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Associate Professor Thomas Schlacher
BSc(Hons) Salzburg, MSc Vienna, PhD P.Elizabeth
Position: Associate Professor in Marine Science
Tel: +61 7 5430 2847
Fax: +61 7 5430 2881
Email: tschlach@usc.edu.au
Teaching areas
- Marine Ecology
- Coastal Ecology and Conservation
- Coastal Management
Research areas
- estuarine ecology and conservation
- coastal pollution biology
- sandy beach ecology
- trophic architecture of deep-sea assemblages
- biodiversity of deep-sea communities, particularly seamounts
Profile
My scientific roots in the salty domain are in the placid waters of the northern Mediterranean for my Masters, and the estuaries of South Africa for my PhD work.
Because the world is a diverse and fascinating place, and I vacillate on exclusive decisions, I have always tried to explore the natural world in diverse habitat types, work in different ecosystems, look at structures and processes at different levels of ecological organisation, and poke a great many different organisms along the way.
Lately, some of the main thrusts of my research fall broadly into the following areas (Publications are listed below):
- carbon and nitrogen pathways in estuarine and near-shore food webs, including energetic linkages between landscape elements; [1-6]
- development and testing of new response variables/indicators for pollution monitoring; [7-12]
- ecology and human impacts on sandy beaches and coastal dunes, including habitat modifications and threats to shorebirds on ocean-exposed sandy shores; [8, 13-41]
- biodiversity of deep-sea communities, particularly seamounts and canyons, and the environmental consequences of fishing; [42-45]
- the role of habitat complexity in structuring benthic assemblages. [44-47]
Publications
Many of Associate Professor Thomas Schlacher's publications are available from the Coast Research Database or can be seen below.
1. Schlacher, T.A. and R.M. Connolly, Land-ocean coupling of carbon and nitrogen fluxes on sandy beaches. Ecosystems, 2009. 12(2): p. 311-321.
2. Connolly, R.M., T.A. Schlacher, and T.F. Gaston, Stable isotope evidence for trophic subsidy of coastal benthic fisheries by river discharge plumes generated off small estuaries. Marine Biology Research, 2009. 5 p. 164-171.
3. Schlacher, T.A., A.J. Skillington, R.M. Connolly, W. Robinson, and T.F. Gaston, Coupling between marine plankton and freshwater flow in the plumes off a small estuary. International Review of Hydrobiology, 2008. 6: p. 641-658.
4. Schlacher, T.A., R.M. Connolly, A.J. Skillington, and T.F. Gaston, Can export of organic matter from estuaries support zooplankton in nearshore, marine plumes? Aquatic Ecology, 2008. 43(2): p. 383-393.
5. Schlacher, T.A. and G. Cronin, A trophic cascade in a macrophytes-based food web at the land-water ecotone. Ecological Research, 2007. 22: p. 749-755.
6. Gaston, T.F., T.A. Schlacher, and R.M. Connolly, Flood discharges of a small river into open coastal waters: Plume traits and material fate. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 2006. 69(1-2): p. 4-9.
7. Schlacher, T.A., S. Lloyd, and A. Wiegand, Utility of local ecological knowledge in defining attributes and drivers of algal blooms in coastal waters: a case study from Eastern Australia. Journal of Environmental Management, in press. in press.
8. Defeo, O., A. McLachlan, D.S. Schoeman, T.A. Schlacher, J. Dugan, A. Jones, M. Lastra, and F. Scapini, Threats to sandy beach ecosystems: A review. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 2009. 81(1): p. 1-12.
9. Schlacher, T.A., J. Stark, and S. Fischer, Effects of light and substrate on propagation of staghorn corals in captivity. Aquaculture, 2007. 269: p. 278-289.
10. Schlacher, T.A., J.A. Mondon, and R.M. Connolly, Estuarine fish health assessment: Evidence of wastewater impacts based on nitrogen isotopes and histopathology. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2007. 54(11): p. 1762-1776.
11. Mill, A., T.A. Schlacher, and M. Katouli, Tidal and longitudinal variation of faecal indicator bacteria in an estuarine creek in south-east Queensland, Australia. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2006. 52(8): p. 881-891.
12. Schlacher, T.A., B. Liddell, T.F. Gaston, and M. Schlacher-Hoenlinger, Fish track wastewater pollution to estuaries. Oecologia, 2005. 144(4): p. 570-584.
13. Walker, S. and T.A. Schlacher, Impact of a pulse human disturbance experiment on macrofaunal assemblages on an Australian sandy beach. Journal of Coastal Research, in press. in press.
