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)

Research Disciplines

• Ecology (0602)
• Ecological Applications (0501)
• Environmental Science and Management (0502)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Expanding Knowledge (9701)
• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)
• Climate and Climate Change (9603)

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

• Bell J, Cisneros-Montemayor A, Hanich Q, Johnson J, Lehodey P, Moore B, Pratchett M, Reygondeau G, Senina I, Virdin J and Wabnitz C (2018) Adaptations to maintain the contributions of small-scale fisheries to food security in the Pacific Islands. Marine Policy, 88. pp. 303-314
• Head C, Koldewey H, Pavoine S, Pratchett M, Rogers A, Taylor M and Bonsall M (2018) Trait and phylogenetic diversity provide insights into community assembly of reef-associated shrimps (Palaemonidae) at different spatial scales across the Chagos Archipelago. Ecology and Evolution, 8 (8). pp. 4098-4107
• Hughes T, Anderson K, Connolly S, Heron S, Kerry J, Lough J, Baird A, Baum J, Berumen M, Bridge T, Claar D, Eakin C, Gilmour J, Graham N, Harrison H, Hobbs J, Hoey A, Hoogenboom M, Lowe R, McCulloch M, Pandolfi J, Pratchett M, Schoepf V, Torda G and Wilson S (2018) Spatial and temporal patterns of mass bleaching of corals in the Anthropocene. Science, 359 (6371). pp. 80-83
• Hughes T, Kerry J, Baird A, Connolly S, Dietzel A, Eakin C, Heron S, Hoey A, Hoogenboom M, Liu G, McWilliam M, Pears R, Pratchett M, Skirving W, Stella J and Torda G (2018) Global warming transforms coral reef assemblages. Nature, 556 (7702). pp. 492-496
• Nicolet K, Chong-Seng K, Pratchett M, Willis B and Hoogenboom M (2018) Predation scars may influence host susceptibility to pathogens: evaluating the role of corallivores as vectors of coral disease. Scientific Reports, 8.
• Nicolet K, Hoogenboom M, Pratchett M and Willis B (2018) Selective feeding by corallivorous fishes neither promotes nor reduces progression rates of black band disease. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 594. pp. 95-106
• Nowicki J, Walker S, Coker D, Hoey A, Nicolet K and Pratchett M (2018) Pair bond endurance promotes cooperative food defense and inhibits conflict in coral reef butterflyfish. Scientific Reports, 8.
• Nowicki J, O'Connell L, Cowman P, Walker S, Coker D and Pratchett M (2018) Variation in social systems within Chaetodon butterflyfishes, with special reference to pair bonding. PLoS ONE, 13 (4).
• Richardson L, Graham N, Pratchett M, Eurich J and Hoey A (2018) Mass coral bleaching causes biotic homogenization of reef fish assemblages. Global Change Biology, 24 (7). pp. 3117-3129
• Tan C, Pratchett M, Bay L, Graham E and Baird A (2018) Biennium horribile: very high mortality in the reef coral Acropora millepora on the Great Barrier Reef in 2009 and 2010. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 604. pp. 133-142

Book Chapters

• Emslie M and Pratchett M (2018) Differential vulnerabilities of parrotfishes to habitat degradation. In: Biology of Parrotfishes. Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, FL, USA, pp. 355-382
• Pratchett M, Thompson C, Hoey A, Cowman P and Wilson S (2018) Effects of coral bleaching and coral loss on the structure and function of reef fish assemblages. In: Coral Bleaching: patterns, processes, causes and consequences. Ecological Studies, 233. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 265-293

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 245+ 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

• Effects of coral-dwelling damselfishes abundance and diversity on host coral dynamics (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Physiological and behavioural strategies used by fish to mitigate the effects of ocean warming. (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• The persistence of Sargassum communities on coral reefs: resilience and herbivory (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Resilience of Coral Assemblages in NW Australia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Changes in behaviour and sociality of Chaetodon butterflyfish linked to population declines and coral loss (Masters , Primary Advisor)
• Contrasting Patterns of Coral Growth across Australia's Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea (Masters , Primary Advisor/AM)
• The Role of Hybridisation in the Evolution of Coral Reef Fishes (PhD , Advisor Mentor)
• Assessing the Role of Food Availability Versus Pathogenesis in Causing Natural Declines in the Abundance of Acanthaster spp (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Reconstructing and Forecasting Outbreaks of Crown-of-thorn starfish (A. planci) on the Great Barrier Reef (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• The Thermal-Dependence of Behaviour: Do Plectropomus Ieopardus have the capacity to cope with increasing temperatures? (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• Spatial Variation in the Density and Demography of Newly Settled Crown-of-thorns Starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris). (PhD , Primary Advisor/AM)
• The Effect of Temperature on Seaweed-Herbivore Interactions on Tropical Coral Reef Systems (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

• Vectors and environmental drivers of coral disease dynamics on the Great Barrier Reef (2017, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Inter- and intra- specific variation in bleaching susceptibility among scleractinian corals (2014, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Environmental influences on the reproductive biology and early life history of the crown-of-thorns starfish (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Predation on the early life stages of the crown-of-thorns starfish (Acanthaster cf. solaris) (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Variation in structure and function of reef fish assemblages among distinct coral habitats (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Causes and consequences of natural hybridisation among coral reef butterflyfishes (Chaetodon: Chaetodontidae) (2018, PhD , Secondary 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)
• Neural and ecological basis of pair bonding in butterflyfishes (F: Chaetodontidae) (2017, PhD , Primary Advisor)
• Adaptive strategies in reef-building corals (2017, PhD , Secondary 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.

• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Nowicki, J. (2017) Endurance of pair bonding reduces intra-pair conflict and promotes cooperative territory defense among coral feeding butterflyfishes . James Cook University
• Nowicki, J. (2017) Classification of social systems of six butterflyfish species (f. Chaetodontidae; g. Chaetodon) at Lizard Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia, 2013-2015. James Cook University
• Richardson, L. (2017) Cross-scale habitat structure driven by coral species composition on tropical reefs. 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.