Dr Bonnie Holmes’ research focuses on the biology and ecology of large sharks and fish. Bonnie has specialised in using techniques such as satellite telemetry to understand and answer complex questions about how these species use their habitat in time and space. Bonnie also has an interest in population genetics, and has undertaken behaviour ecology work on a diversity of keystone species marine species, ranging from teleost fishes to marine mammals. The research has been important for improving the sustainability of species management, as well as understanding food web ecology and how humans impact upon it.
Further to her applied research, Bonnie spent several years working in sustainability assessment at Fisheries Queensland where she was involved in developing key fisheries assessment techniques to monitor stock status of fisheries resources, as well as management of the aquatic invasives program for Biosecurity Queensland. Currently she has both HDR and Honours students working on shark and fish biology, ecology and genetics, as well as invasive freshwater fish research in Queensland.
For students interested in pursuing HDR, Honours or special research projects please contact Bonnie via email bholmes@usc.edu.au.
Professional Memberships
| Oceania Chondrichthyan Society – Council Member |
| Australian Society for Fish Biology – Alien Fishes Committee Co-Chair |
| Freshwater Vertebrate and Invertebrate Working Group – Environment & Invasives Committee, former Executive Officer |
Professional Education
| Research Integrity and HDR Supervision (Griffith University) |
Current Student Supervision
PhD
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M. Millington (Griffith University) - Silent invasion - Ornamental fish as leading invaders of Australian freshwaters |
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L. Smith (University of Queensland) - Global population structure of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and its ecology and distribution in the central Indo-Pacific |
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A. Peterson (University of the Sunshine Coast) - The abundance, environmental influence, predator interactions and genetic relatedness of humpback whales in Hervey Bay |
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J. Vardon (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Assessing shark depredation in Queensland fisheries |
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V. Biskis (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Assessment of habitat use, population structure and distribution of endangered sawfish species and implications for management in northern Queensland river systems |
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M. Ichsan (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Biology, ecology and population structure of critically endangered sharks in the Indo-West Pacific |
MSc
| M. Mottley (Queensland University of Technology) - Invasive cichlids across the Pioneer River Catchment; detection and management using environmental DNA |
Honours
| J. Milburn (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Cryptic mortality and depredation of spanner crabs (Ranina ranina) off the east coast of Australia |
| B. Page (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Stock structure of the eastern shovelnose ray (Aptychotrema rostrata) along the east coast of Australia |
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J. Ibbeson (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Understanding the influence of biophysical features on shark catch in the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery |
Research areas
- fish and shark biology, ecology and genetics
- fisheries research
- invasive species
- animal behaviour
Teaching areas
- Animal Ecology
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Come together: calibration of tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) microsatellite databases for investigating global population structure and assignment of historical specimens M Sort (Author); A Manuzzi (Author); B Jiménez-Mena (Author); Jennifer R Ovenden (Author); Bonnie Holmes (Author); A M Bernard (Author); M S Shivji (Author); D Meldrup (Author); Michael B Bennett (Author); Einar Eg Nielsen (Author) Conservation Genetics Resources, Vol.13(2), pp.209-220; 2021 |
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ICAIS advances knowledge and understanding of aquatic invasions in the Anthropocene Oscar Casas-Monroy (Author); Sarah A Bailey (Author); Bonnie Holmes (Author); Mattias Johansson (Author) Aquatic Invasions, Vol.16(1), pp.1-10; 2021 |
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Evidence of naturalisation of the invasive jaguar cichlid Parachromis managuensis (Gunther, 1867), in Queensland, Australia Bonnie J Holmes (Author); Samuel M Williams (Author); Trent N Power (Author) BioInvasions Records, Vol.9(1), pp.146-157; 2020 |
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A perspective on future tiger shark research K N Holland (Author); J M Anderson (Author); D M Coffey (Author); Bonnie J Holmes (Author); C G Meyer (Author); M A Royer (Author) Frontiers in Marine Science, Vol.6, 37; 2019 |
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Genetic population structure and demography of an apex predator, the tiger shark Galeocerdo cuvier A Pirog (Author); S Jaquemet (Author); V Ravigné (Author); G Cliff (Author); E Clua (Author); Bonnie J Holmes (Author); N E Hussey (Author); J E G Nevill (Author); A J Temple (Author); P Berggren (Author); et al. Ecology and Evolution, Vol.9(10), pp.5551-5571; 2019 |
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Global spatial risk assessment of sharks under the footprint of fisheries Bonnie J Holmes (Author) Nature, Vol.572, pp.461-466; 2019 |
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Lack of multiple paternity in the oceanodromous tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) Bonnie J Holmes (Author); L C Pope (Author); S M Williams (Author); I R Tibbetts (Author); M B Bennett (Author); J R Ovenden (Author) Royal Society Open Science, Vol.5(1); 2018 |
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Combining abundance and performance data reveals how temperature regulates coastal occurrences and activity of a roaming apex predator N L Payne (Author); C G Meyer (Author); J A Smith (Author); J D R Houghton (Author); A Barnett (Author); Bonnie J Holmes (Author); I Nakamura (Author); Y P Papastamatiou (Author); M A Royer (Author); D M Coffey (Author); et al. Global Change Biology, Vol.24(5), pp.1884-1893; 2018 |
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Population structure and connectivity of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier) across the indo-pacific ocean basin Bonnie J Holmes (Author); S M Williams (Author); N M Otway (Author); E E Nielsen (Author); S L Maher (Author); M B Bennett (Author); J R Ovenden (Author) Royal Society Open Science, Vol.4(7); 2017 |
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Extracting DNA from ‘jaws’: high yield and quality from archived tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) skeletal material E E Nielsen (Author); J A T Morgan (Author); S L Maher (Author); J Edson (Author); M Gauthier (Author); J Pepperell (Author); Bonnie J Holmes (Author); M B Bennett (Author); J R Ovenden (Author) Molecular Ecology Resources, Vol.17(3), pp.431-442; 2017 |
Dr Bonnie Holmes’ specialist areas of knowledge include the biology and ecology of large sharks and fish. Bonnie has specialised in using techniques such as satellite telemetry to understand and answer complex questions about how these species use their habitat in time and space. Bonnie also has an interest in population genetics, and has undertaken behaviour ecology work on a diversity of keystone species marine species, ranging from teleost fishes to marine mammals.