Dr Gareth Williams
Reader / Director of Impact and Engagement
Affiliations
Links
- https://www.bangor.ac.uk/oceansciences/staff/gareth-williams
Department Home Page - https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EfvZsI8AAAAJ&hl=en
Google Scholar Page
Contact info
Room: 303 Craig Mair Phone: +44(0)1248 382588
E-mail: g.j.williams@bangor.ac.uk Twitter
I graduated in Marine Biology (University of Liverpool) in 2004 and completed an MSc in Marine Environmental Protection (Bangor University) in 2006. I began a PhD in Marine Biology (Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand) in 2007 in coral disease ecology, combining macroecology, experimental ecology, and histopathology to identify disease baselines and drivers of disease prevalence on Pacific coral reefs. A focus study site of mine was Palmyra Atoll, an uninhabited atoll in the Northern Line Islands. After obtaining my PhD in 2011, I was awarded a post-doctoral scholarship at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California San Diego (UCSD) where I continued to work on the macroecology of Pacific coral reefs. This role at Scripps transitioned into an Assistant Project Scientist position within the Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation in 2013. I left Scripps in late 2015 to return to the UK and take up my full-time role within the School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University.
I am a marine ecologist specialising in coral reef ecology. My work focuses on the interaction of organisms with their environment, often taking a macroecological approach. I am particularly interested in how human activities and natural biophysical gradients interact to drive community patterns across multiple trophic levels (microbes to sharks) and scales (individual reefs to entire ocean basins). Much of my work incorporates remote coral reefs free from direct human impact, providing key replication at the unimpacted end of an intact-to-degraded ecosystem spectrum. By surveying across extensive geographical areas we address broad questions pertaining to: 1. the human, climatic and oceanographic drivers of coral reef ecosystem structure and function, 2. climate change impacts to coral reef ecosystems, 3. the spatial ecology of coral reefs, and 4. disease dynamics on coral reefs.
Research Areas
- 2024
- Published
Regional reef fish assemblage maps provide baseline biogeography for tropicalization monitoring
Walker, B., Becker, D., Williams, G. J., Kilfoyle, A., Smith, S. & Kozachuk, A., 3 Apr 2024, In: Scientific Reports. 14, 1, p. 7893 7893.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2023
- Published
Local human impacts disrupt depth-dependent zonation of tropical reef fish communities
Richardson, L., Heenan, A., Delargy, A., Neubauer, P., Lecky, J., Gove, J. M., Green, M., Kindinger, T., Ingeman, K. & Williams, G. J., Nov 2023, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 7, 11, p. 1844-1855 12 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Coral reefs benefit from reduced land–sea impacts under ocean warming
Gove, J. M., Williams, G. J., Lecky, J., Brown, E., Conklin, E., Counsell, C., Davis, G., Donovan, M., Falinski, K., Kramer, L., Kozar, K., Li, N., Maynard, J. A., McCutcheon, A., McKenna, S., Neilson, B., Safaie, A., Teague, C., Whittier, R. & Asner, G., 21 Sept 2023, In: Nature. 621, 7979, p. 536-542 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- E-pub ahead of print
Near-island enhancement in mesopelagic micronekton communities off Hawaiʻi
Drazen, J., Clark, B., Gove, J. M., Phipps, J., Copeland, A., Lecky, J., Green, M., Kobayashi, D., Turner, J., Whitney, J. & Williams, G. J., 10 Jul 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. 104107.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Recurring bleaching events disrupt the spatial properties of coral reef benthic communities across scales
