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Staff Information> Research Students

EMMA M. BIRDSEY - PhD CANDIDATE


 

Emma Birdsey
EDUCATION
BSc (Hons), 1st, University of Plymouth - Marine Biology and Coastal Ecology
MSc, Distinction, University of Exeter - Evolutionary and Behavioural Ecology
RESEARCH
 
Effects of invasive species on marine biodiversity associated with subtidal habitat-forming species
 
I am investigating associations between habitat-forming marine species and mobile fauna, and how they are impacted through the introduction of exotic species. Sessile marine fauna (such as corals, ascidians and bryozoans) support very diverse assemblages of mobile invertebrates that are an important trophic link to consumers such as fish. Exotic species commonly form habitat in regions affected by human impacts, and may have major consequences for marine systems and result in profound economic damage from lost biodiversity. Central to predicting and managing their impacts is knowledge of the specificity of associations between habitat-forming species and the assemblages they support.
 
I will manipulate the composition of habitat-forming species in the field in the Sydney region to investigate the impacts of exotic species on their associated fauna, and more generally, the relationships between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning.
 
PREVIOUS RESEARCH
  1. Maternal effects and the evolution of sexual traits in birds - Masters project, Drs. Jonathan Blount and John Hunt, University of Exeter
  2. Oystercatcher foraging behaviour on aggregations of limpets - Honours project, Assoc. Prof. Ross Coleman and Dr. Pete Cotton, University of Plymouth
SEE ALSO
CONTACT DETAILS
Email: e.birdseystudent.unsw.edu.au
Tel: +61(0)2 9385 3447