JCU > Research Portfolio > Prof Geoff Jones

About

Prof Geoff Jones is a well-established scientist in the fields of marine ecology and tropical marine conservation, with 30 years of experience in ecological research, undergraduate teaching and graduate supervision. He has published a career total of ~200 refereed papers since 1980, mostly on the ecology, behaviour and conservation of marine fishes on tropical coral reefs and in temperate kelp forests. He supervised a career total of 113 research students to completion (including 50 BSc honours, 31 MSc and 32 PhD students) and hosted 13 post-doctoral research fellows. His undergraduate teaching record includes over 1,000 students that have completed his 3rd year BSc “Marine Conservation Biology” class.

Over the past 10 years, he has focussed on two key aspects of the ecology of reef fishes that directly inform conservation strategies. In each of these fields, his teams have been responsible for developing new technologies that are changing our views on fundamental aspects reef fish ecology.

The first research topic centres on direct estimates of larval dispersal using genetic parentage analysis, and the significance of self-recruitment and connectivity for meta-population dynamics and the design of marine reserve networks. The second research topic focusses on population and community responses of reef fishes to changes in habitat structure, with particular reference to coral cover, coral diversity and habitat complexity.

His team's experimental work has exposed a high level of sophistication in the ability of reef fish to discriminate among habitats, a previously undiscovered level of species-specific interaction among fish and corals, and the extraordinary extinction risk associated with the declining health of coral reef habitats.

Teaching

MB3200: Marine Conservation Biology (Level 3; TSV)
MB5004: Marine Conservation Biology (Level 5; TSV)
MB5300: Sampling and Experimental Design (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Research

Ecology and behaviour of coral reef fishes
Marine conservation biology
Ecology and behaviour of kelp forest fishes
Human impacts on tropical ecosystems
Management of tropical marine ecosystems

Experience

2006 to 2013 - Professor, James Cook University (Townsville)
1999 to 2005 - Reader, James Cook University (Townsville)
1994 to 1998 - Senior Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
1992 to 1993 - Lecturer, James Cook University (Townsville)
1987 to 1991 - Lecturer, University of Auckland
1986 to 1987 - National Research Fellow, University of Sydney
1983 to 1986 - Queen's Fellow in Marine Science, University of Sydney
1981 to 1983 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Melbourne

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

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
Bode M, Leis J, Mason L, Williamson D, Harrison H, Choukroun S and Jones G (2019) Successful validation of a larval dispersal model using genetic parentage data. PLoS Biology, 17 (7).
Eurich J, Matley J, Baker R, McCormick M and Jones G (2019) Stable isotope analysis reveals trophic diversity and partitioning in territorial damselfishes on a low-latitude coral reef. Marine Biology, 166 (2). pp. 1-14
Rueger T, Harrison H, Gardiner N, Berumen M and Jones G (2019) Extra‐pair mating in a socially monogamous and paternal mouth‐brooding cardinalfish. Molecular Ecology, 28 (10). pp. 2625-2635
Smallhorn-West P, Bridge T, Malimali S, Pressey R and Jones G (2019) Predicting impact to assess the efficacy of community-based marine reserve design. Conservation Letters, 12 (1).
Bode M, Williamson D, Harrison H, Outram N and Jones G (2018) Estimating dispersal kernels using genetic parentage data. Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 9. pp. 490-501
Bostrom Einarsson L, Bonin M, Munday P and Jones G (2018) Loss of live coral compromises predator-avoidance behaviour in coral reef damselfish. Scientific Reports, 8.
Chausson J, Srinivasan M and Jones G (2018) Host anemone size as a determinant of social group size and structure in the orange clownfish (Amphiprion percula). PeerJ, 6.
Dixson D and Jones G (2018) Influence of prior residents on settlement preferences in the anemonefish, Premnas biaculeatus. Coral Reefs, 37 (2). pp. 519-526
Eurich J, McCormick M and Jones G (2018) Direct and indirect effects of interspecific competition in a highly partitioned guild of reef fishes. Ecosphere, 9 (8). p. e02389
Eurich J, Shomaker S, McCormick M and Jones G (2018) Experimental evaluation of the effect of a territorial damselfish on foraging behaviour of roving herbivores on coral reefs. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 506. pp. 155-162
Eurich J, McCormick M and Jones G (2018) Habitat selection and aggression as determinants of fine-scale partitioning of coral reef zones in a guild of territorial damselfishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 587. pp. 201-215

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 220+ research outputs authored by Prof Geoff Jones from 1991 onwards.