Ford, H., Gove, J. M., Healey, J., Davies, A., Graham, N. & Williams, G. J., 10 Jul 2023, In: Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. 10, 1, p. 39-55 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- E-pub ahead of print
Host density and anthropogenic stress are drivers of variability in dark spot disease in Siderastrea siderea across the Florida Reef Tract
Aeby, G. S., Williams, G. J., Whitall, D., Davies, A., Fromuth, E. & Walker, B. K., 27 Jun 2023, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Bulletin of Marine Science .Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Ocean currents magnify upwelling and deliver nutritional subsidies to reef-building corals during El Niño heatwaves
Fox, M., Guillaume-Castel, R., Edwards, C., Glanz, J., Gove, J. M., Green, M., Juhlin, E., Smith, J. & Williams, G. J., 14 Jun 2023, In: Science Advances. 9, 24, eadd5032.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Macroalgae exhibit diverse responses to human disturbances on coral reefs
Cannon, S., Donner, S., Liu, A., Gonzalez Espinosa, P., Baird, A., Baum, J., Bauman, A., Beger, M., Benkwitt, C., Birt, M., Chancerelle, Y., Cinner, J., Crane, N., Denis, V., Depczynski, M., Fadli, N., Fenner, D., Fulton, C., Golbuu, Y., Graham, N., Guest, J., Harrison, H., Hobbs, J-P., Hoey, A., Holmes, T., Houk, P., Januchowski-Hartley, F., Jompa, J., Kuo, C-Y., Valentino Limmon, G., Lin, Y., McClanahan, T., Muenzel, D., Paddack, M., Planes, S., Pratchett, M., Radford, B., Reimer, J., Richards, Z., Ross, C., Rulmal Jr., J., Sommer, B., Williams, G. J. & Wilson, S., 1 Jun 2023, In: Global Change Biology. 29, 12, p. 3318-3330Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Influence of upwelling on coral reef benthic communities: a systematic review and meta-analysis
Spring, D. & Williams, G. J., 29 Mar 2023, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 290, 1995, p. 20230023 1 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Co-occurrence of herbivorous fish functional groups correlates with enhanced coral reef benthic state
Sheppard, C., Williams, G. J., Exton, D. & Keith, S., Mar 2023, In: Global Ecology and Biogeography. 32, 3, p. 435-449 15 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2022
- Published
Seabed morphology and bed shear stress predict temperate reef habitats in a high energy marine region
Jackson-Bue, T., Williams, G., Whitton, T., Roberts, M., Goward Brown, A., Amir, H., King, J., Powell, B., Rowlands, S., Llewelyn Jones, G. & Davies, A., 5 Sept 2022, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 274, 107934.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Linking variation in planktonic primary production to coral reef fish growth and condition
Roche, R., Heenan, A., Taylor, B. M., Schwarz, J. N., Fox, M. D., Southworth, L., Williams, G. & Turner, J., 31 Aug 2022, In: Royal Society Open Science. 9, 8, p. 201012 201012.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
The fundamental links between climate change and marine plastic pollution
Ford, H. V., Jones, N., Davies, A. J., Godley, B. J., Jambeck, J. R., Napper, I. E., Suckling, C. C., Williams, G. J., Woodall, L. & Koldewey, H. J., 1 Feb 2022, In: Science of the Total Environment. 806, Pt 1, 150392.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2021
- Published
Three-dimensional mapping reveals scale-dependent dynamics in biogenic reef habitat structure
Jackson-Bué, T., Williams, G., Walker-Springett, G., Rowlands, S. & Davies, A., Dec 2021, In: Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. 7, 4, p. 621-637 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Precision and cost-effectiveness of bioindicators to estimate nutrient regimes on coral reefs
Vaughan, E. J., Wynn, P. M., Wilson, S. K., Williams, G. J., Barker, P. A. & Graham, N. A. J., Sept 2021, In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. 170, 112606.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Coral reef resilience differs among islands within the Gulf of Mannar, southeast India following successive coral bleaching events
