Donald Ross

Brief description

Dr Jeff Ross
Research Fellow
I completed my undergraduate and honours degrees at the University of Melbourne and Monash University respectively, before moving to Hobart to undertake my PhD at UTAS/CSIRO on the impacts of the introduced Japanese seastar Asterias amurensis. I then moved back to Melbourne to take up a postdoctoral position at the University of Melbourne investigating the effects of marine pests on key nutrient cycling processes in Port Phillip Bay. Now settled in Hobart I am a Research Fellow in the IMAS Estuaries and Coasts Program. Based on a multidisciplinary approach which incorporates ecology, biogeochemistry and ecosystem modelling my present research is focused on improving our understanding of the key drivers of coastal and estuarine ecosystem dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the role of anthropogenic activities. Ultimately, with the goal of providing the robust scientific understanding required to underpin sound decision making in coastal zone management.
I am also actively involved with undergraduate and postgraduate research training. I currently co supervisors six PhD students, co-coordinate and teach into KZA 356 Marine Ecology, KZA 305 Scientific Diving, QMS 514 Structure and Function of Marine Ecosystems and I am an IMAS Graduate Research Coordinator
Research
Based on a multidisciplinary approach which incorporates ecology, biogeochemistry and ecosystem modelling my present research is focused on improving our understanding of the key drivers of coastal and estuarine ecosystem dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the role of anthropogenic activities. Ultimately, with the goal of providing the robust scientific understanding required to underpin sound decision making in coastal zone management.