14. Noriega, R. and T.A. Schlacher, Reductions in ghost crab populations reflect urbanization of beaches and dunes. Journal of Coastal Research, in press. in press: p. accepted 26 March 2010.
15. Lucrezi, S., T.A. Schlacher, and W. Robinson, Can storms and shore armouring exert additive effects on sandy beach habitats and biota? Marine & Freshwater Research, in press. in press.
16. Dugan, J., L. Airoldi, G. Chapman, S. Walker, and T.A. Schlacher, Estuarine and Coastal Structures: Environmental Effects, in Treatise on Estuarine and Coastal Science Volume 8: Human-induced problems in estuaries and coasts, M. Kennish and M. Elliott, Editors. in press, Elsevier: London.
17. Clark, M.R., A.A. Rowden, T.A. Schlacher, A. Williams, M. Consalvey, K.I. Stocks, A.D. Rogers, T.D. O'Hara, M. White, T.M. Shank, and J.M. Hall-Spencer, The ecology of seamounts: structure, function, and human impacts. Annual Review of Marine Science, 2010. 2: p. 253–78.
18. Sheppard, N., K.A. Pitt, and T.A. Schlacher, Sub-lethal effects of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on surf clams on sandy beaches. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology & Ecology, 2009. 380: p. 113–118.
19. Schlacher, T.A. and L.M.C. Thompson, Changes to dunes caused by 4WD vehicle tracks in beach camping areas of Fraser Island, in Proceedings of the 2009 Qld. Coastal Conference, S. Galvin, Editor. 2009, SEQC: Brisbane, Australia.
20. Reopanichkul, P., T.A. Schlacher, R.W. Carter, and S. Worachananant, Sewage impacts coral reefs at multiple levels of ecological organization. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2009. 58(9): p. 1356-1362.
21. Lucrezi, S., T.A. Schlacher, and S.J. Walker, Monitoring human impacts on sandy shore ecosystems: a test of ghost crabs (Ocypode spp.) as biological indicators on an urban beach. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 2009. 152: p. 413–424.
22. Lucrezi, S., T.A. Schlacher, and W. Robinson, Human disturbance as a cause of bias in ecological indicators for sandy beaches: Experimental evidence for the effects of human trampling on ghost crabs (Ocypode spp.). Ecological Indicators, 2009. 9: p. 913-921.
23. Lastra, M., T.A. Schlacher, and C. Olabarria, Niche segregation in sandy beach animals: an analysis with surface-active peracarid crustaceans on the Atlantic coast of Spain. Marine Biology, 2009. online first: DOI 10.1007/s00227-009-1346-3.
24. Bennett, J., G. Fisk, E. Abal, T. Stevens, R. Connolly, T.A. Schlacher, N. Udy, D. Rissik, B. Zeller, M. Winning, and G. Deacon, Towards understanding the ecological health and character of Moreton Bay, in Proceedings of the 2009 Qld. Coastal Conference, S. Galvin, Editor. 2009, SEQC: Brisbane, Australia.
25. Althaus, F., A. Williams, T.A. Schlacher, R.J. Kloser, M.A. Green, B.A. Barker, N.J. Bax, P. Brodie, and M.A. Hoenlinger-Schlacher, Impacts of bottom trawling on deep-coral ecosystems of seamounts are long-lasting. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2009. 397: p. 279–294.
26. Thompson, L.M.C. and T.A. Schlacher, Physical damage to coastal foredunes and ecological impacts caused by vehicle tracks associated with beach camping on sandy shores: a case study from Fraser Island, Australia. Journal of Coastal Conservation, 2008. 12: p. 67–82.
27. Schlacher, T.A., L.M.C. Thompson, and S.J. Walker, Mortalities caused by off-road vehicles (ORVs) to a key member of sandy beach assemblages, the surf clam Donax deltoides. Hydrobiologia, 2008. 610: p. 345-350.
28. Schlacher, T.A. and L.M.C. Thompson, Physical impacts caused by off-road vehicles (ORVs) to sandy beaches: spatial quantification of car tracks on an Australian barrier island. Journal of Coastal Research, 2008. 224: p. 234-242.
29. Schlacher, T.A., D.S. Schoeman, J.E. Dugan, M. Lastra, A. Jones, F. Scapini, and A. McLachlan, Sandy beach ecosystems: key features, sampling issues, management challenges and climate change impacts. Marine Ecology, 2008. 29 (S1): p. 70–90.
