About the School
Current Students
Prospective Students
Research
Facilities
Careers
Ron WestAssociate Professor 35.G11 +61 2 4221 4648 |
|
Research Interests
Associate Professor Ron West is an environmental scientist with a long research association with the coastal environments of south-eastern Australia and a keen interest in oceans and coastal policy. His major research areas could be summarised as:
Coastal wetland biology and ecology (particularly seagrass, mangrove, saltmarsh and phytoplankton communities). Also eutrophication and nutrient cycling.
Recreational and commercial fisheries
Representative Publications
Fidelman, P., Morrison, R. J. & West, R. J. (2005) Development of Watershed Management in New South Wales, Australia: A Coastal Perspective. In '14th Biennial Coastal Zone Conference New Orleans, Louisiana USA'. (US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Coastal Services Center, Charleston SC USA: Louisiana USA).
Jones, M. & West, R. J. (2005) Spatial and temporal variability of seagrass fishes in intermittently closed and open coastal lakes in southeastern Australia. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, 64, 277 - 288.
Qu, W., West, R. J., Morrison, R. J. & Chenwei Su (2005) Diagenetic stoichiometry and benthic nutrient fluxes at the sediment-water interface of Lake Illawarra, Australia. Hydrobiologia, 537, 249 - 264.
West, R. J. (2005). Coastal lagoons of south-eastern australia: impacts of human-induced stresses and climate. In: 'Lagoons and coastal wetlands in the global change context: impacts and management issues, Proceedings of the International Conference, Venice, 26-28 April 2004'. (Ed. P. Campostrini, P. Lasserre & P. Viaroli.) pp. 32 - 38. (UNESCO ROSTE: Venezia, Italy.)
Qu, W., Morrison, R. J., West, R. J. & Su, C. (2006) Organic matter and benthic metabolism in Lake Illawarra, Australia. Continental Shelf Research, 26, 15, 1756 - 1774.
Griffiths, S., Davis, A. R. & West, R. J. (2006) Role of habitat complexity in structuring temperate rockpool ichthyofaunas. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 313, 227 - 239.
West, R. J., Jones, M. V., Parsons, B. W., Annese, D. M. & Barker, D. T. (2006). Life history, reproductive biology, habitat use and fishery status of eastern sea garfish (Hyporhamphus australis) and river garfish (H. regularis ardelio) in NSW waters. FRDC Project No. 2001/027. Supplementary Report. (University of Wollongong, Australia).
Tsamenyi, M., West, R. J. & Palma, M. (Ed.) (2006). Bilateral Workshop to Combat IUU Fishing in the Sulawesi Sea. (Centre for Maritime Policy: Wollongong).
Rotherham, D. & West, R. J. (2007) Spatial and temporal patterns of abundance and recruitment of ghost shrimp Trypaea australiensis across hierarchical scales in south-eastern Australia. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 341, 165 - 175.
West, E. J. & West, R. J. (2007) Growth and survival of the invasive alga, Caulerpa taxifolia, in different salinities and temperatures: implications for coastal lake management. Hydrobiologia, 577, 1, 87 - 94.
Nottage, J. D., West, R. J., Montgomery, S. S. & Graham, K. (2007) Cephalopod diversity in commercial fisheries landings of New South Wales, Australia. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 17, 2-3, 271 - 281.
Qu, W., Morrison, R. J., West, R. J. & Su, C. (2007) Spatial and Temporal Variability in Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen Fluxes at the Sediment-Water Interface in Lake Illawarra, Australia. Water Air Soil Pollution, 186, DOI 10.1007/s11270-007-9459-0, 15 - 28.
West, R.J. (Accepted 2009). The legal regime for the protection and exploitation of fishes, with special reference to Australia. Soochow University Law Journal.
West, R.J., Tsamenyi, M. and Palma, M.A. (2009). Linking policy and science for effective fisheries management, including combating IUU fishing. Proceedings of the World Ocean Congress, Manado, May 2009.
