Anna Wressnig's Home page

Ralph Alquezar


Current appointment: PhD candidate Contact: Department of Environmental Sciences University of Technology, Sydney PO Box 123 BROADWAY NSW 2007 Australia Mobile: 0410 635 950 Phone: + 61 2 9514 4168 Fax: + 61 2 9514 4003 Email: Ralph.Alquezar@uts.edu.au Profile Ralph Alquezar is currently a PhD student working on the effect of metals on health and reproductive output of common estuarine fish and invertebrates. Previously, he worked as a research officer (assistant to Prof. David Booth) on Coral reef fish ecology: inter- and intra specific interactions, role of reef fishes in communities and 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? He also worked for the Environmental Protection Authority as a technical officer to help monitor three river systems in the Moore District Northwest NSW as well as teaching (tutor, laboratory demonstrator and lecturer) at the University of Technology, Sydney. Research interests Effects of pollutants on fish health and reproduction Contaminant transfer to higher trophic levels Food-energy and contaminant partitioning in predator-prey interaction Otolith micro-chemistry analysis to monitor archival pollutant events throughout life histories in estuarine fish. The use of radioactivity to model uptake kinetics of contaminants in fish Stable isotope analysis to model probable contaminant pathways Publications Booth D. & Alquezar R. (2002). Food supplementation increases larval growth, condition and survival of Acanthocromis polyacanthus. Journal of fish Biology 60,1126-1133. R. Wood, M. Burchett, R. Alquezar, R. Orwell, J. Tarran & F. Torpy (2004). Using pot plants to clean indoor air. Technical Nursery Papers 9, 1-4. Alquezar, R., Markich, S.J., Booth, D.J. (in press). Metal accumulation in a common estuarine fish, Tetractenos glaber in the Sydney region, Australia. (Environmental Pollution). Alquezar, R., Markich, S. J., Booth, D.J. (in press). Effects of metals on biochemical condition and reproductive output of the smooth toadfish in Sydney estuaries, NSW, Australia. (Environmental Pollution). Alquezar, R. & Markich, S. J. (in review). Accumulation of metals by toadfish from sediment and infauna: are fish what they eat? (Marine Environmental Research). Alquezar, R., Twining, J. R., Markich, S. J. (submitted). Kinetics of metals in benthic macroinvertebrates: potential trophic transfer to higher order predators (Environmental Science & Technology). Alquezar, R., Markich, S. J., Twining, J. R. (in prep). Comparison of dietary and waterborne accumulation of 109Cd & 75Se by the smooth toadfish (Tetractenos glaber). (Marine Ecology Progress Series). Alquezar, R. (in prep). Size and sex difference in 75Cd and 109Se uptake by the semaphore crab. (Marine Pollution Bulletin). Technical reports M. Burchett, R. Wood, R. Alquezar, R. Orwell, J. Tarran, F. Torpy (2005). How and why potted-plants really do clean indoor air. Technical report for the Flower Council of Holland and Horticulture Australia. Plants and Environmental Quality Group, Faculty of Science, UTS. Westbourne St, Gore Hill, NSW2065 Conference proceedings Orals Alquezar, R., Booth, D.J., Markich, S. J. (2003). Effects of metal pollution on the health and reproductive output of smooth toadfish Tetractenos glaber in Sydney estuaries. (SETAC Asia-Pacific, Christchurch NZ). Alquezar, R., Booth, D.J., Markich, S. J. (2004). Indirect effects of metals on toadfish and prey item availability; are fish what they eat? (Estuaries and Change, Ballina NSW). Alquezar, R., Twining, J. R., Markich, S. J., Booth, D. J. (2005). Uptake and depuration of dietary 109Cd & 75Se in smooth toadfish. (Australasian Society of Ecotoxicology 2005, Melbourne VIC) Alquezar, R., Markich, S. J., Twining, J. R., Booth D. J. (2005). Kinetics of metals in benthic macro-invertebrates: Potential trophic transfer to higher order predators. (Australasian Society of Ecotoxicology 2005, Melbourne VIC) Posters Alquezar, R., Markich, S. J., Booth, D.J., Twining J.R. (2004). Temporal and spatial variation of metals in tissues of the smooth toadfish (Tetractenos glaber). (2004). (INTERACT 2004, Gold Coast QLD). Alquezar, R., Twining, J. R., Markich, S. J., Booth, D. J. (2005). Size and Sex differences in uptake and depuration of 109Cd & 75Se by the semaphore crab. (Australasian Society of Ecotoxicology 2005, Melbourne VIC) Member of professional bodies Australian Institute of Marine Science (AMSA) Australasian Society of Ecotoxicology (ASE) Australian Society of Limnology (ASL)