Diraviya Raj, K., Aeby, G., Mathews, G., Williams, G. J., Caldwell, J., Laju, R. L., Selva Bharath, M., Dinesh Kumar, P., Arasamuthu, A., Gladwin Gnana Asir, N., Wedding, L., Davies, A., Moritsch, M. & Patterson Edward, J. K., Aug 2021, In: Coral Reefs. 40, 4, p. 1029-1044Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Quantifying upwelling in tropical shallow waters: a novel method using a temperature stratification index
Guillaume-Castel, R., Williams, G. J., Rogers, J. S., Gove, J. M. & Green, M., Aug 2021, In: Limnology and Oceanography: Methods. 19, 8, p. 566-577 10499.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Artificial shorelines lack natural structural complexity across scales
Lawrence, P., D'Urban Jackson, T., Jenkins, S., Williams, G. J. & Davies, A., 26 May 2021, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 288, 1951, p. 20210329 rspb.2021.0329.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Nitrogen enrichment in macroalgae following mass coral mortality
Vaughan, E., Wilson, S., Howlett, S., Parravicini, V., Williams, G. J. & Graham, N. A. J., 12 Apr 2021, In: Coral Reefs.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Spatial scaling properties of coral reef benthic communities
Ford, H., Gove, J. M., Davies, A., Graham, N. A. J., Healey, J., Conklin, E. & Williams, G. J., 1 Feb 2021, In: Ecography. 44, 2, p. 188-198 11 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Spatial and temporal scales of coral reef fish ecological research and management: a systematic map protocol
Lawrence, A., Heenan, A., Levine, A., Haddaway, N., Powell, F., Wedding, L., Roche, R., Lawrence, P., Szostek, C., Ford, H., Southworth, L., Sannassy Pilly, J., Richardson, L. & Williams, G. J., 25 Jan 2021, In: Environmental Evidence. 10, 3.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- 2020
- Published
Local human impacts disrupt relationships between benthic reef assemblages and environmental predictors
Ford, A., Jouffray, J-B., Norstrom, A. V., Moore, B., Nugues, M., Williams, G. J., Bejarano, S., Magron, F., Wild, C. & Ferse, S., 21 Oct 2020, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 7, 571115.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
A review of a decade of lessons from one of the world’s largest MPAs: conservation gains and key challenges
Hays, G. C., Koldewey, H., Meeuwig, J. J., Attrill, M. J., Barley, S., Bayley, D., . Benkwitt, C. E., Block, B., Schallert, R. J., Carlisle, A. B., Carr, P., Chapple, T. K., Collins, C., Diaz, C., Dunn, N., Dunbar, R. B., Eager, D. S., Engel, J., Embling, C. B., Esteban, N., Ferretti, F., Foster, N. L., Freeman, R., Gollock, M., Graham, N. A. J., Harris, J. L., Head, C. E. I., Hosegood, P., Howell, K. L., Hussey, N. E., Jacoby, D. M. P., Jones, R., Lange, I. D., Letessier, T. B., Levey, E., Lindhart, M., McDevitt-Irwin, J. M., Meekan, M. G., Micheli, F., Mogg, A., Mortimer, J. A., Mucciarone, D., Nicoll, M. A., Nuno, A., Perry, C. T., Sannassy Pilly, J., Preston, S. G., Rattray, A. J., Robinson, E., Roche, R., Schiele, M., Sheehan, E. V., Sheppard, A., Sheppard, C., Smith, A. L., Soule, B., Spalding, M., Stevens, G. M. W., Steyaert, M., Stiffel, S., Taylor, B., Tickler, D. M., Trevail, A. M., Trueba, P., Turner, J., Votier, S., Wilson, B., Williams, G., Williamson, B. J., Williamson, M. J., Wood, H. & Curnick, D. J., 14 Oct 2020, In: Marine Biology. 167, 11, 159.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Modelling the linkage between coral assemblage structure and pattern of environmental forcing
Sandin, S. A., Eynaud, Y., Williams, G. J., Edwards, C. & McNamara, D., 14 Oct 2020, In: Royal Society Open Science. 7, 10, 200565.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
- Published
Possible control of acute outbreaks of a marine fungal pathogen by nominally herbivorous tropical reef fish
Neal, B., Honisch, B., Warrender, T., Williams, G. J., Work, T. & Price, N., 12 Jul 2020, In: Oecologia. 193, 3, p. 603-617Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review