Rotherham, D. & West, R. J. (2009). Patterns in reproductive dynamics of burrowing ghost shrimp Trypaea australiensis from small to intermediate scales. Marine Biology, 156:1277-1287.
Roberts, D. G., Gray, C.A., West, R.J. & Ayre, D.J. 2009. Evolutionary impacts of hybridization and interspecific gene flow on an obligately estuarine fish. Journal Of Evolutionary Biology, 22: 27-35.
Miles, N.G. and West, R.J. (2009). Does otolith chemistry indicate diadromous lifecycles for five SE Australian riverine fishes? Marine and Freshwater Research (Accepted).
Current Postgraduate Students
PhD Students:
Chris Walsh, Project Title: Effects of Environmental Flows on Two Co-Occurring Percilthyidae Fishes.
David Roberts, Project Title: Hybridization in Bream (Joint with D. Ayre).
Andrew Read, Project Title: The role of marine protected areas in ecosystem-based management (Joint with M. Tsamenyi).
Masters Students:
Mandi McKaig, Project Title: Recreational Fishing in NSW.
Recent Graduates
PhD Students:
Dr Nathan Miles, Project Title: Ecology and Biology of Diadromous Fish of South Eastern Australia.
Dr Pedro Fidelman, Project Title: Strategic Analysis of the Coastal Zone Definition of Integrated CZM Boundaries (Joint with J. Morrison).
Dr Dongyen Liu, Project Title: Influence of Nutrient Loadings on Plankton Diversity in Intermittantly Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons of South East Australia (Joint with J. Morrison).
Dr Lara Manarangi-Trott, Project Title: Fisheries Data and Western and Central Pacific Tuna Fisheries Management: The interfaces of Science, Law and Policy (Joint with M. Tsamenyi).
Dr Peter Peshut, Project Title: Mercury Bioaccumulation Relationships along a Tropic Gradient in the Marine Environment of American Samoa (Joint with J. Morrison).
Dr Karin Rutten, Project Title: Macrophytes in Lake Illawarra - role in nutrient budget and impact of harvesting (Joint with J. Morrison).
Dr Ulukalesi Bale Tamata, Project Title: Impacts of Sewage-Related Nutrient Enrichment on Fringing Reefs in Viti Levu, Fiji (Joint with J. Morrison).
Dr Melissa Thompson, Project Title: 'The Role of Science in the Management of Estuaries in Southeastern Australia: The NSW Experience'. (Joint with J. Morrison).
Masters Students:
David Barker, Project Title: Environmental Effects of Fish Farm in Botany Bay.
Marcus Miller, Project Title: The fisheries ecology of ocean leatherjackets in eastern Australia.
Nichanan Tadkaew, Project Title: Assessment of Seagrass Community Changes in NSW South Coast Lakes and Estuaries (Joint with J. Morrison).
Future Topics for Students
Fish, fisheries and fish habitats studies.
Seagrass biology and ecology, including fishes and other seagrass fauna and flora.
Estuarine wetlands, including algae, seagrasses, mangroves and saltmarshes.
Coastal lake systems in SE Australia.
Phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms.
Fisheries policy and management.
Coastal and oceans policy.
See Also the Honours Topics Page
Abbreviated CV
Associate Professor Ron West is a member of the Institute of Conservation Biology (http://www.uow.edu.au/science/biol/icb/) and the Australian National Centre for Oceans Resources and Security (http://www.ancors.uow.edu.au/). Prior to joining the university, he held many senior research and policy positions in government, and provided research and policy advice on natural resources management, including fish and fisheries, threatened species, estuary and river management, marine impact assessment, marine park selection and forest policy.
He is currently Chair of the NSW Fisheries Scientific Committee, dealing with threatened aquatic species, and a member of several government advisory committees, in particular the Southern Coalfields Inquiry.
Ron has over 70 research publications dealing with fish and fisheries, estuaries, wetlands, coastal lakes and marine ecology. He has several major research projects, in Australia, Indonesia and Philippines.
Ron lectures in environmental science and fisheries science and is supervising a number of research students completing PhD, Masters and Honours degrees.