Jodie Schlaefer

Jodie Schlaefer is a Research Associate at the Reef and Ocean Ecology Laboratory, James Cook University (JCU), specializing in coral reef ecosystems, jellyfish population dynamics, and biophysical modeling. Her work focuses on understanding reef resilience, climate change impacts, and marine debris dynamics. She contributed to the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (2005–2022).

Education: BSc (Honours; Marine Biology Advanced) from JCU. PhD research (2015–) under Professors Michael Kingsford and Eric Wolanski, investigating cubozoan jellyfish populations.

Research Interests: Coral reef ecology, biophysical models of jellyfish behavior, sediment dynamics, and climate change effects on marine systems. Her studies bridge ecological processes and human impacts, including fisheries and coastal management.

Awards & Grants:

• ER Walker Bequest Bursary (2016)
• Australian LIONS Foundation Research Grant (2016)
• Australian Postgraduate Award (2015)
• Academic Medal (2014)
• CSIRO CMAR Scholarship (2013)

Advising & Grants: While no formal advisees are listed, her PhD research was supported by multiple grants. She collaborates on ARC projects and has contributed to studies on jellyfish connectivity and climate projections.

Labs & Teams: Active in the Reef and Ocean Ecology Laboratory, focusing on hydrodynamics, biophysical interactions, and marine conservation.