Bennett Group - Shark and ray
Professor Bennett's current research is in comparative vertebrate morphology, and fish biology. The biomechanical and functional morphological studies currently include studies of marsupial locomotion and the functional morphology of bird claws, particularly in relation to foraging behaviour and early bird evolution.
Professor Bennett is involved in a number of collaborative projects investigating the mechanics of marsupial locomotion, and vertebrate soft connective tissue and mineralised tissue biomechanics. Research involving fishes focus on the biology of sharks and rays of Moreton Bay and the southern Great Barrier Reef, including, but not limited to whaler sharks, wobbegong and carpet sharks, grey nurse sharks, rays (manta, mobula, eagle- and stingrays). Our research spans population biology, feeding ecology, stress physiology, reproduction, parasitology, genetics, fisheries, growth and aging, and mechanics. Our laboratory has collaborative links with researchers from Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Southern Africa, USA, France, UK and Indonesia.
Project Manta - WA
ARC-Linkage funded Project (2015-2018; $315,000) - a collaboaration of scientists and industry partners to examine the connectivity of manta ray populations around the Australian coastline and possible interchange with Indonesian populations using a suite of approaches.
Grey nurse shark: Exploring population size and recovery
Winnifred V Scott funded project (2015-2016; $52,703) to collect census data on the grey nurse shark population along Australia's east coast with the aid of citizen science, in order to assess the effectiveness of the Recovery Plan for this species. Dr Carley Bansemer is principal researcher on this project.
Parasites of commercial fishes of Moreton Bay: a multi-disciplinary analysis of diversity
ABRS funded project (2015-2017; $297,000) that employs the disparate skills of prominent taxonomists to examine the diversity of parasites infecting fishes of commercial value within the southeastern marine region of Queensland (Assoc. Professor Tom Cribb and Dr Scott Cutmore - Team leaders)
Population units of the yellownose and roughskin skates in Chile
Chilean Fisheries funded project (2014-2015; $85,000) to determine the identity of skates in the commercial fishery and their population structure. This morphlogical and genetic analysis forms a major part of Carolina Vargas-Caro's PhD studies at UQ, with the involvement of the MFL (UQ).
Grey nurse shark DNA studies
A CSIRO funded project (2015-2016; $44,880) to develop techniques to collect DNA from grey nurse sharks for in-depth analysis of their DNA. This forms part of Ms Deborah Bowden's PhD studies of this species.
Find out more about our research environment and how to apply to do a short or long-term research project with us.