Jocelyn undertook a PhD on the effects of habitat degradation on coral reef fish. Increasing anthropogenic disturbances are resulting in the degradation of many reef systems worldwide leading to the reduction of reef fish diversity and abundance. Many reef fish play important ecosystem functional roles and their demise can have significant implications for the reef system. The Indo-Pacific has especially high diversity and functional redundancy, which means that reefs in this area are more capable to resist and recover from disturbance. The degree of susceptibility of reef fish to changes in habitat quality is seemingly species specific and highly dependent on the resource requirements of the particular species. Jocelyn’s PhD aimed to increase our understanding of niche partitioning and resource utilisation by key fish taxa and importantly the plasticity of fish to adapt their feeding strategy (through behavioural studies) in response to a changing habitat quality. Jocelyn completed her PhD in 2013, and is now leading the lionfish research unit at the Cape Eleuthera Institute in the Bahamas.
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