Emily Lester

University of Hawai'i

Both sharks and humans present a potentially lethal threat to mesopredatory fishes in coral reef systems, with implications for both population dynamics and the role of mesopredatory fishes in reef ecosystems. This study quantifies the antipredator behaviours mesopredatory fishes exhibit towards the presence of large coral reef carnivores and compa...

Context The western rock lobster fishery is recognised to be conservatively managed, with breeding stock levels estimated to be at record levels over the past decade. Despite this, anecdotal reports from commercial fishers identified an area of unexpectedly low catches in the centre of the fishery and lobsters’ biogeographic distribution. Aim To co...

The effects of fishing have been documented across coral reefs worldwide. No-take marine reserves do not only act as a conservation tool but also allow an opportunity to study impacts of fishing, by acting as control sites. In addition, well-planned and well-managed no-take marine reserves (NTRs) provide conservation benefits that are essential to...

Significance Global vessel traffic is increasing alongside world economic growth. The potential for rising lethal ship strikes on endangered species of marine megafauna, such as the plankton-feeding whale shark, remains poorly understood since areas of highest overlap are seldom determined across an entire species range. Here we show how satellite...

Fig. 1. A whale shark (Rhincodon typus) feeding on baitfish in the presence of other predators, including whaler sharks (Carcharhinus albimarginatus, Carcharhinus obscurus, Carcharhinus limbatus), trevally (Caranx spp.), mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis) and wedge-tailed shearwaters (Ardenna pacifica). Photograph credit: Tom Canon.

Quantifying the drivers of population size in reef sharks is critical for the development of appropriate conservation strategies. In north-west Australia, shark populations inhabit coral reefs that border growing centres of human population, industry, and tourism. However, we lack baseline data on reef sharks at large spatial scales (hundreds of km...

Many temperate reefs are experiencing a shift towards a greater abundance of tropical species in response to marine heatwaves and long-term ocean warming worldwide. Baseline data for coral communities growing in high-latitude reefs is required to better understand ecosystem changes over time. In this study, we explore spatial and temporal trends in...

Determining influences of predation and competition on community dynamics is particularly challenging in coral reef systems where interspecific interactions between many predator and prey species play out in patchy landscapes. We used ~1000 stereo-baited remote underwater video deployments (stereo-BRUVs) to assess the relative abundance and analyse...

Monitoring the demographics and movement patterns of mobile marine species underpins appropriate management and conservation strategies. Photographic identification of whale sharks Rhincodon typus based on individual variations in spot patterns is a widely used technique for monitoring of populations, but relies on the untested assumptions that the...

Abstract The idea that the presence of sharks impacts the behavior of mesopredatory reef fishes is controversial and lacks clear evidence at reef‐wide scales. We compared the abundance and behavior of these reef fishes in response to the presence of reef sharks using Baited Remote Underwater Video System (BRUVS) deployments in two adjacent reef sys...

Age and growth data are central to management or conservation strategies for any species. Circumstantial evidence suggests that male whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) grow to asymptotic sizes much smaller than those predicted by age and growth studies and consequently, there may be sex-specific size and growth patterns in the species. We tested this h...

Predators can exert strong ecological effects on their prey either via consumption or by altering their behaviour and morphology. In marine systems, predators and their prey co‐occur in a three‐dimensional environment, but to date predator–prey studies have largely focussed on behaviours of prey on horizontal (distance from shelter) rather than ver...

In-water shark-based tourism is growing worldwide and whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are one of the most popular targets of this industry. It is important to monitor tourism industries to minimize any potential impacts on target species. At Ningaloo, Western Australia, Electronic Monitoring Systems (EMS) have been installed on licensed tour vessels...