Stephanie Brodie
BSc(Hons) University of QLD
School of Biological Earth and Environmental Science
University of New South Wales
Sydney NSW 2052
AUSTRALIA
Email: stephbrodie1 at gmail.com
Research Interests
- The influence of ocean movements on the associated ecological communities
- Fisheries impacts and habitat specific management strategies
- Ecosystem productivity
- Ecological modeling and prediction
PhD Research
Throughout the course of my PhD I will be investigating the spatial and temporal variation of water masses along the east coast of Australia, and how this oceanic variability influences the movements and distributions of pelagic fish. Using dolphinfish, Coryphaena hippurus, and yellowtail kingfish, Seriola lalandi, as study species, I will use acoustic telemetry, within the Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS) to determine their seasonal and inter-annual oceanic habitats. I will also determine the metapopulation structure of these two species from otolith microchemistry, and determine any spatial structure to their trophodynamics using stable isotope analysis. This project is closely linked with the Offshore Artificial Reef and the Fish Aggregation Device (FADs) programs of NSW Department of Primary Industries. I will model the distribution of both species on and off the NSW shelf and around FADS, as a means to assess fisheries adaptation strategies to a strengthening East Australia Current.
The outcomes of this project will allow managers and policy makers to make informed decisions about Australia’s fisheries based on oceanic habitats defined by BlueLink and other CSIRO data assimilation products, rather than static latitudinal boundaries. Off eastern Australia, the dynamic allocation of fish permits is now facilitated in real time by maps of tuna habitat. This innovative approach (one of the first in the world) was only possibly due to information on fish habitat associations. My project will allow predictions to be made about how fish will respond to a changing oceanic climate.
