Ben Saunders

Dr. Ben Saunders

Ph.D, BSc (Hons)
School of Molecular and Life Sciences (MLS)
Faculty of Science and Engineering
Curtin Perth
Senior Lecturer

Contact Details

Location: Applied Science, Room 201
Telephone: +61 08 9266 9825
Email: Ben.Saunders@curtin.edu.au

Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.au/citations?user=oUEqCV8AAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1929-518X
Website: https://www.facebook.com/fishecologygroup/

Background

Ben Saunders is a lecturer in the school of Molecular and Life Sciences, Ecology DIscipline, Fish Ecology Laboratory. Ben gained his PhD through the University of Western Australia, and BSc(Hons) through the University of Wales Aberystwyth (UK). Ben’s research focuses on marine fishes. His current research focus is on reef fish assemblages in Australia’s south and mid-west, but Ben has active research interests in a variety of marine fields, including spatial distribution and habitat associations of fishes, behavioural ecology, community ecology and the influence of anthropogenic structures and environmental changes on fishes.

Academic History

  • PhD, University of Western Australia
  • BSc (Hons), University of Wales Aberystwyth

Research Interest

  • Spatial distribution and habitat associations of fishes
  • Behavioural ecology
  • Community ecology
  • Influence of anthropogenic structures
  • Environmental changes on fishes

Selected Publication

A. Book & Book Chapters

  1. Browne, N. K., M. Cuttler, K. Moon, K. Morgan, C. L. Ross, C. Castro-Sanguino, E. Kennedy, D. Harris, P. Barnes, A. Bauman, and 20 more contributors. 2021. “Predicting responses of geo-ecological carbonate reef systems to climate change: A conceptual model and review.” In Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, Volume 59, 229-370

B. Journal Publications

2023

  1. Hellmrich, L. S., B. J. Saunders, J. R. C. Parker, J. S. Goetze, and E. S. Harvey. 2023. “Stereo-ROV surveys of tropical reef fishes are comparable to stereo-DOVs with reduced behavioural biases.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 281

2022

  1. Bosch, N. E., J. Monk, J. Goetze, S. Wilson, R. C. Babcock, N. Barrett, J. Clough, L. M. Currey-Randall, D. V. Fairclough, R. Fisher, and 22 more contributors. 2022. “Effects of human footprint and biophysical factors on the body-size structure of fished marine species.” Conservation Biology 36 (2)
  2. Bosch, N. E., M. McLean, S. Zarco-Perello, S. Bennett, R. D. Stuart-Smith, A. Vergés, A. Pessarrodona, F. Tuya, T. Langlois, C. Spencer, and 4 more contributors. 2022. “Persistent thermally driven shift in the functional trait structure of herbivorous fishes: Evidence of top-down control on the rebound potential of temperate seaweed forests?.” Global Change Biology 28 (7): 2296-2311.
  3. Landero Figueroa, M. M., M. J. G. Parsons, B. J. Saunders, and I. M. Parnum. 2022. “The Spatial Variation of Acoustic Water Column Data and Its Relationship with Reef-Associated Fish Recorded by Baited Remote Underwater Stereo-Videos off the Western Australia Coast.” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10 (1)
  4. Cole, A. J., S. S. Tulsankar, B. J. Saunders, and R. Fotedar. 2022. “Effects of an oil-based substrate (The Water Cleanser™) and bacterial additives on nitrogen and phosphorous dynamics in freshwater crayfish (Cherax cainii, Austin and Ryan 2002) aquaculture.” Aquaculture International 30 (2): 937-954.
  5. McKinley, S. J., B. J. Saunders, E. Rastoin-Laplane, P. Salinas-de-León, and E. S. Harvey. 2022. “Functional diversity of reef fish assemblages in the Galapagos Archipelago.” Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 549
  6. Aulich, M. G., R. D. McCauley, B. S. Miller, F. Samaran, G. Giorli, B. J. Saunders, and C. Erbe. 2022. “Seasonal Distribution of the Fin Whale (Balaenoptera physalus) in Antarctic and Australian Waters Based on Passive Acoustics.” Frontiers in Marine Science 9
  7. Jessop, S. A., B. J. Saunders, J. S. Goetze, and E. S. Harvey. 2022. “A comparison of underwater visual census, baited, diver operated and remotely operated stereo-video for sampling shallow water reef fishes.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 276
  8. Marnane, M. J., K. D. Schramm, D. Driessen, L. A. Fullwood, B. J. Saunders, S. Songploy, J. Kettratad, P. Sitaworawet, S. Chaiyakul, A. Chankong, and 3 more contributors. 2022. “Evidence of fish following towed oil and gas platforms to a reefing site and rapid colonisation.” Marine Environmental Research 180
  9. Davenport, A. M., C. Erbe, M. N. M. Jenner, K. C. S. Jenner, B. J. Saunders, and R. D. McCauley. 2022. “Pygmy Blue Whale Diving Behaviour Reflects Song Structure.” Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 10 (9)
  10. Fernandes, K., K. Prendergast, P. W. Bateman, B. J. Saunders, M. Gibberd, M. Bunce, and P. Nevill. 2022. “DNA metabarcoding identifies urban foraging patterns of oligolectic and polylectic cavity-nesting bees.” Oecologia 200 (3-4): 323-337.
  11. Pearmain-Fenton, M., L. N. Gilson, B. J. Saunders, and P. W. Bateman. 2022. “Distress responses during handling in urban and exurban bandiny, the New Holland honeyeater (Phylidonyris novaehollandiae), in southwestern Western Australia.” Pacific Conservation Biology

