Dr. Amanda Ford

Course Coordinator:

  • MS306 Coral Reef Ecology and Management
  • MS312 Marine Pollution
  • MS315 Marine Spatial Planning
  • MS411 Special Topic in Marine Science

MSc Students: Amelia Bai, Joycinette Botleng, Ulamila Matairakula, Peace Daefa, Eseta Drova, Alicia Emberson-Semisi

PhD Students: Hulita Fa’anunu

Research Assistants: Rosabelle Hennings, Siutiti Fe’ao, Joycinette Botleng

Office: M.204

Telephone: +679 32 32836

Email: amanda.ford@usp.ac.fj

Educational qualifications:

  • Postgraduate Certificate in Tertiary Teaching, University of the South Pacific, Fiji (2020-2021)
  • PhD (Coral Reef Ecology), University of Bremen, Germany (2013-2017)
  • MSc (Biological Sciences – track Limnology and Oceanography), University of Amsterdam, Netherlands (2011-2013)
  • BSc (Biological Sciences), University of Exeter, United Kingdom (2007-2010)

Research Interests:

  • Coral reef ecology
  • Local human impacts on coral reef ecosystems
  • Ecosystem resilience and alternative regimes
  • Benthic cyanobacterial mats
  • Functional ecology
  • Customary coastal resource management
  • Pollution impacts in marine systems

Active Research Projects:

Funded by Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Publications:

Peer-reviewed publications

Koester A, N Bunbury, S Ferse, AK Ford, P Haupt, L A’Bear, … & C Wild (2023). Impacts of coral bleaching on reef fish abundance, biomass and assemblage structure at remote Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles: insights from two survey methods. Frontiers in Marine Science, 10.

Tranter SN, GN Ahmadia, DA Andradi-Brown, D Muenzel, F Agung, AK Ford, … & Beger, M. (2022). The inclusion of fisheries and tourism in marine protected areas to support conservation in Indonesia. Marine Policy, 146, 105301.

Amkieltiela, CN Handayan, DA Andradi-Brown, Estradivari, AK Ford, … & GN Ahmadia (2022) The rapid expansion of Indonesia’s marine protected area requires improvement in management effectiveness. Marine Policy, 146, 105257.

Breckwoldt, A., A Nozik, N Moosdorf, J Bierwirth, E Fache, S Ferse, AK Ford, S Mangubhai, S Pelletier, & S Piovano (2022) A typology for reef passages. Frontiers in Marine Science, 408.

Koester A, AK Ford, SCA Ferse, V Migani, N Bunbury, C Sanchez, C Wild (2021) First insights into coral recruit and juvenile abundances at remote Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles. PLoS ONE, 16(12), e0260516.

Ford AK, PM Visser, M van Herk, E Jongepier, V Bonito (2021) First insights into the impacts of benthic cyanobacterial mats on fish herbivory functions on a nearshore coral reef. Scientific Reports, 11 (1), 1-14

Marcos C, D Díaz, K Fietz, A Forcada, AK Ford, J Antonio García-Charton, R Goñi, P Lenfant, S Mallol, D Mouillot, M Pérez-Marcos, O Puebla, S Manel, A Pérez-Ruzafa (2021) Reviewing the ecosystem services, societal goods and benefits of marine protected areas. Frontiers in Marine Science, 8, 370.

Ford AK, J-B Jouffray, A Norström, BR Moore, MM Nugues, GJ Williams, S Bejarano, F Magron, C Wild, SCA Ferse (2020) Local human impacts disrupt relationships between benthic reef assemblages and environmental predictors. Frontiers in Marine Science, 7, 571115.

Koester A, V Migani, N Bunbury, AK Ford, C Sanchez, C Wild (2020) Early trajectories of benthic coral reef communities following the 2015/16 coral bleaching event at remote Aldabra Atoll, Seychelles. Scientific Reports 10: 17034.

McAndrews RS, A Eich, AK Ford, S Bejarano, RR Lal, SCA Ferse (2019) Foraging by herbivorous fishes mediates algae-sediment dynamics on a nearshore coral reef. Coral Reefs 38 (3), 431-441.

Eich A, AK Ford, MM Nugues, RS McAndrews, C Wild, SCA Ferse (2019) Positive association between epiphytes and competitiveness of the brown algal genus Lobophora against corals. PeerJ, 7, e6380.

Ford AK, S Bejarano, MM Nugues, PM Visser, S Albert, SCA Ferse (2018) Reefs under Siege—the Rise, Putative Drivers, and Consequences of Benthic Cyanobacterial Mats. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5, 18.

Ford AK, A Eich, RS McAndrews, S Mangubhai, MM Nugues, S Bejarano, BR Moore, C Rico, C Wild, SCA Ferse (2018) Evaluation of coral reef management effectiveness using conventional versus resilience-based metrics. Ecological Indicators, 85, 308-317.

Lee S, AK Ford, S Mangubhai, C Wild, SCA Ferse (2018) Effects of sandfish (Holothuria scabra) removal on shallow-water sediments in Fiji. PeerJ, 6, e4773.

Lee S, AK Ford, S Mangubhai, C Wild, SCA Ferse (2018) Length-weight relationship, movement rates, and in situ spawning observations of Holothuria scabra (sandfish) in Fiji. SPC Bêche-de-mer Information Bulletin, 38, 11-14.

Ford AK, N van Hoytema, BR Moore, L Pandihau, C Wild, SCA Ferse (2017) High sedimentary oxygen consumption indicates that sewage input from small islands drives benthic community shifts on overfished reefs. Environmental Conservation, 44, 405-411.

Ford AK, S Bejarano, A Marshell, PJ Mumby (2016) Linking the biology and ecology of key herbivorous unicornfish to fisheries management in the Pacific. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 26, 790-805.

den Haan J, J Huisman, F Dekker, L Jacomina, AK Ford, J van Ooijen, FC van Duyl, MJ Vermeij, PM Visser (2013) Fast detection of nutrient limitation in macroalgae and seagrass with nutrient-induced fluorescence. PloS ONE, 8, e68834.

 

Other publications:

Ford AK, Razak TB, Hakim AR, Iqbal M, Estradivari Rusandi A, Hakim A, Sapari A, Amkieltiela, Fauzi MN, Krueck N, Lazuardi ME, McGowan J, & Andradi-Brown DA (2021) MPA Zoning. In Estradivari, ME Lazuardi, A Hakim, DE Saputra, A Sapari, and DA Andradi-Brown (Ed.), Management of Marine Protected Areas in Indonesia: Status and Challenges. Jakarta, Indonesia: Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Yayasan WWF Indonesia.

Ford AK, Estradivari, Rusandi A, Hakim A, Sapari A, Iqbal M, Amkieltiela, Claborn K, Gill D & Andradi-Brown DA (2021). MPA Management Effectiveness. In Estradivari, ME Lazuardi, A Hakim, A Sapari, and DA Andradi-Brown (Ed.), Management of Marine Protected Areas in Indonesia: Status and Challenges. Jakarta, Indonesia: Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries, and Yayasan WWF Indonesia.

Ford AK (2017) Influences of Pacific Island human communities on benthic coral reef functioning and resilience. PhD dissertation, University of Bremen. Available online at: https://elib.suub.uni-bremen.de/edocs/00106053-1.pdf

Lee S, SCA Ferse, AK Ford, C Wild, S Mangubhai (2017) Effect of sea cucumber density on the health of reef-flat sediments. In: Fiji’s Sea Cucumber Fishery: Advances in Science for Improved Management (eds. Mangubhai S, Lalavanua W, Purcell SW). pp 54-61. Wildlife Conservation Society, Suva, Fiji.

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