Shannon James McMahon

Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University | OIST

Comprehensive monitoring of 31 PFAS on a highly militarized island. ∑PFAS measured for 15 individual PFAS analogues. Varying PFAS fingerprints found at different geographical locations on the island.

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) are increasing in frequency and intensity. Coral reefs are particularly susceptible to MHWs, which cause mass coral bleaching and mortality. However, little is known about how MHWs affect coral reef fishes. Here, we investigated how MHWs affect the physiology of a coral reef mesopredator, Lutjanus carponotatus. Specifically,...

Per-and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a resilient class of anthropogenic contaminants of emerging concern with over 12,000 individual compounds that have been noted for industrial applications, consumer goods, and food packaging materials. In general, the most common contributors to PFAS environmental pollution are aviation facilities, spec...

The success of individuals during the pelagic larval phase is critical to maintaining healthy and viable populations of coral reef fishes; however, it is also the most environmentally sensitive and energetically demanding life stage. Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of marine heatwaves, which could have significant effects o...

The gill is one of the most important organs for growth and survival of fishes. Early life stages in coral reef fishes often exhibit extreme physiological and demographic characteristics that are linked to well-established respiratory and ionoregulatory processes. However, gill development and function in coral reef fishes is not well-understood. T...

Ocean acidification (OA) is predicted to affect the physiology of some fishes. To date, most studies have investigated this issue using stable pCO2 levels based on open ocean projections. Yet, most shallow, nearshore systems experience temporal and spatial pCO2 fluctuations. For example, pCO2 on coral reefs is highest at night and lowest during the...

Rising water temperature and increased uptake of CO2 by the ocean are predicted to have widespread impacts on marine species. However, the effects are likely to vary, depending on a species’ sensitivity and the geographical location of the population. Here, we investigated the potential effects of elevated temperature and pCO2 on larval growth and...

Anthropogenic CO2 emissions are warming and acidifying Earth's oceans, which is likely to lead to a variety of effects on marine ecosystems. Fish populations will be vulnerable to this change, and there is now substantial evidence of the direct and indirect effects of climate change on fish. There is also a growing effort to conceptualise the effec...

Under projected levels of ocean acidification, shifts in energetic demands and food availability could interact to effect the growth and development of marine organisms. Changes to individual growth rates could then flow on to influence emergent properties of social groups, particularly in species that form size-based hierarchies. To test the poten...

As climate change advances, coastal marine ecosystems are predicted to experience increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves. At the same time, already variable CO2 levels in coastal habitats will be exacerbated by ocean acidification. High temperature and elevated CO2 levels can be stressful to marine organisms, especially during critical early l...

Elevated seawater CO2 can cause a range of behavioural impairments in marine fishes. However, most studies to date have been conducted on small benthic species and very little is known about how higher oceanic CO2 levels could affect the behaviour of large pelagic species. Here, we tested the effects of elevated CO2, and where possible the interact...

The appropriate behavioural response to predation risk is critical to survival; however, behavioural responses can be subjected to trade-offs. For example, individuals may engage in riskier foraging behaviour to secure sufficient energy if resources are limited. Additionally, elevated CO2 can influence foraging and antipredator behaviour of marine...

Reduced water quality, in particular increases in suspended sediments, has been linked to declines in fish abundance on coral reefs. Changes in gill structure induced by suspended sediments have been hypothesized to impair gill function and may provide a mechanistic basis for the observed declines; yet, evidence for this is lacking. We exposed juve...

Pioneering studies into the effects of elevated CO2 on the behaviour of reef fishes often tested high-CO2 reared fish using control water in the test arena. While subsequent studies using rearing treatment water (control or high CO2) in the test arena have confirmed the effects of high CO2 on a range of reef fish behaviours, a further investigation...

R Code used in LME analysis of kinematic variables

Experimental apparatus for testing escape responses in juvenile reef fish

Raw Data for Effects of elevated CO2 on predator avoidance behaviour by reef fishes is not altered by experimental test water

Pioneering studies into the effects of elevated CO2 on the behaviour of reef fishes often tested high-CO2 reared fish using control water in the test arena. While subsequent studies using rearing treatment water (control or high CO2) in the test arena have confirmed the effects of high CO2 on a range of reef fish behaviours, a further investigation...