Dr Ross Dwyer | UniSC | University of the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia

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Dr Ross Dwyer

PhD Ecology, Exon, MRes, St And.,BSc (Zoology) Hons, Dund

  • Lecturer, Animal Ecology
Email
Telephone
+61 7 5459 4523
Office location
H1.2.51
Campus
Sunshine Coast
Ross Dwyer

Dr Dwyer is an ecologist interested in the environmental and behavioural drivers for movement and space utilisation among animals, particularly aquatic vertebrates. His research is primarily field-based, where he uses emergent technologies such as satellite and acoustic telemetry to gain new insights into how animals behave and interact within their natural environment.

The underlying emphasis and direction of his research program is to understand the mechanisms driving habitat selection and migration, where the information gained can be used to help identify and mitigate human-wildlife conflict.

This includes:

  •  identifying critical habitats for crocodiles, turtles, and sawfishes
  • creating more effective protected areas for sharks and rays
  • quantifying environmental flows required to facilitate fish passage between rivers and estuaries
  • measuring disturbance impacts on seabird and shorebird populations

 

Useful links

Follow Dr Ross Dwyer on Twitter

Follow Dr Ross Dwyer on Google Scholar

Visit www.zoatrack.org

Refer to https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1136-5489

*These are external websites and the University of the Sunshine Coast is not responsible for the content.

Potential Research Projects for HDR and Honours Students

  • Spatial ecology of euryhaline teleosts, sharks and rays
  • Spatial ecology of estuarine crocodiles
  • Spatial ecology of freshwater turtles

Current Research Grants

Project Name

Investigator/s

Funding Body/$

Year(s) of Operation

Focus Statement

Movement ecology of elasmobranches

Dr Ross Dwyer

Prof Craig Franklin

Rio Tinto Aluminium Ltd 2017-2020 Through a concurrent part-time appointment with the University of Queensland, Dr Dwyer also leads a tracking program that seeks to gain new insights into the movement ecology of threatened sawfishes and river sharks in the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria.

Research areas

  • Movement ecology
  • Animal behaviour
  • Marine conservation
  • Disturbance ecology
  • Human-wildlife conflict

Dr Ross Dwyer is a Lecturer in Animal Ecology.

Teaching areas

  • ANM104 Marine Vertebrate Ecology and Conservation
  • ANM203 Understanding Ecological Data
  • ANM302 Global-Change Ecology

Dwyer, R.G., Campbell, H.A., Cramp, R.L., Burke, C.L., Micheli-Campbell, M.A., Pillans, R.D., Lyon, B.J., Franklin, C.E., In Press, Niche partitioning between river shark species is driven by seasonal fluctuations in environmental salinity. Functional Ecology

Dwyer, R.G., Krueck, N.C., Udyawer, V., Heupel, M.R., Chapman, D., Pratt, H.L., Garla, R., Simpfendorfer, C.A., 2020, Individual and population benefits of marine reserves for reef sharks. Current Biology, 30, 480-489.e5 doi:10.1016/j.cub.2019.12.005

Dwyer, R.G., Campbell, H.A., Pillans, R.D., Watts, M.E., Lyon, B.J., Guru, S.M., Possingham, H.P., Franklin, C.E., 2019, Using individual‐based movement information to identify spatial conservation priorities for mobile species. Conservation Biology, 33, 1426-1437 

Baker, C.J., Franklin, C.E., Campbell, H.A., Irwin, T.R., Dwyer, R.G., 2019, Ontogenetic shifts in the nesting behaviour of female crocodiles. Oecologia, 189, 891-904 doi:10.1007/s00442-019-04382-4

Reynolds, S.D., Norman, B.M., Beger, M., Franklin, C.E., Dwyer, R.G., 2017, Movement, distribution and marine reserve use by an endangered migratory giant. Diversity and Distributions, 23, 1268-1279 doi:10.1111/ddi.12618

Dr Ross Dwyer's specialist areas of knowledge include: • Migration ecology, habitat use and foraging behaviour of aquatic predators • Using technology to help quantify disturbance impacts on wildlife • Large database management and data visualisation • Methods for modelling animal movement • Crocodile ecology • Freshwater turtle ecology

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