PROFILE

David Booth is currently Associate Professor in the Department of Environmental Sciences, and has been at UTS since 1994.

Previously he was an ARC Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and a Visiting Professor at the University of the Virgin Islands. His major research interests include life history of coral and temperate reef fishes, and interactions between pollution and the ecology and physiology of fishes. He has an active graduate student group, and is Chair of the Berowra Creek Catchment Management Committee.  He currently collaborates with NSW Fisheries, UTS Microstructural Analysis Unit, Oregon State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences and the University of the Virgin Islands.

RESEARCH INTERESTS & CURRENT PROJECTS:

• Coral reef fish ecology: inter- and intra specific interactions, role of reef fishes in communities

• Early life history of reef fishes, particularly physiology and ecology of recruits: how do events occurring over the short settlement period influence population structure for reef fishes?

• Impacts of pollution on fitness of estuarine and marine fishes: can anthropogenic pollutants influence fitness of fishes? Can aspects of fish ecology and physiology act as effective biomonitors of pollution?

• Diet and condition of marine and estuarine fishes.

• Influence of herbivores on reef ecosystems.

• Modelling dynamics of fish ecology

RECENT PUBLICATIONS (1998 - 2002)

1. Booth, D.J and Alquezar, R.A. (2002, in press) Food supplementation increases larval growth, condition and survival of the brooding damselfish Acanthochromis polyacanthus (Pomacentridae). J. Fish Biol. 60:1126-1133

2. Booth, D.J. and Berette, G.A. (2002, in press) Changes in a fish assemblage after a coral bleaching event. Marine Ecology Progress Series

3.  Booth, D.J. (2002, inpress) Larval supply, condition and persistence of the coral reef fish, Pomacentrus moluccensis.  Proceedings of the 9th International Coral Reef Symposium, Bali.

4. Stauber, A. and D.J. Booth (2002, in press) Spatial patterns in morphology of the bearded dragon, Pogona barbata, in NSW. Aust Zoologist

5. Booth, D.J. (2002, in press) Distribution changes after settlement in 6 species of damselfish (Pomacentridae) in One Tree Island lagoon, Great Barrier Reef. Marine Ecology Progress Series

6. MacFarlane, G.R. and Booth, D.J. (2001) Estuarine macrobenthic community structure in the Hawkesbury River, Australia; relationships with physiochemical and anthropogenic parameters.  Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. 72:51-78

7. Silberschneider, V., Pease, B.C. and Booth, D.J. (2001) A novel artificial habitat collection device for studying resettlement patterns in anguillid glass eels. Journal of Fish Biology. 58(5):1359-1370

8. Silberschneider, V. and Booth, D.J. (2001) Resource use by Enneapterygius rufopileus and other rockpool fishes. Environmental Biology of Fishes. 61:195-204

9. Koop, K., Booth, D., Broadbent, A., Brodie, J.Bucher, D. Capone, D. Coll, J., Dennison, W., Erdmann, M., Harrison, P., Hoegh-Guldberg, O.,Hutchings, P., Jones, G.B., Larkum, A.W.D., O'Neil, J., Steven, A., Tentori, E., Ward, S., Williamson, J. and Yellowlees, D. (2001) ENCORE: The effect of nutrient enrichment on coral reefs.  Synthesis of results and conclusions. Marine Pollution Bulletin. 42:91-120

10. MacFarlane, G.R., Booth, D.J. and Brown, K.R. (2000) The Semaphore Crab, Heloecious cordformis: bioindication potential of heavy metals in estuarine systems. Aquatic Ectoxicology. 50(3):153-166

11. Booth, D.J., Kingsford, M.J., Doherty, P.J. and Beretta, G.A. (2000) Recruitment of damselfishes at One Tree Island lagoon: persistent spatial patterns over two decades. Marine Ecology Progress Series 202:219-230

12. Booth, D.J. (1999) Effects of dietary and free bentonite on ammonia buildup in aquarium fishes. Australian Journal of Ecotxicology. 5:149-152

13. Booth, D.J. and Hixon, M.A. (1999) Food ration and condition affect early survival of the coral reef damselfish, Stegastes partitus. Oecologia. 121:364-368

