Wainwright P (2017) Decoupled diversification dynamics of feeding morphology following a major functional innovation in marine butterflyfishes. Proceedings Of The Royal Society B-biological Sciences, 284 (1860).
Kramer M, Bellwood D and Taylor R (2017) Benthic Crustacea from tropical and temperate reef locations: differences in assemblages and their relationship with habitat structure. Coral Reefs, 36 (3). pp. 971-980
Mihalitsis M and Bellwood D (2017) A morphological and functional basis for maximum prey size in piscivorous fishes. PLoS ONE, 12 (9).
Streit R and Bellwood D (2017) High prevalence of homing behaviour among juvenile coral-reef fishes and the role of body size. Coral Reefs, 36 (4). pp. 1083-1095

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 246+ 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 - 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

Lizard Island Research Station - Fellowship

Exploring space use and density of feeding in herbivorous reef fishes as a new facet of reef resilience

Indicative Funding: $8,500
Summary: Our current understanding of reef resilience hinges significantly on the premise that the herbivorous fish community keeps algae in check across the whole reef. As feeding is unlikely to occur evenly over a fish?s entire home range, it is important to quantify any degree of patchiness of feeding by the herbivorous fish community. Specifically, I aim to answer the following questions: 1. Are some areas grazed continually, while others only receive occasional bites? 2. How densely is feeding impact locally concentrated in feeding hotspots? 3. To what extent do feeding hotspots overlap between different groups of herbivorous fishes?
Investigators: Robert Streit, David Bellwood and Graeme Cumming (College of Science & Engineering and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Reef Fish; Reef resilience; Ecosystem function; Herbivory; Space use

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Science for Management Award

Spatial heterogeneity of algal removal by herbivorous fishes on coral reefs

Indicative Funding: $1,500
Summary: Our current understanding of reef resilience hinges significantly on the premise that the herbivorous fish community keeps algae in check across the whole reef. As feeding is unlikely to occur evenly over a fish?s entire home range, it is important to quantify any degree of patchiness of feeding by the herbivorous fish community. Specifically, I aim to answer the following questions: 1. Are some areas grazed continually, while others only receive occasional bites? 2. How densely is feeding impact locally concentrated in feeding hotspots? 3. To what extent do feeding hotspots overlap between different groups of herbivorous fishes? Project Period:
Investigators: Robert Streit and David Bellwood (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Spatial resilience; Herbivory; Heterogeneity; Reef fish; Ecosystem function; Functional area

Australian Research Council - Discovery - Projects

Intervention ecology on coral reefs: a new role for fishes

Indicative Funding: $435,000 over 3 years
Summary: In a world where few intact reefs remain, our goal is to find ways to restore degraded reefs. Recent research has identified the species responsible for removing harmful algae from coral reefs, while advances in mariculture provide us with the capacity to rear these critically important reef fish species. Combining captive rearing, experimental manipulations, and a global analysis of the functional capacity of herbivorous fishes, in intact, degraded and human-modified systems, we will explore the potential for restoring, or boosting, the capacity of reefs to withstand disturbance. Our goal is to provide the scientific knowledge required to directly modify the key processes operating on coral reefs.
Investigators: David Bellwood in collaboration with David Mouillot (College of Science & Engineering and Universite Montpellier 2)
Keywords: Coral Reefs; Resilience; Ecosystem Function

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

Community Assembly and Diversity-Stability Relationship in Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Regulators of coral reef diversity in deep time and space (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
Ecological Roles of Microcrustaceans on Coral Reefs (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
Habitat efects on coral reef fish growth and biomass production. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
The Evolution, Biogeography and Ecological Significance of Colour in Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Feeding ecology of corallivorous reef fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Predator-Prey Interactions in Coral Reef Fishes: Ecology and Function (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
Spatial ecology and space use in browsing herbivorous reef fishes: ecological drivers and effects on ecosystem function. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)

Completed

The ecological role of sediments on coral reefs (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
The spatial ecology of coral reef fishes (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Ecological structure and processes on disturbed coral reefs (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Biogeography and the evolution of coral reef fish species (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Assessment of scale dependent function in reef fish, and application to the evaluation of coral reef resilience (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Small cryptic fishes on coral reefs: ecological effects of extreme life history traits (2016, Masters , Primary Advisor)
Recreational spearfishing: an historical, ecological and sociological perspective (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Functional niche partitioning in herbivorous coral reef fishes (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
A functional analysis of herbivory on Ningaloo Reef, Australia (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Crustacea on coral reefs: habitat associations and trophic relationships (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
The Role of Tabular Structure in the Ecology of Large Reef Fishes (2016, PhD , 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.

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
Brandl, S. (2017) Data from: Exploring the nature of ecological specialization in a coral reef fish community: morphology, diet, and foraging microhabitat use. James Cook University
Connolly, S. (2017) Data from: A unified model explains commonness and rarity on coral reefs. James Cook University
Bellwood, D. (2017) Data from: Caribbean coral reef, seagrass and mangrove fishes exhibit stronger overlap than their Indo-Pacific counterparts. James Cook University
Bellwood, D. (2017) Data from: Biogeographic patterns in major marine realms: function not taxonomy unites fish assemblages in reef, seagrass and mangrove systems. 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.