Dr Nick Payne

BEnvSc(Hons) PhD University of Adelaide

Photo of Nick Payne School of Biological Earth and Environmental Science
University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052
AUSTRALIA

Phone: +612 9385 3807
Fax: +612 9385 1558

Email: N.Payne at unsw.edu.au

Research Interests and Current Projects

I am interested in the population dynamics and ecophysiology of marine animals in general, and estuarine fishes in particular. My current research fits within the framework of an Australian Research Council Linkage Project addressing the role of hydrography in habitat use, fidelity and population connectivity of several iconic estuarine fishes. I also have an interest in the use of bio-logging and telemetry techniques to describe patterns of behaviour and energy expenditure in aquatic animals.

Undergraduate Teaching

BIOS9231 - Research internships in marine and terrestrial conservation

Student Supervision

Ruan Gannon - Population ecology of dusky flathead and yellowfin bream.
Dylan Van Der Meulen - Effects of biophysical variables on the distribution and movements of estuarine-dependent predators.
Teagan Marzullo - Estuary fidelity, habitat use and energetics of stingrays.

Media Coverage

Fish bite at night after rainfall by Christopher Doyle Australasian Science . "Bream in an estuary near Sydney become nocturnal following rainfall, adding to the growing body of evidence that environmental changes can influence the behaviour of species."

Selected Publications

Semmens, J.M., N.L. Payne, C. Huveneers, D.W. Sims and B.D. Bruce (2013) Feeding requirements of white sharks may be higher than originally thought. Scientific Reports. 3 (1471).
Payne, N.L., E.P. Snelling, J.M. Semmens and B.M. Gillanders (2013) Mechanisms of population structuring in giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama. PLOS One. 11 March.
Payne, N.L., D.E. van der Meulen, R. Gannon, J.M. Semmens, I.M. Suthers, C.A. Gray, and M.D. Taylor (2013) Rain reverses diel activity rhythms in an estuarine teleost. Proceedings of the Royal Society B- Biological Sciences. 280 (1750).
Bryars, S., P. Rogers, C. Huveneers, N.L. Payne, I. Smith and B. McDonald (2012). Small home range in southern Australia's largest resident reef fish, the western blue groper (Achoerodus gouldii): implications for adequacy of no-take marine protected areas. Marine and Freshwater Research 63 (6).
Payne NL, Semmens JM & Gillanders BM (2011) Elemental uptake via immersion: a mass-marking technique for the early life-history stages of cephalopods. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 436, 169-176.
Payne NL, Gillanders BM, Seymour RS, Webber DM, Snelling EP & Semmens JM (2011) Accelerometry estimates field metabolic rate of giant Australian cuttlefish Sepia apama during breeding. Journal of Animal Ecology. 80 (2), 422-430.
Payne NL, Gillanders BM & Semmens JM (2011) Breeding durations as estimators of adult sex ratios and population size. Oecologia. 165 (2), 341-347.
Payne NL, Gillanders BM, Webber DM & Semmens JM (2010) Interpreting diel activity patterns from acoustic telemetry: the need for controls. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 419, 295-301.
Kaempf J, Malthouse P & Payne NL (2010) Marine connectivity in a large inverse estuary. Journal of Coastal Research. 26 (6), 1047-1056.
Payne NL & Gillanders BM (2009) Assemblages of fish along a mangrove-mudflat gradient in temperate Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research. 60(1), 1-13

Other Publications

Bryars S, Rogers P, Huveneers C, Payne NL, Smith I, & McDonald B (In Press) What size do marine protected area sanctuary zones need to be in order to protect the near-threatened western blue groper and harlequin fish? Report to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Wildlife Conservation Fund Project Number 0638.
Ward TM, Ferguson G, Payne NL, Gorman G (2010) Effectiveness of fishery-independent surveys for monitoring the stock status of pipi (Donax deltoids) on the Younghusband Peninsula, South Australia. Research Report Series No. 504. South Australian Research and Development Institute