Thomas Schlacher

Professor Thomas Schlacher is a Professor of Marine Science at the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC), Australia. He is affiliated with the School of Science, Technology and Engineering, leading research in coastal and marine ecosystems. His expertise spans ecological interfaces (beaches, estuaries), deep-sea ecology (seamounts, submarine canyons), biological conservation, and habitat restoration. He holds a PhD, P.Elizabeth, and MSc from Vienna.

Research Interests: Schlacher’s work focuses on four key areas: 1) Ecological interfaces and their role in biodiversity and material exchange, 2) Deep-sea ecosystems and their conservation under threats like mining, 3) Biological conservation strategies addressing pollution, urbanization, and human-wildlife conflict, and 4) Restoration of degraded habitats like oyster reefs. His research emphasizes seascape connectivity and functional ecology, often involving international collaborations with entities like the International Seabed Authority (ISA).

Grants & Collaborations: Schlacher has led or co-led grants totaling over AUD 2.5 million, including projects on Noosa estuary restoration, deep-sea biodiversity sampling, and coastal dune conservation. Notable grants include the AUD 343,500 'Bringing back Noosa's fish' project and the AUD 1.6 million 'Sampling the abyss' study.

Students & Advising: Schlacher supervises PhD, Master’s, and Honours students in topics like trophic subsidies, deep-sea biodiversity, and oyster reef restoration. Recent advisees include Elena Vargas-Fonseca (surf-zone fish ecology), Serena Lucrezi (ghost crab indicators), and Luke Thompson (coastal disturbance impacts).

Labs & Teams: His research group incorporates seascape ecology principles into habitat restoration, emphasizing spatial connectivity. Projects like oyster reef restoration in Eastern Australia integrate mangrove and seagrass meadow linkages to enhance fish recruitment.