JCU > Research Portfolio > A/PROF Jennifer Donelson

About

I have broad interests in the ecology and early life history of marine fishes, as well as the potential for ectotherms to cope with future climate change. Much of my research to date has focused on the ecological impacts of climate change to marine fishes and the potential for species to acclimate to the predicted environmental changes. To tackle these questions, I use state of the art environmentally controlled research aquariums systems that simulate future conditions.

My research concentrates on understanding phenotypic plasticity and parental effects. Much of my work has focused on exploring the importance and prevalence of developmental plasticity, when fish experience warmer conditions in the first months of life, as well as the potential for plasticity across generations. More recently my focus has shifted to understand when previous generations (parents and grandparents) need to experience warming to result in phenotypic changes in the current generation. I am also interested in the role that behavioural plasticity and thermoregulation could play in the response of more mobile reef fish to ocean acidification and warming.

Interests

Research

Impacts of climate and environmental change on marine fishes
Acclimation and adaptation
Developmental plasticity
Transgenerational plasticity
Parental effects
Thermal ecology and evolution
Fish ecology
Fish reproductive biology

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

Honours

Awards

2021 - Emerging Leader in Marine Science Award, Australian Marine Sciences Association
2017 - Australian Society of Fish Biology Early Career Excellence Award
2016 - Australian Institute of Policy and Science Young Tally Poppy of Queensland Science Award
2013 - Virginia Chadwick Award for Excellence in Scientific Publishing
2012 - Winston Churchill Fellowship: Dr Dorothea Sanders and Irene Lee
2011 - Virginia Chadwick Award for Excellence in Scientific Publishing
2013 to 2016 - Chancellor's Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Technology Sydney
2008 to 2011 - CSIRO Marine Climate Impact and Adaptation Flagship Student Fellowship

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

Lang B, Caballes C, Uthicke S, Doll P, Donelson J and Pratchett M (2023) Impacts of ocean warming on the settlement success and post?settlement survival of Pacific crown?of?thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris). Coral Reefs, 42. pp. 143-155
Bernal M, Ravasi T, Rodgers G, Munday P and Donelson J (2022) Plasticity to ocean warming is influenced by transgenerational, reproductive, and developmental exposure in a coral reef fish. Evolutionary Applications, 15 (2). pp. 249-261
Bernal M, Schmidt E, Donelson J, Munday P and Ravasi T (2022) Molecular Response of the Brain to Cross-Generational Warming in a Coral Reef Fish. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9. pp. 1-16
Lang B, Donelson J, Caballes C, Uthicke S, Doll P and Pratchett M (2022) Effects of elevated temperature on the performance and survival of pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris). Marine Biology, 169.
Spinks R, Donelson J, Bonzi L, Ravasi T and Munday P (2022) Parents exposed to warming produce offspring lower in weight and condition. Ecology and Evolution, 12 (7).
LaMonica L, Fox R and Donelson J (2021) Thermal sensitivity of juvenile rabbitfishes Siganus doliatus and S. lineatus (Siganidae): a key role for habitat? Coral Reefs, 40. pp. 1307-1320
Lang B, Donelson J, Caballes C, Doll P and Pratchett M (2021) Metabolic responses of Paci?c cown-of-thorns sea stars (Acanthaster sp.) to acute warming. Biological Bulletin, 241 (3).
Spinks R, Bonzi L, Ravasi T, Munday P and Donelson J (2021) Sex- and time-specific parental effects of warming on reproduction and offspring quality in a coral reef fish. Evolutionary Applications, 14 (4). pp. 1145-1158
Liss K, Lopez L, Donelson J and Wong M (2020) Predator-prey interactions and metabolic rates are altered in stable and unstable groups in a social fish. Oikos, 129 (6). pp. 842-852
McMahon S, Parsons D, Donelson J, Pether S and Munday P (2020) Elevated temperature and CO? have positive effects on the growth and survival of larval Australasian snapper. Marine Environmental Research, 161.
McMahon S, Parsons D, Donelson J, Pether S and Munday P (2020) Elevated CO₂ and heatwave conditions affect the aerobic and swimming performance of juvenile Australasian snapper. Marine Biology: international journal on life in oceans and coastal waters, 167 (1).
Ryu T, Veilleux H, Munday P, Jung I, Donelson J and Ravasi T (2020) An epigenetic signature for within-generational plasticity of a reef fish to ocean warming. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7.

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 56+ research outputs authored by A/PROF Jennifer Donelson from 2008 onwards.

