Matthew Fraser

Matthew Fraser is an Adjunct Research Fellow at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia (UWA), affiliated with the UWA Oceans Institute. His research focuses on marine ecosystems, particularly seagrass health and climate change impacts. Fraser holds a PhD in marine science from UWA, with a thesis on seagrass biogeochemistry in Shark Bay. He has co-supervised one Honours and one Masters student. Fraser teaches marine science courses and designed the Cottesloe Ecosystem Research Project for undergraduates. His work bridges molecular techniques, microbial ecology, and environmental management. He has secured grants from ARC, WAMSI, and the Department of Transport (WA), leading projects on seagrass restoration and nutrient cycling in Cockburn Sound. Fraser has received prestigious scholarships, including the Hodgkin Trust and Australian Geographic Bayerboost Grants.

Research Interests:
- Microbial ecology in seagrass sediments
- Climate change impacts on marine primary producers
- Biogeochemical cycling of nutrients (C, N, P, S)
- Seagrass-sediment interactions and restoration strategies
- Thresholds for sulfide intrusion in seagrasses
- Development of molecular tools for ecosystem monitoring.

Grants & Projects:

• Ecosystem resilience of Shark Bay (ARC, 2021–2026)
• WAMSI Westport Project 3.2 (2022–2024)
• Seagrass Restoration Program (2021–2024)

Awards:

• Hodgkin Trust Scholarship
• Australian Geographic Bayerboost Grant
• Freemasons Postgraduate Scholarship
• Ray Hart Memorial Scholarship

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the UWA Oceans Institute and partners like the Department of Environment Regulation and Fremantle Ports on seagrass monitoring and restoration.