14. Booth, D.J. and Schultz, D.L. (1999) Seasonal ecology, condition and reproductive patterns of the smooth toadfish, Tetractenos glaber (Freminville) in the Hawkesbury estuarine system, Australia. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of NSW. 121:7-30

15. Booth, D.J. (1998) Teaching evolution: are we getting through? Australasian Science (Search). 24:15-16

16. Booth, D.J. and Wellington, G. (1998) Settlement preferences in coral reef fishes - what are the consequences to population structure and individual fitness? Australian Journal of Ecology. 23:274-279

17. Booth, D.J. (1998) Grazing pressure of roving and territorial fishes on patch reefs in One Tree Island lagoon. Proceedings of the Australian Coral Reef Society 25th Anniversary Conference. pp29-42

18. Beretta, G.A. and Booth, D.J. (1998) Seasonal and spatial variability of male Pomacentrus wardi reproduction on nutrient-enriched patch-reef tops in One tree Island lagoon. Proceedings of the Australian Coral Reef Scoiety 25th Anniversary Conference. pp1-10

RECENT GRANTS RECEIVED

GRADUATE STUDENTS

PhD

• 1996 - present:
  Tom Trnski
  Estuarine influx of larval fishes
  (APA Industry funded)

• 1997 - present:
  Matthew Lockett
  Ecology of introduced gobiid fishes in the Sydney Region
  (Faculty of Science Scholarship)

• 1997 - present:
  Judy Upston
  Effects of airport runway extensio on fish and invertebrate recruitment in Botany Bay, NSW
  (Federal Airports funding)

• 1999 - present:
  Veronica Silberschneider
  Recruitment ecology of longfinned eels
  (APA scholarship)

• 1999 - present:
  Anthony Moore
  Stock structure and reproduction of longfinned eels
  (ARC SPIRT scholarship)

• 1999 - present:
  Andrew West
  Early life history of billfishes in Kona, Hawaii
  (APA scholarship)

• 2001 - present:
  Rachel Powell
  Sexual aggregation behaviour in the Great White Shark

• 2001 - present
  Andrew Stauber
  Habitat fragmentation and disturbance in Hawkesbury sandstone inhabiting frogs Pseudophryne australis and Heleioporus australiacus
  (ARC SPIRT funded)

• 2002 - present:
  Anna Wressnig
  Feeding and nutrient-dynamics of leatherjacket fishes in coastal lakes of NSW
  (UTS IPRS funded)

MSc

• 1999 - present:
  Kerryn Parkinson
  Ecology of pipefishes.

• 2002 - present:
  Ralph Alquezar
  Heavy metal pollution and physiology of estuarine toadfishes in NSW

Honours

• 4 current Honours students - reef fish ecology, aquaculture

UNDERGRADUATE TEACHING:

Biology 1
Community and Population Ecology
Animal Ecophysiology
Temperate Marine Ecosystems
Coral Reef Ecosystems
Ecological Modelling
Individual Student Projects
Coastal Resources and GIS
Ecotoxicological Methods
Fisheries Resources

Qualifications:

PhD Oregon State University 1991
MSc Queen's University, Canada 1985
BSc(hons.) University of Sydney 1980

Membership of Professional Bodies

Gilbert Ichthyological Society
Australian Marine Science Association (President NSW Branch)
Australian Coral Reef Society (Councillor)
Western Society of Naturalists (USA)
Berowra Catchment Management Committee (Chairman since 1998)

Scholarly Society Membership

Australian Marine Science Association (past councillor)
Australian Coral Reef Society (councillor)
Gilbert Ichthyological Society (USA)
Ecological Society of America
Australian Antarctic Society (Founding Member)

External Committees

Coral Reef Research Institute board member
Chair, Berowra Catchment Management Committee
Convenor, NSW AMSA

Relevant Technical Skills

NSW Coxswain (Trading)
QLD Coxswain (Trading)
Radiotelephone Operator's License
St. Johns Senior First Aid
FAUI Openwater SCUBA certification (over 2000 logged dives)