2021

  1. Schramm, K. D., M. J. Marnane, T. S. Elsdon, C. M. Jones, B. J. Saunders, S. J. Newman, and E. S. Harvey. 2021. “Fish associations with shallow water subsea pipelines compared to surrounding reef and soft sediment habitats.” Scientific Reports 11 (1)
  2. Price, B. A., E. S. Harvey, S. Mangubhai, B. J. Saunders, M. Puotinen, and J. S. Goetze. 2021. “Responses of benthic habitat and fish to severe tropical cyclone Winston in Fiji.” Coral Reefs 40 (3): 807-819.
  3. Goetze, J. S., S. Wilson, B. Radford, R. Fisher, T. J. Langlois, J. Monk, N. A. Knott, H. Malcolm, L. M. Currey-Randall, D. Ierodiaconou, and 25 more contributors. 2021. “Increased connectivity and depth improve the effectiveness of marine reserves.” Global Change Biology 27 (15): 3432-3447.
  4. Harvey, E. S., S. L. Watts, B. J. Saunders, D. Driessen, L. A. F. Fullwood, M. Bunce, S. Songploy, J. Kettratad, P. Sitaworawet, S. Chaiyakul, and 2 more contributors. 2021. “Fish Assemblages Associated With Oil and Gas Platforms in the Gulf of Thailand.” Frontiers in Marine Science 8
  5. Parnum, I. 2021. “Testing the Improvement of Coral Reef Associated Fish Distribution Models Based on Multibeam Bathymetry by Adding Seafloor Backscatter Data.” Frontiers in Marine Science
  6. Landero Figueroa, M. M., M. J. G. Parsons, B. J. Saunders, B. Radford, C. Salgado-Kent, and I. M. Parnum. 2021. “The use of singlebeam echo-sounder depth data to produce demersal fish distribution models that are comparable to models produced using multibeam echo-sounder depth.” Ecology and Evolution 11 (24): 17873-17884.
  7. Saunders, B. 2021. “Successful establishment of range-shifting, warm-water Labridae in temperate South Western Australia.” MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES

2020

  1. Schramm, K. D., E. S. Harvey, J. S. Goetze, M. J. Travers, B. Warnock, and B. J. Saunders. 2020. “A comparison of stereo-BRUV, diver operated and remote stereo-video transects for assessing reef fish assemblages.” Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 524
  2. Goldsworthy, S. D., B. J. Saunders, J. R. C. Parker, and E. S. Harvey. 2020. “Spatial assemblage structure of shallow-water reef fish in Southwest Australia.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 649: 125-140.
  3. Langlois, T., J. Goetze, T. Bond, J. Monk, R. A. Abesamis, J. Asher, N. Barrett, A. T. F. Bernard, P. J. Bouchet, M. J. Birt, and 31 more contributors. 2020. “A field and video annotation guide for baited remote underwater stereo-video surveys of demersal fish assemblages.” Methods in Ecology and Evolution 11 (11): 1401-1409.
  4. Schramm, K. D., M. J. Marnane, T. S. Elsdon, C. Jones, B. J. Saunders, J. S. Goetze, D. Driessen, L. A. F. Fullwood, and E. S. Harvey. 2020. “A comparison of stereo-BRUVs and stereo-ROV techniques for sampling shallow water fish communities on and off pipelines.” Marine Environmental Research 162

