My research focus is on coastal and near-shore environmental physics, involving the synthesis of physical information with the biological and/or chemical characteristics of the environment.  Current work investigates impacts on coral reefs, including coral bleaching and disease, reef resilience and conservation management, within the context of climate change.  This work continues from my time with the US government's NOAA Coral Reef Watch program, with whom I remain affiliated.   I am currently co-leading the development and applications of a tool that rapidly assesses climate vulnerability of World Heritage properties (cvi-heritage.org), working with UNESCO World Heritage Centre and its advisory bodies. I previously held faculty positions at Penn State and Georgetown Universities.

Teaching

• MB1110: Introductory Marine Science (Level 1; TSV)
• PH1005: Advanced Stream Physics 1 (Level 1; TSV)
• PH2006: Marine Physics (Level 2; TSV)
• PH3006: Oceanography and Meteorology (Level 3; TSV)
• SC1102: Modelling Natural Systems (Level 1; TSV)
• SC1109: Modelling Natural Systems-Advanced (Level 1; TSV)

Interests

Professional

• Creatively communicating science

Research

• Coastal and near-shore environment
• Ecological/biological connections
• Ocean processes
• Climate vulnerability of World Heritage properties

Experience

• 2005 to 2019 - Adjunct Principal Research Fellow, James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
• 2003 to 2019 - Senior Physical Scientist, NOAA Coral Reef Watch (Washington DC/Townsville)
• 2002 to 2003 - Assistant Professor, Georgetown University (Washington DC, USA)
• 2001 to 2002 - Assistant Professor, Penn State University (Altoona PA, USA)

Research Disciplines

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

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Ecosystem Assessment and Management (9605)
• Climate and Climate Change (9603)
• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)

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

• 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
• Fordyce A, Ainsworth T, Heron S and Leggat W (2019) Marine heatwave hotspots in coral reef environments: physical drivers, ecophysiological outcomes and impact upon structural complexity. Frontiers in Marine Science, 6.
• Harrison H, Álvarez-Noriega M, Baird A, Heron S, Macdonald C and Hughes T (2019) Back-to-back coral bleaching events on isolated atolls in the Coral Sea. Coral Reefs, 38 (4). pp. 713-719
• Harvell C, Montecino-Latorre D, Caldwell J, Burt J, Bosley K, Keller A, Heron S, Salomon A, Lee L, Pontier O, Pattengill-Semmens C and Gaydos J (2019) Disease epidemic and a marine heat wave are associated with the continental-scale collapse of a pivotal predator (Pycnopodia helianthoides). Science Advances, 5.
• Hughes T, Kerry J, Connolly S, Baird A, Eakin C, Heron S, Hoey A, Hoogenboom M, Jacobson M, Liu G, Pratchett M, Skirving W and Torda G (2019) Ecological memory modifies the cumulative impact of recurrent climate extremes. Nature Climate Change, 9 (1). pp. 40-44
• Mcleod E, Anthony K, Mumby P, Maynard J, Beeden R, Graham N, Heron S, Hoegh-Guldberg O, Jupiter S, MacGowan P, Mangubhai S, Marshall N, Marshall P, McClanahan T, Mcleod K, Nyström M, Obura D, Parker B, Possingham H, Salm R and Tamelander J (2019) The future of resilience-based management in coral reef ecosystems. Journal of Environmental Management, 233. pp. 291-301
• Page C, Leggat W, Heron S, Choukroun S, Lloyd J and Ainsworth T (2019) Seeking resistance in coral reef ecosystems: the interplay of biophysical factors and bleaching resistance under a changing climate: the interplay of a reef's biophysical factors can mitigate the coral bleaching response. BioEssays, 41 (7).
• Skirving W, Heron S, Marsh B, Liu G, De La Cour J, Geiger E and Eakin C (2019) The relentless march of mass coral bleaching: a global perspective of changing heat stress. Coral Reefs, 38 (4). pp. 547-557
• Anderson K, Cantin N, Heron S, Lough J and Pratchett M (2018) Temporal and taxonomic contrasts in coral growth at Davies Reef, central Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Coral Reefs, 37 (2). pp. 409-421
• Bell J, Albert J, Amos G, Arthur C, Blanc M, Bromhead D, Heron S, Hobday A, Hunt A, Itano D, James P, Lehodey P, Liu G, Nicol S, Potemra J, Reygondeau G, Rubani J, Phillips J, Senina I and Sokimi W (2018) Operationalising access to oceanic fisheries resources by small-scale fishers to improve food security in the Pacific Islands. Marine Policy, 88. pp. 315-322
• Beyer H, Kennedy E, Beger M, Chen C, Cinner J, Darling E, Eakin C, Gates R, Heron S, Knowlton N, Obura D, Palumbi S, Possingham H, Puotinen M, Runting R, Skirving W, Spalding M, Wilson K, Wood S, Veron J and Hoegh-Guldberg O (2018) Risk-sensitive planning for conserving coral reefs under rapid climate change. Conservation Letters, 11 (6).

Book Chapters

• Pratchett M, Bridge T, Brodie J, Cameron D, Day J, Emslie M, Grech A, Hamann M, Heron S, Hoey A, Hoogenboom M, Lough J, Morrison T, Osborne K, Read M, Schauble C, Smithers S, Sweatman H and Waterhouse J (2019) Australia's Great Barrier Reef. In: World Seas: an environmental evaluation. Elsevier, London, UK, pp. 333-362

More

ResearchOnline@JCU stores 82+ research outputs authored by Dr Scott Heron from 1998 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 Identification of Potential Links Between Fibropapilloma Prevalence in Green Sea Turtles (Chelonia Mydas) and Heavy metal Contamination Along the Great Barrier Reef, Australia (PhD , Secondary Advisor)
• Seasonal water transports in Ambon Bay of eastern Indonesia and their influences on marine pollution (PhD , External Advisor)

Completed

• Temporal and Spatial Variation in the Growth of Branching Corals (2016, PhD , External 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.

• Ainsworth, T. (2017) Great Barrier Reef A. aspera data files for physiology, photophysiology, and SST trajectories/offsets. 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.