Melanie Lewis Home Page

Melanie Lewis

Current Appointment: MSc (Research) Candidate

Contact:

Fish Ecology Laboratory
Institute for Water and Environmental Resource Management
Department of Environmental Sciences

University of Technology, Sydney
P.O. Box 123
BROADWAY NSW 2007
Australia

Office: Building 4, Level 5, Room 64 (City Campus)
Phone: +61 2 9514 8346
Mobile: 0407 496 636
Fax: +61 2 9514 4079 (Att: Mel Lewis)
E-mail: Melanie.Lewis@uts.edu.au

Current Research

I originally visited Lord Howe Island in 2000 as a PADI Divemaster and immediately fell in love with the place. The island is a listed World Heritage site for its unique landforms and biota, diverse ecosystems, and habitats for many threatened species. It is a nature-lovers haven! For marine buffs, it provides a unique underwater realm of both temperate and tropical organisms amid the southern-most coral reef in the world and the cool influence of the Tasman Front.

Bluefish

The bluefish (Girella cyanea) is a conspicuous member of the fish fauna of Lord Howe Island and has recently been listed as a threatened species by the NSW Department of Primary Industry. It has a limited distribution that includes Norfolk Island, Three Kings Islands, the Kermadecs, and Lord Howe but has also historically been found on the east coast of Australia. My project has been developed because there is very little known of the life-history and demographic parameters of this species. The main focus of my research is to provide quantitative baseline data on the nearshore distribution, abundance and population composition of G. cyanea at Lord Howe Island and determine the basic life-history parameters of age and growth.

For more information on my project check out the LHIMP Research Workplan or contact me at Melanie.Lewis@uts.edu.au

Research Interests

Threatened species research and conservation management
Otolith microstructural analyses
Offshore islands and fish demography
Habitat mapping for Marine Park design

Conference Presentations

Lewis, M., Figueira, W., & Booth, D. Putting Bluefish on the Map: diet and demography of Girella cyanea on Lord Howe Island, South-west Pacific. Australian Marine Science Association (AMSA) Annual Conference, Cairns 9-14 July 2006.

Keene, J., Skilbeck, G., Dickinson, J., Anderson, L., Bowen-Thomas, J., Chand, D., Donaldson, T., Dryburgh, M., Kadarwati, U., Kinna, B., Kurnia, Z., Lee, J.H., Lewis, M., Mamo, B., Pethybridge, H., Terney, P., Singh, A., Taloiburi, E., Twiggs, E., Verhoeven, M., Weiland, L., Weir, F. & Shipboard Party. Sedimentation history in the Fairway and northern New Caledonia Basins, Tasman Sea. Australian Earth Sciences Convention (AESC), Melbourne 2-6 July 2006.

DeDekker, P., Baker, E., Keene, J., Skilbeck, G., Dickinson, J., Anderson, L., Bowen-Thomas, J., Chand, D., Donaldson, T., Dryburgh, M., Kadarwati, U., Kinna, B., Kurnia, Z., Lee, J.H., Lewis, M., Mamo, B., Pethybridge, H., Terney, P., Singh, A., Taloiburi, E., Twiggs, E., Verhoeven, M., Weiland, L., Weir, F. & Shipboard Party. The University of the Sea: Practical Marine Sciences Education. Australian Earth Sciences Convention (AESC), Melbourne 2-6 July 2006

Scholarships and Awards

2006

Travel Scholarship –University of the Sea 2006, New Zealand-Noumea-Sydney

A 3 week marine science expedition with the Institut Polaire Français and Geoscience Australia onboard the premiere French research platform, RV Marion Dufresne

Poster Prize

Weir, F., Lewis, M. & Chand, D. Ocean properties measured using CTD and XPD probes. University of the Sea 2006

2002

UTS Colin Field Prize

An annual award to the Biomedical Science, Environmental Biology or Biotechnology student who obtains the highest overall average mark from all subjects undertaken in Stages 1 & 2

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science in Environmental Biology (University of Technology, Sydney)
PADI Open Water SCUBA Instructor (Pro Dive Academy, Sydney)
Environmental and Adventure Tourism (Regency College, South Australia)

Memberships

Australian Marine Science Association – Student Councillor for NSW AMSA
Australian Society for Fisheries Biology – Student member
Fisheries Society of the British Isles – Student member
New Zealand Marine Sciences Society – Student member

Employment History

2003 - Present	Research Assistant (Fish Ecology Laboratory)
2002-2004	Aquarist and Shark Feeder (Manly Oceanworld)
2000 - 2001	SCUBA Instructor (Pro Dive Drummoyne)