Prof Morgan Pratchett has broad interests in population and community ecology of coral reef organisms, especially corals and fishes. His current research focuses on major disturbances that impact coral reef ecosystems, with a view to understanding differential responses and vulnerabilities among coral reef organisms.

Morgan has written many papers describing direct and indirect effects of coral bleaching and outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish, considering impacts on both coral assemblages and associated assemblages of coral reef fishes. He has also conducted extensive research on the biology and ecology of coral reef butterflyfishes.

Teaching

• MB3190: Coral Reef Ecology (Level 3; TSV)
• MB5190: Coral Reef Ecology (Level 5; TSV)

Interests

Research

• Impacts of climate change on coral reef ecosystems
• Population outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish
• Population dynamics of scleractinian corals
• Ecological versatility in coral reef fishes
• Biology and ecology of butterflyfishes (Chaetodontidae)

Research Disciplines

• Ecology (3103)
• Environmental management (4104)
• Climate change impacts and adaptation (4101)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Marine systems and management (1805)

Fellowships

• 2012 - Queensland Smart Futures Fellowship
• 2011 - ACU Titular Fellowship, University of Oxford
• 2008 - Sir Keith Murdoch Fellowship, American Australian Association
• 2008 - Sir John and Laurine Proud Research Fellowship, Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation
• 2008 - Churchill Fellowship, University of Newcastle, UK

Memberships

• Australian Coral Reef Society
• Fisheries Society of the British Isles
• Recording Secretary for International Coral Reef Society

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

• Blandford M, Hillcoat K, Pratchett M and Hoey A (2023) Effects of habitat fragmentation on the recruitment and early post-settlement survival of coral reef fishes. Marine Environmental Research, 183.
• Doll P, Uthicke S, Caballes C, Diaz-Pulido G, Abdul Wahab M, Jeong S, Lang B and Pratchett M (2023) Settlement cue selectivity by larvae of the destructive crown-of-thorns starfish. Biology Letters, 19 (1).
• Caballes C, Messmer V, Raymundo M and Pratchett M (2022) Prevalence and severity of sublethal injuries in crown-of-thorns starfish relative to marine reserves in the Great Barrier Reef. Aquatic Conservation: marine and freshwater ecosystems, 32 (6). pp. 993-1004
• Doll P, Caballes C, Hoey A, Uthicke S, Ling S and Pratchett M (2022) Larval settlement in echinoderms: a review of processes and patterns. Oceanography and Marine Biology, 60. pp. 433-494
• Karkarey R, Arthur R, Nash K, Pratchett M, Sankaran M and Graham N (2022) Spatial decoupling of ? and ? diversity suggest different management needs for coral reef fish along an extensive mid-oceanic ridge. Global Ecology and Conservation, 36.
• Lang B, Caballes C, Uthicke S, Doll P, Donelson J and Pratchett M (in press) Impacts of ocean warming on the settlement success and post?settlement survival of Pacific crown?of?thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris). Coral Reefs,
• 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.
• Pacey K, Caballes C and Pratchett M (2022) Size-weight relationships for estimating harvestable biomass of Acropora corals on Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Marine Environmental Research, 177.
• Payet S, Pratchett M, Saenz-Agudelo P, Berumen M, DiBattista J and Harrison H (2022) Demographic histories shape population genomics of the common coral grouper (Plectropomus leopardus). Evolutionary Applications, 15 (8). pp. 1221-1235
• Scott M, Tebbett S, Whitman K, Thompson C, Mancini F, Heupel M and Pratchett M (2022) Variation in abundance, diversity and composition of coral reef fishes with increasing depth at a submerged shoal in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 32. pp. 941-962
• Caballes C, Byrne M, Messmer V and Pratchett M (2021) Temporal variability in gametogenesis and spawning patterns of crown-of-thorns starfish within the outbreak initiation zone in the northern Great Barrier Reef. Marine Biology, 168 (1).
• Cornwall C, Comeau S, Kornder N, Perry C, van Hooidonk R, Decarlo T, Pratchett M, Anderson K, Browne N, Carpenter R, Diaz-Pulido G, D'Olivo J, Doo S, Figueiredo J, Valero Fortunato S, Kennedy E, Lantz C, McCulloch M, Gonzalez Rivero M, Schoepf V, Smithers S and Rowe R (2021) Global declines in coral reef calcium carbonate production under ocean acidification and warming. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 118 (21).

