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

• Ecology (3103)
• Evolutionary biology (3104)
• Ecological applications (4102)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding knowledge (2801)

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

• Hemingson C, Siqueira A, Cowman P and Bellwood D (2021) Drivers of eyespot evolution in coral reef fishes. Evolution, 75 (4), pp. 903-914, DOI:10.1111/evo.14197.
• Schlaefer J, Tebbett S and Bellwood D (2021) The study of sediments on coral reefs: a hydrodynamic perspective. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 169, Article: 112580, DOI:10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112580.
• Siqueira A, Morais R, Bellwood D and Cowman P (2021) Planktivores as trophic drivers of global coral reef fish diversity patterns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (9), Article: e2019404118, DOI:10.1073/pnas.2019404118.
• Streit R, Hemingson C, Cumming G and Bellwood D (2021) How flexible are habitat specialists? Short-term space use in obligate coral-dwelling damselfishes. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 31, pp. 381-398, DOI:10.1007/s11160-021-09646-y.
• Bellwood D, Hemingson C and Tebbett S (2020) Subconscious biases in coral reef fish studies. BioScience, 70 (7), pp. 621-627, DOI:10.1093/biosci/biaa062.
• 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, Article: 102322, DOI:10.1016/j.jsames.2019.102322.
• Goatley C, Brandl S, Wroe S and Bellwood D (2020) Simple larvae sustain the world's smallest marine vertebrates. Coral Reefs, 40, pp. 75-82, DOI:10.1007/s00338-020-02016-3.
• Hemingson C, Cowman P and Bellwood D (2020) Body size determines eyespot size and presence in coral reef fishes. Ecology and Evolution, 10 (15), pp. 8144-8152, DOI:10.1002/ece3.6509.
• Hemingson C and Bellwood D (2020) Greater multihabitat use in Caribbean fishes when compared to their Great Barrier Reef counterparts. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 239, Article: 106748, DOI:10.1016/j.ecss.2020.106748.
• Huertas V and Bellwood D (2020) Trophic separation in planktivorous reef fishes: a new role for mucus? Oecologia, 192 (3), pp. 813-822, DOI:10.1007/s00442-020-04608-w.
• Morais R and Bellwood D (2020) Principles for estimating fish productivity on coral reefs. Coral Reefs, 39, pp. 1221-1231, DOI:10.1007/s00338-020-01969-9.
• Morais R, Depczynski M, Fulton C, Marnane M, Narvaez P, Huertas V, Brandl S and Bellwood D (2020) Severe coral loss shifts energetic dynamics on a coral reef. Functional Ecology, 34 (7), pp. 1507-1518, DOI:10.1111/1365-2435.13568.

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 297+ research outputs authored by Prof David Bellwood from 1999 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

• The Trophic Ecology of Reef Fishes: The Cnidarian Challenge (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• The functional ecology of piscivorous coral reef fiahes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Spatial and temporal dynamics of reef fish diversity: Combining community ecology and phylogenetics. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Coral – Fish Interactions on Coral Reefs. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Coral reef communities through space and time (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• The Functioning of Future Coral Reefs: Fishes, Sediments and Productivity (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

• 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)
• Functional niche partitioning in herbivorous coral reef fishes (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Recreational spearfishing: an historical, ecological and sociological perspective (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The productivity of coral reef fishes (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Space use by fishes on coral reefs: establishment, fidelity and reef resilience (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Variation in relative species abundance of reef fishes: drivers and ecosystem impacts (2020, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Small cryptic fishes on coral reefs: ecological effects of extreme life history traits (2016, Masters , Primary Advisor)
• The evolution, macroecology and biogeography of coral reef fishes: a trophic perspective (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• The colours of coral reef fishes (2021, 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 Research Data Australia.

• Huertas Martin, V. (2020) Data from: Mucus-secreting lips offer protection to suction-feeding corallivorous fishes. James Cook University
• Bellwood, D. (2020) Data from: Subconscious biases in coral reef fish studies. James Cook University
• Siqueira Correa, A. (2020) Data from 'Trophic innovations fuel reef fish diversification'. James Cook University
• 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

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.