Ivan Lawler
Lecturer in Environmental Science
EV1001: Introduction to Environmental Science
EV 3201: Coastal Zone Management
EV3203/5203:
Conserving Marine Wildlife: Sea Mammals, Birds and Reptiles
Research Interests
My primary research area is dugong ecology. In particular I am
involved in estimating dugong abundance and distribution via aerial
survey techniques. My aim is refine these methods using improved
knowledge of diving behaviour to correct for sub-surface animals
that are not seen during aerial surveys. The diving research is
also now expanding also into the area of dugong feeding ecology
and small-scale movements. Using new GPS-based tracking devices
we can determine dugong locations several times every hour with
an accuracy of less than a few metres. Combined with data on diving
behaviour this will give us unprecedented information into the
use of habitat by dugongs. I also have strong interests in herbivory.
My PhD studies looked at the importance of a newly-discovered
group of toxins for the feeding choices of marsupials browsing
on eucalypt foliage (possums and koalas). The concentrations of
these toxins vary dramatically from tree to tree, even within
favoured food species. The implications of this are that some
individual trees of food species are not available as food items.
A species-based approach to estimating food abundance for these
animals substantially overestimates food availability and habitat
quality.
How to Find Me
- Visit: Room 233, TESAG building
- Call: (+61) 747 81 5823
- Fax: (+61) 747 81 4020
- Email: Ivan.Lawler@jcu.edu.au
