Dr. Ben Gilby is an Associate Professor in Animal Ecology whose specialist area of knowledge includes marine ecology, fish biology, marine ecosystem management and conservation. He is also a lead for the UniSC Coastal Ecosystem Management research cluster.
Ben is a coastal and marine ecologist with broad expertise across the fields of ecological restoration, conservation biology, and spatial ecology. He has gained international recognition for his work on coastal fish habitats, ecological restoration prioritization and monitoring (especially for wetlands and shellfish reefs), and the spatial ecology of coastal fishes.
Ben has significant experience collaborating with government, community groups, NGOs and private industry on projects ranging from ecological monitoring and large-scale ecological restoration to impact assessment and environmental planning. He is a member of the Shellfish Reef Restoration Reference Network.
Further Reading:
Seascape context modifies how fish respond to restored oyster reef structures. Ben L Gilby et al. ICES Journal of Marine Science, Volume 76, Issue 4, July-August 2019, Pages 1131–1139, https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsz019 Published: 18 February 2019 Article history
Erin Wills is a PhD student at the University of the Sunshine Coast working on ways to enhance ecological restoration by linking multiple habitats occurring in terrestrial, marine and freshwater environments. Her honours degree entailed researching the distribution of oyster spat throughout the Moreton Bay region to inform shellfish reef restoration projects in the region.
Further Reading:
Wills, E.K., Henderson, C.J., Olds, A.D. et al. Combined Effects of Local and Regional Drivers on Oyster Spat Density and Growth in Eastern Australia. Estuaries and Coasts 47, 2406–2422 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01416-w
Picture. Sydney Rock Oyster Reef Bommie, Pumicestone Passage. Dr Ben Diggles. c.2011.