James Tweedley

James Tweedley is a Senior Lecturer at Murdoch University, affiliated with the School of Environmental and Conservation Sciences within the College of Environmental and Life Sciences. He is also part of the Centre for Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems and Harry Butler Institute. His research focuses on aquatic ecosystem health, fisheries management, and restoration strategies, with particular expertise in estuarine ecology and benthic macroinvertebrates.

Education: Tweedley holds a BSc (Marine Biology) from the University of Portsmouth (2005), an MRes in Marine Biology from the University of Plymouth (2006), and a PhD in Marine Science from Murdoch University (2011).

Research Interests
His work spans two core areas: (1) understanding ecological linkages between fish/invertebrate communities and environmental drivers to develop estuarine health indices, and (2) fisheries management including aquaculture-based enhancement, artificial reefs, and socio-economic dimensions of fishing. Recent projects address eutrophication mitigation via mussel habitat restoration, barrier impacts on fish migration, and invasive species effects on ecosystems.

Key Contributions
Tweedley has pioneered methods for assessing fish communities in hypersaline environments and evaluated artificial reef effectiveness in temperate waters. His work on mass mortality events and tidal exclusion barriers provides critical insights for conservation planning.

Awards
- Young Tall Poppy and West Australian Young Tall Poppy of the Year (2021) - Recognizing outstanding research and science communication.

Grants & Collaboration
Funded projects include shellfish reef restoration studies and small-scale fisheries management in Indonesia. Collaborates with institutions like the Australian Institute of Policy and Science and local Indigenous communities for culturally significant estuary monitoring.

Labs/Teams
Leads the Sustainable Aquatic Ecosystems research group and contributes to the Harry Butler Institute’s coastal resilience initiatives.