I work to understand and conserve ecosystems into the future. My expertise in marine ecology and conservation developed from the urge to understand drivers of ecosystem change, which evolved into a multidisciplinary set of skills, spanning extensive fieldwork, 3D remote sensing and advanced statistical modeling.
My research combines field and laboratory data to predict ecosystem trajectories across space and time. For example, I use 3D maps to quantify the change in coral reef structure as a result of environmental change impacts. The tools and models I have developed inform management of marine and coastal ecosystems in several countries.
Roles
My research focuses on developing useful models that inform management of coral reefs and associated ecosystems
- Cumulative Impacts
- Species distributions
- Functional traits
- Spatial modeling
- 3D modeling
As an Ecosystem Risk Modeler at AIMS my research focuses on (1) building capacity across AIMS and beyond to augment the quality and quantity of empirical data used to improve our understanding of the health and future of coral reefs; on (2) producing, curating and analysing unprecedented spatio-temporal datasets to test ecological theories in biodiversity, ecosystem function and resilience; and on (3) developing and contributing to ecosystem models used to simulate practical management scenarios and inform policy and conservation of coral reefs in Australia and the world.
To learn more, please see this example of our work under the Ecological Intelligence for Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (EcoRRAP) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGLS8H9BNf0
LM Bland, TJ Regan, MN Dinh, R Ferrari, DA Keith, R Lester, D Mouillot, NJ Murray, HA Nguyen, E Nicholson (2017) Using multiple lines of evidence to assess the risk of ecosystem collapse. Proc. R. Soc. B 284 (1863)
Ferrari R (2017) The hidden structure in coral reefs. Coral Reefs doi:10.1007/s00338-017-1540- 6 [IF 3.0]
Ferrari R, Bryson M, Bridge TCL, Hustache J, Williams SB, Byrne M and Figueira WF (2016) Quantifying the response of structural complexity and community composition to environmental change in marine communities. Global Change Biology doi:10.1111/gcb.13197 [Impact Factor 8.04]
Ferrari R, McKinnon D, He H, Smith RN, Corke P, González-Rivero M, Mumby P, Upcroft B (2016) Quantifying multiscale habitat structural complexity : a cost-effective framework for underwater 3D modelling. Remote Sensing 8(2): 113 doi:3390/rs8020113 [IF 3.18]
Gonzalez-Rivero M, Bozec YM, Chollett I, Ferrari R, Schonberg CHL, Mumby PJ (2016) Asymmetric competition prevents the outbreak of an opportunistic species after coral reef degradation. Oecologia 181: 161-173 doi:10.1007/s00442-015-3541-x [IF 3.01]
Malcolm H, Jordan A, Schultz AL, Smith SDA, Ingleton T, Foulsham E, Linklater M, Davies P, Ferrari R, Hill N, Lucieer V (2016) Integrating seafloor hábitat mapping and fish assemblage patterns improves spatial management planning in a marine park. Journal of Coastal Research. Special Issue 75(2): 1292-1296 doi: 10.2112/SI75-259 [IF 0.98]
Figueira W, Ferrari R, Weatherby E, Porter A, Hawes S, Byrne M (2015) Accuracy and precision of habitat structural complexity metrics derived from underwater photogrammetry Remote Sensing 7(12): 16883-16900 doi:3390/rs71215859 [IF 3.01]
