Hillary Smith ~ Research Officer
College of Science & Engineering
- About
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- Interests
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- Research
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- Microbial symbioses in marine invertebrates
- Genomic basis of stress tolerance and adaptation of corals to environmental change
- Ecological and biological effects and feasibility of reef restoration techniques
- Reproductive biology of corals
- Experience
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- 2017 to 2022 - Research Officer, James Cook University (Townsville)
- 2017 - Environmental Officer, Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (Townsville)
- 2016 to 2017 - Research Assistant, JCU and ARC CoE for Coral Reef Studies (Townsville)
- Research Disciplines
- Socio-Economic Objectives
My research focuses on many aspects of coral biology and reef ecology, with the majority of my work taking a molecular approach. I investigate the microbial communities of corals, the functional genomics behind adaptation, and gene expression in response to stress and disease.
Most recently, I have been involved in developing and testing local scale reef restoration techniques on the Great Barrier Reef including macroalgae removal (“sea-weeding”) and coral larval enhancement (“coral IVF”) and investigating the ecosystem-wide effects of such techniques. This work is in partnership with Earthwatch Australia and incorporates citizen scientists, which allows a unique opportunity for science education and outreach.
Prior to my science career, I completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts and worked for several years in the arts. In addition to my scientific pursuits, I have a passion for creating conceptual scientific illustrations to bridge the gap between science and art, and to communicate complex scientific ideas with beautifully rendered images.
- Honours
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- Awards
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- 2017 - JCU Academic Medal
- Fellowships
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- 2014 to 2015 - American Australian Association Sir Keith Murdoch Fellow
- Publications
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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
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- Smith H, Brown D, Arjunwadkar C, Fulton S, Whitman T, Hermanto B, Mastroianni E, Mattocks N, Smith A, Harrison P, Boström-Einarsson L, McLeod I and Bourne D (in press) Removal of macroalgae from degraded reefs enhances coral recruitment. Restoration Ecology,
- O'Brien P, Tan S, Yang C, Frade P, Andreakis N, Smith H, Miller D, Webster N, Zhang G and Bourne D (2020) Diverse coral reef invertebrates exhibit patterns of phylosymbiosis. ISME Journal: multidisciplinary journal of microbial ecology, 14. pp. 2211-2222
- Smith H, Conlan J, Pollock F, Wada N, Shore A, Hung J, Aeby G, Willis B, Francis D and Bourne D (2020) Energy depletion and opportunistic microbial colonisation in white syndrome lesions from corals across the Indo-Pacific. Scientific Reports, 10.
- Brodnicke O, Bourne D, Heron S, Pears R, Stella J, Smith H and Willis B (2019) Unravelling the links between heat stress, bleaching and disease: fate of tabular corals following a combined disease and bleaching event. Coral Reefs, 38. pp. 591-603
- Epstein H, Smith H, Cantin N, Mocellin V, Torda G and van Oppen M (2019) Temporal variation in the microbiome of Acropora coral species does not reflect seasonality. Frontiers In Microbiology, 10.
- Epstein H, Smith H, Torda G and van Oppen M (2019) Microbiome engineering: enhancing climate resilience in corals. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, 17 (2). pp. 100-108
- Pollock F, Lamb J, van de Water J, Smith H, Schaffelke B, Willis B and Bourne D (2019) Reduced diversity and stability of coral-associated bacterial communities and suppressed immune function precedes disease onset in corals. Royal Society Open Science, 6 (6).
- Smith H, Moya A, Cantin N, van Oppen M and Torda G (2019) Observations of simultaneous sperm release and larval planulation suggest reproductive assurance in the coral Pocillopora acuta. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6.
- O'Brien P, Smith H, Fallon S, Fabricius K, Willis B, Morrow K and Bourne D (2018) Elevated CO2 has little influence on the bacterial communities associated with the pH-tolerant coral, massive Porites spp. Frontiers in Microbiology, 9.
- Ramsby B, Hoogenboom M, Smith H, Whalan S and Webster N (2018) The bioeroding sponge Cliona orientalis will not tolerate future projected ocean warming. Scientific Reports, 8.
- Smith H, Epstein H and Torda G (2017) The molecular basis of differential morphology and bleaching thresholds in two morphs of the coral Pocillopora acuta. Scientific Reports, 7 (1).
- Other research outputs
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- McLeod I, Bourne D, Ceccarelli D, Boström-Einarsson L, Cook N, Fulton S, Hancock B, Harrison P, Hein M, Le Port A, Paewai-Higgins R, Smith H and Smith A (2020) Best practice coral restoration for the Great Barrier Reef. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited (RRRC), Cairns, QLD, Australia [Report]
- Current Funding
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Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.
Reef HQ Volunteers Association - Grant
Ecological implications of macroalgal removal for localised inshore reef restoration
- Indicative Funding
- $5,010 over 1 year
- Summary
- The growing dominance of fleshy macroalgae in many inshore coral reef ecosystems is recognised as a threat to ecosystem functioning and people dependent on coral reefs for their livelihoods. Physically removing macroalgae is proposed as an approach to free up space for coral recovery on algal-dominated reefs. The current state of knowledge surrounding macroalgal removal (reviewed in 2018) highlighted knowledge gaps related to physical and ecological consequences of macroalgal removal. This project aims to improve understanding of the ecosystem-wide impacts of macroalgal removal and determine its potential as a localised restoration strategy for inshore reefs increasingly impacted by anthropogenic threats.
- Investigators
- Stella Fulton, David Bourne and Hillary Smith (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Microalgae; Coral-Algal Interactions; Reef Restoration; Community Composition; Sedimentation; Magnetic Island
Earthwatch Institute Australia - Contract Research
Recovery of the Great Barrier Reef.
- Indicative Funding
- $371,000 over 3 years
- Summary
- This project investigates the potential for restoration of reef ecosystems around Magnetic Island. Linked with Earthwatch Australia, it is a citizen science-based project that engages volunteers to help remove macroalgae and monitor changes in coral recruitment, sediment dynamics, community composition, algae regrowth rates, and coral biology, with the hopes that removal of algae leads to an increase in coral cover. The project is an extension of a previous project which accumulated 7 years of base line data on demographic recovery dynamics of corals at Orpheus Island.
- Investigators
- David Bourne and Hillary Smith (College of Science & Engineering)
- Keywords
- Coral Reefs; Citizen Science; Coral Recovery; reef disturbance; Ecosystem Assessment; Coral Restoration
- Supervision
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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
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- Effects of macroalgal removal on inshore coral reef communities and sedimentation dynamics (Masters , External Advisor)
- Collaboration
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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.- 5+ collaborations
- 4 collaborations
- 3 collaborations
- 2 collaborations
- 1 collaboration
- Indicates the Tropics (Torrid Zone)
Connect with me
- Phone
- Location
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- 145.312, ATSIP (Townsville campus)
- Find me on…
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My research areas
Similar to me
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Prof David BourneCollege of Science & Engineering
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Dr Maxine NewlandsCollege of Arts, Society & Education
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Dr Lisa Bostrom EinarssonTropWATER
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Dr Katie ChartrandTropWATER
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Dr Ian McLeodTropWATER