30. Schlacher, T.A., D. Richardson, and I. McLean, Impacts of off-road vehicles (ORVs) on macrobenthic assemblages on sandy beaches. Environmental Management, 2008. 41: p. 878-892.
31. Schlacher, T.A. and J.M. Morrison, Beach disturbance caused by off-road vehicles (ORVs) on sandy shores: Relationship with traffic volumes and a new method to quantify impacts using image-based data acquisition and analysis. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 2008. 56: p. 1646-1649.
32. Schlacher, T.A., 4WD vehicles on sandy beaches. Waves, 2008. 14(2): p. 11.
33. Schlacher, T.A., 4WD beach traffic: An acceptable use of sandy shores? National Parks Journal, 2008. 52(4): p. 8-11.
34. Lastra, M. and T.A. Schlacher, eds. Advances in sandy shore ecology: Proceedings of the fourth International Sandy Beach Symposium. 2008, Marine Ecology, Vol.29, Special Issue 1. 195.
35. Schlacher, T.A., L.M.C. Thompson, and S. Price, Vehicles versus conservation of invertebrates on sandy beaches: quantifying direct mortalities inflicted by off-road vehicles (ORVs) on ghost crabs. Marine Ecology, 2007. 28: p. 354-367.
36. Schlacher, T.A. and L.M.C. Thompson, Exposure of fauna to off-road vehicle (ORV) traffic on sandy beaches. Coastal Management, 2007. 35: p. 567-583.
37. Schlacher, T.A., M.A. Schlacher-Hoenlinger, A. Williams, F. Althaus, and J.N.A. Hooper, Richness and distribution of sponge megabenthos in continental margin canyons off South-Eastern Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 2007. 340: p. 73-88.
38. Schlacher, T.A., J. Dugan, D.S. Schoeman, M. Lastra, A. Jones, F. Scapini, A. McLachlan, and O. Defeo, Sandy beaches at the brink. Diversity & Distributions, 2007. 13: p. 556-560.
39. Samedi, S., T.A. Schlacher, and B. Richer de Forges, Seamount Benthos, in Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries & Conservation, T. Pitcher, et al., Editors. 2007, Blackwell Scientific: Oxford, U.K. p. 119-140.
40. Schlacher, T.A., D.S. Schoeman, M. Lastra, A. Jones, J. Dugan, F. Scapini, and A. McLachlan, Neglected ecosystems bear the brunt of change. Ethology, Ecology & Evolution, 2006. 18(4): p. 349-351.
41. Clark, M.R., D. Tittensor, A.D. Rogers, P. Brewin, T.A. Schlacher, A. Rowden, K. Stocks, and M. Consavley, Seamounts, deep-sea corals and fisheries: vulnerability of deep-sea corals to fishing on seamounts beyond areas of national jurisdiction. 2006, Cambridge, U.K.: UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre. 80.
42. Williams, A., T.A. Schlacher, A.A. Rowden, F. Althaus, M.R. Clark, D.A. Bowden, R. Stewart, N.J. Bax, M. Consalvey, and R.J. Kloser, Seamount benthos fails to recover from trawling impacts. Marine Ecology, in press. in press.
43. Rowden, A.A., K.E. Schnabel, T.A. Schlacher, E. Macpherson, S.T. Ahyong, and B. Richer de Forges, Species composition of benthic assemblages on seamounts is distinct from some but not all deep-sea habitats. Marine Ecology, in press. in press.
44. Schlacher, T.A., A. Williams, F. Althaus, and M.A. Schlacher-Hoenlinger, High-resolution seabed imagery quantifies habitat attributes and megabenthos diversity in submarine canyons to underpin spatial conservation planning on continental margins. Marine Ecology, 2010. 31(1): p. 200-221.
45. Tittensor, D.P., A.R. Baco, P.E. Brewin, M.R. Clark, M. Consalvey, J. Hall-Spencer, A.A. Rowden, T.A. Schlacher, K.I. Stocks, and A.D. Rogers, Predicting global habitat suitability for stony corals on seamounts. Journal of Biogeography, 2009. 36(6): p. 1111-1128.
46. Walker, S.J., T.A. Schlacher, and L.M.C. Thompson, Habitat modification in a dynamic environment: The influence of a small artificial groyne on macrofaunal assemblages of a sandy beach. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 2008. 79(1): p. 24-34.
47. Walker, S., T.A. Schlacher, and M.A. Schlacher-Hoenlinger, Spatial heterogeneity of encrusting epifauna on a structurally complex artificial reef. Marine Ecology, 2007. 28: p. 435-445.
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