Current Funding

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

Australian Research Council - Discovery - Projects

Conserving coral reef fish and sustaining fisheries in the anthropocene

Indicative Funding: $620,000 over 4 years
Summary: This project aims to re-evaluate principles for designing marine reserves to conserve reef fish and sustain fisheries under current and future scenarios of habitat quality and population connectivity. It will integrate advanced genetic methods, novel field experiments and new quantitative approaches to optimise reserve network design to promote population recovery, persistence and yield for a range of fish species. It will recommend optimal reserve size, spacing and location for geographic regions subject to different levels of habitat degradation and fishing pressure. It will benefit Australia and our regional neighbours by providing the critical science necessary for the successful management of shared coral reef assets and resources.
Investigators: Geoff Jones and Michael Bode in collaboration with Malin Pinsky, Serge Planes and Michael Berumen (College of Science & Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Rutgers the State University of New Jersey - New Brunswick, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology)
Keywords: Connectivity; Great Barrier Reef; marine reserve; Coral Reef Fish; Habitat Degradation

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

SeaWorld Research and Rescue Foundation Inc - Research Grant

Functional connectivity in pinnacle-reef mesopredator fishes: ecological considerations for fisheries management

Indicative Funding: $18,950
Summary: This project aims to determine habitat use and residency patterns in key coral reef mesopredatory fishes large carnivores, themselves subject to predation). The study will take place in Kimbe Bay, West New Britain, Papua New Guinea, a location identified by the Nature Conservancy as critical for preserving marine biodiversity in the Coral Triangle. Acoustic telemetry (underwater radio receivers) will be used to investigate three important species and the study will provide critical information about how these organisms utilise a range of habitats in the region. Project findings should prove invaluable for future conservation and sustainability planning for the region.
Investigators: Geoff Jones and Mark McCormick in collaboration with Gemma Galbraith, Ben Cresswell and Alex Filous (College of Science & Engineering and University of Massachusetts)
Keywords: Mesopredator; Migration; Fisheries; Submerged reefs; Connectivity; Sustainable Development

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (RIMReP) - Contract Research

Assessing the Ecological Effects of Management Zoning on Inshore Reefs of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Indicative Funding: $520,000 over 4 years
Summary: This proposed project will provide an assessment of the ecological effects of management zoning on inshore reefs of the Great Barrier Reef marine Park (GBRMP). The proposed research will build upon and enhance our long-term monitoring program that has a strong track record of delivering findings that have proven to be highly relevant and useful to the GBRMPA and a range of Marine Park stakeholders. The key objectives are to provide a robust assessment of the effects of the GBRMP zoning plan on: *Abundance and population structure of fishery target species *Reef fish and benthic (coral) community composition, status and dynamics *Reef community productivity and resilience *Usage patterns of recreational fishers and compliance with zoning regulations
Investigators: David Williamson, Garry Russ, Geoff Jones and Daniela Ceccarelli (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Management Zoning; Biodiversity; Coral Reef; Fisheries; Resilience

Department of the Environment and Energy - National Environmental Science Program (NESP) - Tropical Water Quality Hub (TWQ Hub)

Assessing the cumulative impacts of climatic disturbances on inshore GBR coral reefs, identifying key refuges and testing the viability of manipulative reef restoration

Indicative Funding: $85,000 over 2 years (administered by Reef and Rainforest Research Centre)
Summary: Coral reefs in the Keppel Islands (southern GBR) suffered successive climatic disturbance events (coral bleaching, flood plumes) between 2006 and 2013. Long-term monitoring at 26 sites revealed significant declines in coral cover, fish abundance and diversity on both no-take reserve and fished reefs. In February 2015 the Keppel Islands were impacted by Cyclone Marcia (Category 5). This project aims to quantify the extent of cumulative impacts from the successive disturbance events, identify and map remaining healthy reef areas, and provide advice on local management actions that may enhance recovery and long-term resilience.
Investigators: Geoff Jones and David Williamson in collaboration with Daniela Ceccarelli and Garry Russ (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: coral reef biodiversity; ecological disturbance; fishery productivity and sustainability; Environmental Monitoring; coral reef restoration; Great Barrier Reef Marine Park

Australian Research Council - Discovery - Projects

Habitat fragmentation: critical role in the decline and recovery of coral reef fish biodiversity

