SCIENTIFIC ADVISORS
We love telling stories about the wonders of our underwater world and it's important this is backed by credible science. It's why we're working with the best scientific minds who live, breathe and immerse themselves in study the Tasmania's marine environment. Gosh they're a clever bunch. But don't take our word for it, check them out below.
Professor Jayson Semmens
Neville Barrett
Associate Professor Jayson Semmens works in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Centre at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, where the focus is on sustainable fisheries biology/ecology. In particular, his work focuses on applying biotelemetry, biologging, accelerometry and ecophysiology to understanding marine populations and ensuring their sustainability. He is particularly interested in using these techniques to examine factors that influence the expression of life history parameters across a wide range of animal groups, particularly sharks and rays, fish, and cephalopods. He also has extensive expertise/interest in scallop fisheries biology/ecology.
Check out his full profile here:
Over the past 20 years, Neville's research and engagement in collaborative projects have contributed widely to the understanding of the biodiversity and ecology of temperate reef systems in Australia. This has contributed in a variety of ways to marine protected area management and planning, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable fisheries management through an improved understanding of the system-wide effects of fishing. Many of the inshore reef monitoring protocols Neville and his team have developed are now in widespread use by management and research agencies, and they are now focusing on similar standard method designs for inventory and monitoring of Australia's new Commonwealth Marine Reserve network in offshore waters.
Check out his full profile here:
https://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/imas/Neville-Barrett
Dr Jemina Stuart-Smith
Dr Jemina Stuart-Smith is a research fellow at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. She is interested in marine ecology, marine biodiversity monitoring and conservation, the role of citizen scientists in data collection and the education of marine issues. Jemina's research involves marine monitoring, citizen science and changes in marine biodiversity.
Check out her full profile here:
https://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/imas/jemina-stuart-smith
Cayne Layton
Cayne Layton is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies. He studies the ecology and restoration of kelp forests and temperate reef systems. Cayne combines field and lab experiments, and scientific diving to examine how kelp forest ecosystems function and persist, especially in the face of increasing anthropogenic stressors. He seeks to answer fundamental ecological questions while ensuring his research has practical applications for habitat conservation, restoration, and management. Cayne is also an active science communicator and has a keen interest in scientific/research diving, and the engagement of science with education and policy.
Check out his full profile here:
https://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/imas/cayne-layton
Sam Thalmann
Dr Rick Stuart-Smith
Sam Thalmann is a wildlife Biologist and our go to go with all things Australian Fur Seals.
Dr Rick Stuart-Smith is a research fellow with the Ecology and Biodiversity group in the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies and in the NESP Marine Biodiversity Hub. His research covers aspects of biogeography, community and macro-ecology, and studies of human impacts, such as pollution, exploitation, invasive species and climate change on marine fauna and flora. A major motivation for his research is to improve the way marine biodiversity is monitored, reported, managed and protected, through contributing to more ecologically-informed policy at larger scales, and guiding local management.
Check out his full profile here:
https://www.utas.edu.au/profiles/staff/imas/rick-stuart-smith