It’s World Oceans Day on June 8 and the University of the Sunshine Coast has a broad group of marine experts available to comment on a range of topics.

From climate change to sea creatures to edible seaweed, the university fosters a broad range of up-to-date oceanic expertise, including:

Dr Kylie Scales

Research areas: Using animal tracking and biologging technologies with satellite remote sensing to study the ecology of highly mobile marine species.

Biogeography, spatial ecology and species distribution modelling, movement ecology, remote sensing for ecology and conservation, marine and coastal ecology, seascape ecology.

Contact: 07 5456 5825 or kscales@usc.edu.au

Dr Kathy Townsend

Research areas: A marine biologist with a particular interest in human impacts on the marine environment and marine conservation. Impacts of marine debris and marine pollution. Dr Townsend’s research programs also contribute to a greater understanding of the conservation status of marine species identified by the IUCN Red List for threatened species. Her two large projects include Project Manta and Turtles in Trouble.

Human impact on the marine environment; marine conservation; sea turtle, shark and ray biology and ecology; coral reef ecology.

Contact: 07 5456 5695 or ktownse1@usc.edu.au

Professor Thomas Schalcher

Research areas: Ecology of ocean beaches, scavengers and carrion-based food webs, the relationship between connectivity and resilience in modular ecosystems, restoration of oyster reefs to enhance fish and fisheries, drivers of fish diversity and assemblages in estuarine seascapes, community assembly in variable habitats, deep-sea biology (submarine canyons, seamounts), dynamics of carbon processing at ecological interfaces, trophic linkages and food web metrics in environmental research, connectivity and cross-system coupling, stable isotopes in ecological research.

Contact: 07 5430 2881 or tschlach@usc.edu.au

Dr David Schoeman

Research areas: Identifying and quantifying ecological consequences of climate change at scales from the very local to global, and on designing strategies to minimise the loss of ecosystem services.

Marine climate change ecology, quantitative ecology, sandy beach ecology, marine conservation ecology, ecological statistics

Contact: 07 5456 5956 or dschoema@usc.edu.au

Dr Ben Gilby

Research areas: Is currently expanding his estuarine fish project to other areas in South-East Queensland.

No-take marine protected area ecology and functioning, water quality, catchment management, habitat and catchment restoration, predator-prey interactions, marine ecology. Ecological processes, ecosystem management and conservation, fish biology and ecology.

Contact: 07 5430 2891 or bgilby@usc.edu.au

Dr Alexandra Campbell 

Research areas: How environmental change influences interactions between important marine organisms and the things that consume, infect or live on them. Is attending the Effects of Climate Change on the World’s Oceans in Washington DC until June 12.

Marine ecology, ecological restoration, disease ecology and epidemiology, microbiomes and host health, science communication and human-environment interactions.

Contact: acampbe1@usc.edu.au or 07 5456 5007 (after June 12)

Dr Ipek Kurtböke

Research areas: Pollution of coastal and marine waters, including the “chocolate mousse” foaming effect caused by pollution and storms on the Sunshine Coast more here.

Microbial ecology, diversity and systematics, applied and environmental microbiology and biotechnology and bioremediation, bacteriophages and bacteriophage therapy, industrial microbiology and biodiscovery, waste management and bioconversion of waste into environmentally friendly bio-fertilizers, biological control of plant pathogens

marine and aquatic microbiology.

Contact: 07 5430 2819 or ikurtbok@usc.edu.au

Professor Patrick Nunn

Research areas: Climate and sea-level change, human–environment interactions, community governance and responses to environmental risk, geomythology and the role of cultural knowledge in adaptation and disaster-risk reduction, perceptions of environmental threats, oceanic geoscience, islands and coral reefs, Asia–Pacific.

Contact: 07 5456 5460 or pnunn@usc.edu.au

Dr Nguyen Hong Nguyen

Research areas: Working to extend Australian genetic breeding programs for species of national interest such as prawn, kingfish and lobsters.

Genetics and genomics of complex traits, use of new technologies in breeding programs, genomic prediction and functional genomics, applied statistics and bioinformatics for genetic improvement.

Contact: 07 5456 5138 or nnguyen@usc.edu.au

Dr Andrew Olds

Research areas: Spatial ecology, conservation biology, restoration ecology, ecological resilience, and the impacts of change, both local and global, on marine ecosystems. This work integrates advances in landscape ecology and ecosystem functioning, and has delivered practical applications for marine spatial planning and fisheries management for coral reefs, seagrass meadows, mangrove forests and ocean beaches.

Marine ecology, spatial ecology and connectivity, conservation biology and restoration ecology, ecosystem functioning and resilience, urban ecology, fish and fisheries ecology.

Contact: 07 5456 5293 or aolds@usc.edu.au

Dr Gayle Mayes

Bio: Sustainable coastal and marine tourism, climate change and anthropogenic impacts on coral reefs, cultural tourism, community-based tourism and sustainable tourism development in the Asia–Pacific region.

Research areas: tourism and climate change, small scale sustainable development in the Asia–Pacific Region, community-based tourism, sustainable coastal and marine (wildlife) tourism, sport and adventure tourism, destination management, environmental, outdoor and adventure-based education, interpretation in tourism, sustainable sport, festivals and events, adaptive paddle sports for people with physical disabilities.

Contact: 07 5430 2894 or gmayes@usc.edu.au

Dr Vikki Schaffer

Research areas: Researching the swim-with-whales experience. Marine-related tourism, natural and artificial reefs, whale tourism, citizen science, sustainable tourism, K’gari, visualisation and immersive experiences for teaching and learning, visualisation and immersive experiences for enhancing the visitor experience, regional tourism.

Contact: 07 5459 4705 or vschaffe@usc.edu.au