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)

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

• Ecology (3103)
• Environmental management (4104)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Marine systems and management (1805)

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

• Cresswell B, Galbraith G, Harrison H, McCormick M and Jones G (2023) Coral reef pinnacles act as ecological magnets for the abundance, diversity and biomass of predatory fishes. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 717. pp. 143-156
• Galbraith G, Cresswell B, McCormick M and Jones G (in press) Strong hydrodynamic drivers of coral reef fish biodiversity on submerged pinnacle coral reefs. Limnology and Oceanography,
• González-Murcia S, Ekins M, Bridge T, Battershill C and Jones G (2023) Substratum selection in coral reef sponges and their interactions with other benthic organisms. Coral Reefs, 42 (2). pp. 427-442
• Harrison H, Drane L, Cresswell B, Evans R, Galbraith G, Srinivasan M, Taylor B, Williamson D and Jones G (2023) Ageing of juvenile coral grouper (Plectropomus maculatus) reveals year-round spawning and recruitment: implications for seasonal closures. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series B, Biological Sciences, 290.
• Panero M, Galbraith G, Srinivasan M and Jones G (in press) Roles of depth, current speed, and benthic cover in shaping gorgonian assemblages at the Palm Islands (Great Barrier Reef). Coral Reefs,
• Coppock A, Kingsford M, Battershill C and Jones G (2022) Significance of fish–sponge interactions in coral reef ecosystems. Coral Reefs, 41. pp. 1285-1308
• Fitzgerald L, Harrison H, Coker D, Saenz-Agudelo P, Srinivasan M, Majoris J, Bostrom Einarsson L, Pujol B, Bennett-Smith M, Thorrold S, Planes S, Jones G and Berumen M (2022) Rank change and growth within social hierarchies of the orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula. Marine Biology, 169 (10).
• Galbraith G, Cresswell B, McCormick M, Bridge T and Jones G (2022) Contrasting hydrodynamic regimes of submerged pinnacle and emergent coral reefs. PLoS ONE, 17 (8).
• Goldsworthy N, Srinivasan M, Smallhorn-West P, Cheah L, Munday P and Jones G (2022) Life-history constraints, short adult life span and reproductive strategies in coral reef gobies of the genus Trimma. Journal of Fish Biology, 101 (4). pp. 996-1007
• González-Murcia S, Coppock A, Ekins M, Battershill C and Jones G (2022) Effects of exposure, depth and aspect on sponge communities on a coral reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 685. pp. 111-126
• Webber K, Srinivasan M, Coppock A and Jones G (2022) Spatial patterns in the cover and composition of macroalgal assemblages on fringing and nearshore coral reefs. Marine and Freshwater Research, 73 (11). pp. 1310-1322

Book Chapters

• Jones G, Srinivasan M, Galbraith G, Berumen M and Planes S (2022) Saving Nemo: Extinction Risk, Conservation Status, and Effective Management Strategies for Anemonefishes. In: Evolution, Development and Ecology of Anemonefishes. CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL, USA, pp. 285-298

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 261+ research outputs authored by Prof Geoff Jones from 1991 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

• Seascape connectivity and ecology in pinnacle reef fishes (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• The effects of habitat degradation on live coral associated reef fishes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The Cave dwellers Distribution, abundance, ecological partitioning and social organisation of the genus Trimma on coral ereefs (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)

Completed

• The ecological significance of encrusting sponges on coral reefs: community structure, habitat preferences, competitive interactions and influence on reef-associated fishes. (2022, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Processes underlying the fine-scale partitioning and niche diversification in a guild of coral reef damselfishes (2018, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Gorgonian spatial distributions, ecological interactions with fish assemblages and responses to their decline in health (2022, Masters , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Non-reef habitats in a tropical seascape: the effects of the surrounding seascape on coral reef fishes (2021, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The ecology of fishes on submerged pinnacle coral reefs (2021, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Assessing the impact of coral reef community management in the Kingdom of Tonga (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Depth as refuge: depth gradients in ecological pattern, process, and risk mitigation among coral reef fishes (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Ecological determinants of depth zonation in reef-building corals (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Importance of structurally complex sponges as habitat and food for coral reef fishes (2023, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Latitudinal variations in the age-based demography of two large predatory reef fishes (Lutjanus malabaricus and Lutjanus sebae) in Queensland, Australia (2023, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The life-history, evolution and adaptation of coral reef fishes in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea (2023, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The effects of vessel noise on the antipredator behaviour of juvenile reef fishes (2022, 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.

• 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

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.