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 314+ research outputs authored by Prof Morgan Pratchett 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

• Development and Application of Novel Genetic Tools for the Investigation of Genetic Diversity and Age Structure of Crown-of-Thorns Seastar on the Great Barrier Reef (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Establishing how the Nature of Environmental Change Influences Phenotypic and Adaptive outcomes (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Changes in behaviour and sociality of Chaetodon butterflyfish linked to population declines and coral loss (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Changes in the biology and behaviour of Pacific Crown-of thorns-starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) with increasing densities and onset of population irruptions (Masters , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Assessing Coral Reef Resilience in Malaysia (Masters , Secondary Advisor)
• The life-history, evolution and adaptation of coral reef fishes in the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Vulnerability of coral assemblages in Australia?s coral sea marine park (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Impacts of ocean warming on the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Biology and Ecology of Australian Aquarium Corals: Information needed to Secure the Sustainability of ongoing Wild Harvest of Scleractinian Corals (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Habitat suitability and patterns of larval settlement for crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) in the western Pacific (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Dynamics of Reef-building corals along the north-western Australian coastline (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Phylogenomics and Whole Genome Assembly of Marine Angelfishes: The Evolutionary History of an Iconic Reef Fish Family (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Effects of habitat degradation and fragmentation on coral-associated fish assemblages (PhD , Secondary Advisor/AM)
• Conserving coral reefs in the Anthropocene: what, why and how (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• The persistence of Sargassum communities on coral reefs: resilience and herbivory (2019, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Effects of coral-dwelling damselfishes' abundances and diversity on host coral dynamics (2019, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Spatial and temporal variation in the demography of early-stage juvenile Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) from Australia's Great Barrier Reef (2020, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Temperature preferences of tropical fishes and the influence of local abiotic and biotic factors (2020, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Variation in structure and function of reef fish assemblages among distinct coral habitats (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Differential susceptibility of corals to major versus routine disturbances in Australia's Coral Sea (2021, Masters , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Causes and consequences of natural hybridisation among coral reef butterflyfishes (Chaetodon: Chaetodontidae) (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Modelling tools for the management of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) outbreaks on Australia?s Great Barrier Reef (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• Spatial and temporal variation in movement patterns and behaviour of a large, coral reef mesopredator, Plectropomus leopardus, on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (2019, PhD , Primary Advisor/AM/Adv)
• The effect of increasing temperature on algae-fish interactions on coral reefs (2020, PhD , Secondary Advisor)

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit Research Data Australia.

• Pratchett, M. (2020) Gamete concentrations and gonad index for Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish. James Cook University
• Graba-Landry, A. (2020) Graba-Landry PhD thesis: The effect of increasing temperature to algae-fish interactions on coral reefs. James Cook University
• Burn, D. (2020) Biogeographical variation in diurnal behaviour of Acanthaster planci versus Acanthaster cf. solaris. James Cook University
• Hughes, T. (2019) Global warming impairs stock-recruitment dynamics of corals. James Cook University
• Richardson, L. (2018) PhD thesis data: Variation in structure and function of reef fish assemblages among distinct coral habitats, by Laura E. Richardson (2018). James Cook University
• Hughes, T. (2018) Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages. James Cook University
• Blowes, S. (2017) Data from: Heterospecific aggression and dominance in a guild of coral-feeding fishes: the roles of dietary ecology and phylogeny. James Cook University
• Lawton, R. (2017) Data from: High gene flow across large geographic scales reduces extinction risk for a highly specialised coral feeding butterflyfish. James Cook University
• Pratchett, M. (2017) Captive movement rates of the Pacific crown-of-thorns starfish, Acanthaster solaris. James Cook University
• Cowan, Z. (2017) Predation on settling crown-of-thorns starfish larvae by benthic predators. 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.