Joel Williams

I am a marine ecologist with a particular interest in fish and fisheries ecology based at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, Hobart. I have had 10 years experience working across academia, government and private consulting. My current research is based on better understanding temperate mesophotic reefs and detecting ecological change in the Southern Ocean.

I use new technologies such as baited remote under video (BRUV) and remotely operated vehicles (ROV) to collect data on fish assemblages and associated habitat. The mesophotic zone (40-150m depth) is one of the most unknown and understudied ecosystems. I'm trying to understand the major differences in fish assemblages between shallow and mesophotic depths and how the changing climate is likely to impact these species.

The Southern Ocean represents 20% of the worlds oceans and it is undeniable that the expanding human footprint and climate change is impacting the Southern Ocean ecosystem. To date the majority of research in this area has focused on a few single species. I am using contemporary statistical approaches (joint species distribution models) to model species assemblages of fish and zooplankton to determine what environmental factors are influencing any change. I will also use the scenarios outlined the recent IPCC report to predict how species assemblage will change into the future.