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

• BZ3755: Biodiversity and Climate Change: Impact, Mitigation and Adaptation (Level 3; TSV)
• BZ5755: Biodiversity and Climate Change: Impact, Mitigation and Adaptation (Level 5; TSV)
• 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)

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

• Anderson K, Cantin N, Heron S, Pisapia C and Pratchett M (2017) Variation in growth rates of branching corals along Australia's Great Barrier Reef. Scientific Reports, 7. pp. 1-13
• Blowes S, Pratchett M and Connolly S (2017) Aggression, interference, and the functional response of coral-feeding butterflyfishes. Oecologia, 184 (3). pp. 675-684
• Blowes S, Pratchett M and Connolly S (2017) No change in subordinate butterflyfish diets following removal of behaviourally dominant species. Coral Reefs, 36. pp. 213-222
• Caballes C, Pratchett M, Raymundo M and Rivera-Posada J (2017) Environmental tipping points for sperm motility, fertilization, and embryonic development in the crown-of-thorns starfish. Diversity, 9 (1). pp. 1-18
• Cowan Z, Pratchett M, Messmer V and Ling S (2017) Known predators of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster spp.) and their role in mitigating, if not preventing, population outbreaks. Diversity, 9 (1). pp. 1-19
• Hughes T, Kerry J, Álvarez-Noriega M, Alvarez-Romero J, Anderson K, Baird A, Babcock R, Beger M, Bellwood D, Berkelmans R, Bridge T, Butler I, Byrne M, Cantin N, Comeau S, Connolly S, Cumming G, Dalton S, Diaz-Pulido G, Eakin C, Figueira W, Gilmour J, Harrison H, Heron S, Hoey A, Hobbs J, Hoogenboom M, Kennedy E, Kuo C, Lough J, Lowe R, Liu G, McCulloch M, Malcolm H, McWilliam M, Pandolfi J, Pears R, Pratchett M, Schoepf V, Simpson T, Skirving W, Sommer B, Torda G, Wachenfeld D, Willis B and Wilson S (2017) Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals. Nature, 543 (7645). pp. 373-377
• Pratchett M, Cameron D, Donelson J, Evans L, Frisch A, Hobday A, Hoey A, Marshall N, Messmer V, Munday P, Pears R, Pecl G, Reynolds A, Scott M, Tobin A, Tobin R, Welch D and Williamson D (2017) Effects of climate change on coral grouper (Plectropomus spp.) and possible adaptation options. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 27. pp. 297-316
• Pratchett M, Dworjanyn S, Mos B, Caballes C, Thompson C and Blowes S (2017) Larval survivorship and settlement of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) at varying algal cell densities. Diversity, 9 (1). pp. 1-11
• Pratchett M, Baird A, Bauman A and Burt J (2017) Abundance and composition of juvenile corals reveals divergent trajectories for coral assemblages across the United Arab Emirates. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 114 (2). pp. 1031-1035
• Wilmes J, Matthews S, Schultz D, Messmer V, Hoey A and Pratchett M (2017) Modelling growth of juvenile crown-of-thorns starfish on the northern Great Barrier Reef. Diversity, 9 (1). pp. 1-11
• Babcock R, Milton D and Pratchett M (2016) Relationships between size and reproductive output in the crown‑of‑thorns starfish. Marine Biology, 163. pp. 1-7
• Babcock R, Dambacher J, Morello E, Plaganyi E, Hayes K, Sweatman H and Pratchett M (2016) Assessing different causes of crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks and appropriate responses for management on the Great Barrier Reef. PLoS ONE, 11 (12). pp. 1-20

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 218+ 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

• The Thermal-Dependence of Behaviour: Do Plectropomus Ieopardus have the capacity to cope with increasing temperatures? (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Variation in Structure and Function of Reef Fish Assemblages Among Different Coral Habitats. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The Effect of Temperature on Seaweed-Herbivore Interactions on Tropical Coral Reef Systems (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Environmental Controls Over the Nature of Species-Interactions in Coral Reef Ecosystems. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Effect of canopy forming macroalgae on key processes on coral reefs. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Reconstructing and Forecasting Outbreaks of Crown-of-thorn starfish (A. planci) on the Great Barrier Reef (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Effects of Coral Loss on Reproductive Biology and Population Viability of Chaetodon Butterflyfish (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• The Role of Hybridisation in the Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Advsor Mentor)
• Predation on the Early Life Stages of the Crown-of-thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Spatial Dynamics in the Territories of Stegastes spp. Relative to Coral Growth, Disease and Mortality within Opal Reef (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Distribution and Abundance of Juvenile Crown-of-Thorns Starfish on the Great Barrier Reef (PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Hybridising Butterflyfishes in Space and Time: Likely Causes Consequences and Implications. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• Variation in early post-settlement growth and mortality of scleractinian corals (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The ecology and dynamics of coral reef communities in an extreme reef environment: the southern Persian Gulf (2013, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Coming, going, gone?: Population connectivity and extinction risk in restricted range coral reef fishes on isolated islands (2013, PhD , Associate Advisor)
• Pathogenesis of crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster planci L) (2012, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The importance of live coral habitat for reef fishes and its role in key ecological processes (2012, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Geographic variation in ecology of coral feeding butterflyfishes and resilience to large scale disturbances (2012, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Inter- and intra- specific variation in bleaching susceptibility among scleractinian corals (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Ecological structure and processes on disturbed coral reefs (2014, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Spatial, temporal and taxonomic variation in the incidence of partial mortality among reef-building corals (2015, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• The Dietary Niche in Behavioural and Community Ecology (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Spatial and Temporal Variation in Demographic Traits in the Reef Coral, Acropora Millepora, on The Great Barrier Reef (2015, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Temporal and Spatial Variation in the Growth of Branching Corals (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 , Secondary Advisor)
• Effects of Habitat Versus Fisheries Management on Spatio-temporal Variation in Fish Assemblages on the Great Barrier Reef. (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Recruitment hotspots in the ecology and management of large predatory fishes on coral reefs (2012, PhD , Associate Advisor)
• Environmental Influences on the Reproductive Biology and Early Life History of the Crown-of-thorns Starfish (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Adaptive Strategies in Reef-building Corals (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Vectors and Environmental Drivers of Coral Disease Dynamics on The Great Barrier Reef;; (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Neural and Ecological Basis of Pair Bonding in Butterflyfishes (Family Chaetodontidae) (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)

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.

• 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
• Cowan, Z. (2017) Damselfish predation rates on artificial pellets made using varying concentrations of eggs of Acanthaster cf. solaris. James Cook University
• Graham, N. (2012) Coral reef benthic and fish surveys in the Chagos Archipelago. 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.