Indicative Funding: $434,000 over 3 years
Summary: Preserving biodiversity in the face of environmental degradation and climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. Although habitat fragmentation is considered a key cause of the current extinction crisis, the effects of changing habitat configuration on species persistence and recovery is almost completely unknown. Coral reefs are among the most diverse and threatened ecosystems on the planet and this project will provide the first insights into how coral reef fish diversity responds to increased subdivision and isolation of reef habitat. It will identify critical aspects of habitat change that either enhance local diversity or threaten populations with extinction and provide new ecological data to refine conservation strategies.
Investigators: Geoff Jones (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Coral Reefs; Great Barrier Reef'; Biodiversity

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

Effects of vessel noise on the behaviour and physiology of coral reef fishes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Latitudinal Variations in Age-based Demography of Three Large Predatory Reef Fishes (Lutjanus sebae, Lutjanus malabaricus and Lutjanus erythropterus) in Queensland, Australia. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The Role of Hybridisation in the Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The influence of multiple habitat types on coral reef fish communities and No Take Marine Reserve performance. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Submerged Pinnacle Coral Reefs and Reef Fish Ecology (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Impact of community-based marine management in the Kingdom of Tonga (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Importance of solitary, structurally complex, sponges as habitat and food for coral reef fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The ecology of mesopredator fishes in reef networks: considerations for conservation and fisheries management. (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The impact of parrotfishes on the coral new recruits (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
The Cave Dwellers: Distribution, Abundance, Ecological Partitioning and Social Organisation of the Genus Trimma on Coral Reefs (Masters , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

Social relationships in a small habitat-dependent coral reef fish: an ecological, behavioural and genetic analysis (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The effect of parental and embryonic predator environments on offspring (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The short- & long-term implications of marine reserves for fisheries on coral reefs (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Habitat degradation and competition for resources in coral reef fishes (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Effects of climate change-induced thermal stress and habitat degradation to the biodiversity and species composition of coral-associated invertebrates (2016, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Small cryptic fishes on coral reefs: ecological effects of extreme life history traits (2016, Masters , Secondary Advisor)
The role of boldness and other personality traits in the ecology of juvenile marine fishes (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Relationships among depth distributions, habitat specialisation and demography in coral reef fish communities (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Trophic impact of large predators on coral reefs and management implications (2015, PhD , Associate Advisor)
Predator-Prey Interactions and the Importance of Sensory Cues in our Changing World. (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The ecological role of sediments on coral reefs (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Determinants of resource specialisation and its ecological consequences for the corallivorous filefish, Oxymonacanthus longirostris (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Determinants of home range and territory size in coral reef fishes (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Effects of ocean warming on the larval development of coral reef fishes (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Competition and habitat selection in coral-dwelling fishes (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Effects of temperature and food availability on the antipredator behaviour of juvenile coral reef fishes (2016, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Making Sense Scents: Olfactory Discrimination in Juvenile Coral Reef Fish. (2014, Masters , Primary Advisor)
Habitat preferences and associations of juvenile algal-associated fishes on coral reefs (2017, Masters , Primary Advisor)
Controlling mesopredators: importance of behavioural interactions in trophic cascades (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Coral reef mesopredator trophodynamics in response to reef condition (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
A multi-disciplinary evaluation of the hybrid anemonefish Amphiprion leucokranos: behaviour shaping evolutionary outcomes of hybridization (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Processes underlying the fine-scale partitioning and niche diversification in a guild of coral reef damselfishes (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Ecological Determinates of Depth Zonation In Reef-Building Corals (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Depth as refuge: Depth gradients in ecological pattern, process, and risk mitigation among coral reef fishes (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
Priority effects and the dynamics of coral reef fish assemblages (2016, PhD , Secondary 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.

Gainsford, A. (2017) Data from: Hierarchical behaviour, habitat use and species size differences shape evolutionary outcomes of hybridization in a coral reef fish. James Cook University
Brooker, R. (2017) Data from: You are what you eat: diet-induced chemical crypsis in a coral-feeding reef fish. James Cook University
Harrison, H. (2017) Data from: Widespread hybridisation and bi-directional introgression in sympatric species of coral reef fish. James Cook University
Bonin, M. (2017) Data from: The role of marine reserves in the replenishment of a locally-impacted population of anemonefish on the Great Barrier Reef. James Cook University
Williamson, D. (2017) Data from: Large-scale, multi-directional larval connectivity among coral reef fish populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. 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.