Current Funding

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

Australian Research Council - Discovery - Future Fellowships

Phenotypic and adaptive responses to environmental change

Indicative Funding: $710,470 over 4 years
Summary: Projecting the response of species to future environmental change is essential for appropriate human management and conservation strategies. However, we currently lack knowledge on whether populations differ in their capacity to respond to climate change. This project will explore the capacity for various populations of reef fish to acclimate and adapt to ocean warming across generations and between populations. This project will also explore whether short term heatwave experience results in any adaptive benefits.
Investigators: Jennifer Donelson (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: acclimation; Adaptation; Fish; Plasticity; Pomacentridae

Australian Society for Fish Biology - Michael Hall Student Innovation Award

Incorporating evolutionary perspective into conservation: An assessment of local adaptation across the range of a coral reef fish

Indicative Funding: $1,000 over 1 year
Summary: The aims of this research project are to gain an increased understanding of how different populations across the species? range of Acanthochromis polyacanthus will respond to ocean warming. Specifically, I will 1) determine the levels of local adaptation across three different regions within the species range to reveal the thermal performance landscape, and 2) identify cellular mechanisms that underlie adaptive difference between populations. This research will allow identification of populations and/or reef regions that have increased adaptive ability and could be potential targets for conservation action.
Investigators: Elliott Schmidt, Jennifer Donelson and Gergely Torda (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Local adaptation; Coral reef fish; Climate Change; Ocean warming; Enzymes; Thermal performance

Ecological Society of Australia - Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment

Incorporating evolutionary perspective into wildlife conservation: An assessment of local adaptation, genetic differentiation, and heritability in a reef fish (Acanthaochromis polyacanthus)

Indicative Funding: $6,695 over 2 years
Summary: For many sedentary organisms with low dispersal ability, response to climate change depends on their capacity for local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity to maintain populations in changing environmental conditions. These evolutionary processes may vary across populations, resulting in uneven responses to changes within a species? range. To understand a species? evolutionary trajectory under climate change it is important to quantify the magnitude of local adaptation, genetic differentiation, heritability, and phenotypic plasticity in populations throughout its range. This project aims to understand how these evolutionary processes vary across a latitudinal gradient in a reef fish (spiny chromis damselfish; Acanthochromis polyacanthus).
Investigators: Elliott Schmidt, Jennifer Donelson and Gergely Torda (ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Acclimation; Phenotypic plasticity; Climate change; Adaptation; Ocean warming

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

The effects of marine heatwaves on phenotypic and adaptive outcomes in a marine fish (PhD , Primary Advisor)
Do the effects of multiple environmental stressors depend on the timing of experience across generations? (Masters , Primary Advisor)
Incorporating evolutionary perspectives into conservation: an assessment of local adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, and interpopuation hybridization in a reef fish (Acanthochromis ployacanthus) (PhD , Primary Advisor)
Impacts of ocean warming on the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

Cleaning symbiosis and the disease triangle (2022, PhD , Primary Advisor)
The effects of vessel noise on the antipredator behaviour of juvenile reef fishes (2022, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
The effects of climate change on the growth and physiology of reef snappers (2021, PhD , Primary Advisor)
Phenotypic plasticity to warming in coral reef fishes: the importance of sex and exposure timing within and between generations (2021, 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 Research Data Australia.

LaMonica, L. (2020) Examining the thermal sensitivity of juvenile rabbitfishes, Siganus doliatus and S. lineatus (Siganidae). James Cook University
Spinks, R. (2020) Sex and time specific effects of ocean warming on reproductive and hatchling traits in a coral reef damselfish (Acanthochromis polyacanthus). James Cook University
Spinks, R. (2019) Developmental effects of heatwave conditions on the early life stages of a coral reef fish. James Cook University
Rodgers, G. (2018) In hot water: sustained ocean warming reduces survival of a low-latitude coral reef fish. James Cook University
Donelson, J. (2017) Data from: Transgenerational plasticity of reproduction depends on rate of warming across generations. James Cook University
Veilleux, H. (2017) Acanthochromis polyacanthus transcriptome. James Cook University
McMahon, S. (2017) Risky business: how elevated CO₂ and energetic resources affect anti-predator behaviour in a reef fish. James Cook University
Motson, K. (2016) Limited capacity for developmental thermal acclimation in three tropical wrasses. James Cook University
Rodgers, G. (2016) Thermosensitive period of sex determination in the coral reef damselfish Acanthochromis polyacanthus and the implications of projected ocean warming. James Cook University
Munday, P. (2012) Ocean acidification and the early life history development of a tropical marine fish. 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.