2019

  1. Cole, A. J., S. S. Tulsankar, B. J. Saunders, and R. Fotedar. 2019. “Effects of pond age and a commercial substrate (the water cleanser™) on natural productivity, bacterial abundance, nutrient concentrations, and growth and survival of MARRON (CHERAX CAINII Austin, 2002) in semi-intensive pond culture.” Aquaculture 502: 242-249.
  2. Bach, L. L., B. J. Saunders, S. J. Newman, T. H. Holmes, and E. S. Harvey. 2019. “Cross and long-shore variations in reef fish assemblage structure and implications for biodiversity management.” Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 218: 246-257.
  3. De Brauwer, M., L. M. Gordon, T. C. Shalders, B. J. Saunders, M. Archer, E. S. Harvey, S. P. Collin, J. C. Partridge, and J. L. McIlwain. 2019. “Behavioural and pathomorphological impacts of flash photography on benthic fishes.” Scientific Reports 9 (1)
  4. Berry, T. E., B. J. Saunders, M. L. Coghlan, M. Stat, S. Jarman, A. J. Richardson, C. H. Davies, O. Berry, E. S. Harvey, and M. Bunce. 2019. “Marine environmental DNA biomonitoring reveals seasonal patterns in biodiversity and identifies ecosystem responses to anomalous climatic events.” PLoS Genetics 15 (2)
  5. Goetze, J. S., T. Bond, D. L. McLean, B. J. Saunders, T. J. Langlois, S. Lindfield, L. A. F. Fullwood, D. Driessen, G. Shedrawi, and E. S. Harvey. 2019. “A field and video analysis guide for diver operated stereo-video.” Methods in Ecology and Evolution 10 (7): 1083-1090.
  6. Vitelli, F., G. A. Hyndes, B. J. Saunders, D. Blake, S. J. Newman, and J. P. A. Hobbs. 2019. “Do ecological traits of low abundance and niche overlap promote hybridisation among coral-reef angelfishes?.” Coral Reefs 38 (5): 931-943.
  7. Aulich, M. G., R. D. McCauley, B. J. Saunders, and M. J. G. Parsons. 2019. “Fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus) migration in Australian waters using passive acoustic monitoring.” Scientific Reports 9 (1)
  8. Parker, J. R. C., B. J. Saunders, S. Bennett, J. D. DiBattista, T. C. Shalders, and E. S. Harvey. 2019. “Shifts in Labridae geographical distribution along a unique and dynamic coastline.” Diversity and Distributions 25 (11): 1787-1799.

2018

  1. De Brauwer, M., B. J. Saunders, R. Ambo-Rappe, J. Jompa, J. L. McIlwain, and E. S. Harvey. 2018. “Time to stop mucking around? Impacts of underwater photography on cryptobenthic fauna found in soft sediment habitats.” Journal of Environmental Management 218: 14-22.
  2. Wenger, A., C. A. Rawson, S. Wilson, S. Newman, M. Travers, S. Atkinson, N. Browne, D. Clarke, M. Depczynski, P. Eftermeijer, and 6 more contributors. 2018. “Management strategies to minimize the dredging impacts of coastal development on fish and fisheries.” Conservation Letters 2018;e12572: 1-10.
  3. Shalders, T. C., B. J. Saunders, S. Bennett, J. R. C. Parker, and E. S. Harvey. 2018. “Potential climate-mediated changes to the distribution and density of pomacentrid reef fishes in south-Western Australia.” Marine Ecology Progress Series 604: 223-235.

C. Conference Papers

  1. Hawkins, L., I. Parnum, R. McCauley, and B. J. Saunders. 2016. “Using acoustics to study biological activity in the Perth Canyon, Western Australia.” In Acoustics2016 – The Second Australasian Acoustical Societies Conference, Nov 9, 2016, Brisbane, Australia
  2. Landero-figueroa, M., I. Parnum, B. J. Saunders, and M. Parsons. 2016. “Integrating echo-sounder and underwater video data for demersal fish assessment.” In Acoustics2016 – The Second Australasian Acoustical Societies Conference, Nov 9, 2016, Brisbane, Australia