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Doctor

Alyssa Marshell

Research Fellow - Fisheries Scientist

Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration

Orcid identifier0000-0003-0841-9028
  • Research Fellow - Fisheries Scientist
    Sustainable Marine Research Collaboration
  • Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, Fisheries and Aquaculture, 15-21 Nubeena Cresecent, Taroona, Tasmania, 7053

BIO

Alyssa has diverse experience in fisheries and marine coastal ecosystems science, and conducts applied, interdisciplinary research projects to address both ecological and effective sustainable management issues.

After receiving her Bachelor of Science (Marine Biology) from James Cook University in 2003, Alyssa began her career working for the dive and marine tourism industries as a dive instructor and marine tour guide with positions located across the northern and southern Great Barrier Reef (Hayman and Heron Islands), Red Sea (Egypt), Madagascar, and the Mediterranean (Malta).

Before joining The University of Tasmania in 2022, Alyssa was an Assistant Professor in the Department of Marine Science and Fisheries at Sultan Qaboos University in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman for six years, where she led applied fisheries science research projects covering a broad range of topics and including assessing: artisanal fisheries, artificial reefs used for fisheries enhancement, fish population dynamics and stock assessments, and fish communities using eDNA metabarcoding surveys.

Before Oman and following completion of her PhD (University of Queensland, 2014), Alyssa conducted a postdoctoral research fellowship through the University of Queensland, but based at the Palau International Coral Reef Centre (PICRC) in Palau, Micronesia (2014 – 2015).

Alyssa's research covers most aspects of fish population dynamics and fisheries biology and ecology, and provides information required for the sustainable management of marine resources. She has used applied methods such as acoustic telemetry and tagging, fish market surveys, field surveys (e.g., stereo-video, visual census), and field/tank experiments to investigate fish-habitat and community ecological interactions, and the impacts of fishing on fish population dynamics and community ecology.

Over her career, Alyssa has spent 18 years researching coastal ecosystems around Australia, the northwest (Arabian Sea and Gulf of Oman) and southwest (Madagascar) Indian Ocean, and the western Pacific Ocean (Guam and Palau, Micronesia). Being an expatriate researcher and lecturer has provided her with incredible opportunities for studying various marine ecosystems and working with people from different cultural perspectives. From these experiences Alyssa has a diverse perspective on the processes influencing coastal marine communities.

Qualifications
- PhD, University of Queensland, Australia, 2014. Thesis: The grazing impact of common surgeonfish on algal dynamics of the Great Barrier Reef.
- MSc, University of Guam, Guam, 2010. Thesis: Population dynamics of Naso lituratus and Naso unicornis, with an emphasis on movement patterns, population estimates, and distribution and abundance.
- BSc, James Cook University, Australia, 2003.

Administrative expertise
Alyssa has managed large research projects that have included requirements for wide stakeholder consultation and involvement and challenging fieldwork in remote locations. She has considerable experience working in interdisciplinary settings and has participated in many University committees (e.g., Department & College Boards and Quality Assurance, College Dive Safety, College Outreach & Annual Reports).

MEDIA

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ACADEMIC POSITIONS

  • Research Fellow - Fisheries Scientist
    University of Tasmania, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Hobart, Australia4 Jan 2022 - present
  • Assistant Professor
    Sultan Qaboos University, Marine Science and Fisheries, Muscat, Oman15 Feb 2016 - 31 Dec 2021
  • Post- Doctoral Research Fellow
    University of Queensland, Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, Brisbane, Australia1 Apr 2014 - 30 Nov 2015
  • Tutor
    University of Queensland, School of Biological Sciences, Brisbane, Australia5 Apr 2010 - 28 Mar 2014

DEGREES

  • PhD
    University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia1 Apr 2010 - 31 Mar 2014
  • MSc
    University of Guam, Mangilao, Guam4 Feb 2008 - 31 Mar 2010
  • BSc
    James Cook University, Townsville, Australia16 Dec 2002

SCHOOL AND PORTFOLIO

  • Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies

UN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS

  • 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  • 14 Life Below Water

AVAILABILITY

  • Career advice
  • Collaborative projects
  • Educational Outreach
  • Masters by research or PhD student supervision
  • Industry projects
  • Media enquiries
  • Membership of an advisory committee
  • Mentoring (short-term)
  • Mentoring (long-term)
  • Panellist or speaker

FIELD OF RESEARCH