Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
I am a coastal ecologist with over 15 years of experience researching temperate ecosystems of Australia and the USA. My team's research addresses how these ecosystems operate and respond to change. Our research has investigated a wide range of environmental problems, including shellfish disease, coastal erosion, nutrient enrichment, invasive species, and marine urban sprawl. Our present research has a particular focus on the development and evaluation of engineering interventions that create habitat and conserve native biodiversity in degraded seascapes. I co-lead the green engineering working group of the World Harbour Project and the Living Seawalls Program. I am working closely with the NSW oyster industry to assess how the industry’s selective breeding programs may be harnessed for the purposes of rehabilitating Australia’s lost shellfish reefs, of which <1% remain. I am also assessing how mesh produced using starch waste from potatoes may be used as a substrate for oyster reef rehabilitation. Oysters are critically important in fisheries production, maintenance of clean water and shoreline stablisation and the successful restoration of Australia’s oyster reefs has the potential to greatly enhance the ecological and economic value of our coasts.
Recent research awards and honours
- 2022 Winner (for Living Seawalls), Biodiversity Award, Banksia Foundation National Awards
- 2022 Top Innovator (for Living Seawalls), World Economic Forum’s BiodioverCities UpLink Challenge
- 2021 Winner (for Living Seawalls), Biodiversity Award, NSW Sustainability Awards, Banksia Foundation
- 2021 Finalist (1 of 3 internationally in Revive our Oceans Category; Living Seawalls), Earthshot Prize
- 2021 Selection, NSW Research Impact Showcase, ‘Protecting the NSW Oyster Industry’
- 2020 Faculty of Science and Engineering award for Excellence in Innovative Research Partnership
- 2019 Faculty of Science and Engineering Parental Leave Fellowship
- 2017 Macquarie University Jim Piper Award for Research Leadership
- 2013 Finalist (1 of 3 nationally), Eureka Prizes, Emerging Research Leader Category
- 2013 Finalist (1 of 3), Macquarie Research Awards, Research Partnership and Commercialisation Category
- 2012 Brian Robinson Fellowship, Banksia Environmental Foundation
- 2011 NSW Young Tall Poppy Award
- 2010 NSW Scientist of the Year (Category: Environment, Water and Climate Change Sciences)
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
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Living Boulders for reviving marine life on coastal defences
Bishop, M. (Primary Chief Investigator), Dafforn, K. (Chief Investigator), Mayer-Pinto, M. (Chief Investigator), Goad, A. (Partner Investigator), Joyce, S. (Partner Investigator), Doureihi, A. (Partner Investigator), Stone, L. (Partner Investigator), Panada, J. (Partner Investigator), Glasby, T. (Partner Investigator), Liddell, B. (Partner Investigator) & Parker, L. (Partner Investigator)
9/10/24 → 31/08/27
Project: Research
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Head Agreement (Griffith led): Solving Plastic Waste CRC
Chen, C. (Chief Investigator), Gu, T. (Primary Chief Investigator), Singh, A. (Chief Investigator), Sheng, M. (Chief Investigator), Yang, J. (Chief Investigator), Beheshti, A. (Chief Investigator), Wang, Y. (Chief Investigator), Asadnia, M. (Chief Investigator), Bishop, M. (Chief Investigator), Cain, A. (Chief Investigator), Feih, S. (Chief Investigator), Naebe, M. (Chief Investigator), Giurco, D. (Chief Investigator) & Ball, A. (Chief Investigator)
15/09/24 → 15/09/34
Project: Research
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LP23 (UoM led): Improving the success of hybrid living shorelines for coastal protection
Morris, R. (Chief Investigator), Swearer, S. (Chief Investigator), Lowe, R. (Chief Investigator), Ghisalberti, M. (Chief Investigator), Bishop, M. (Primary Chief Investigator), San Nicholas, R. (Chief Investigator), Lanham, B. (Chief Investigator), Messer, E. (Partner Investigator), Jenkins, C. (Partner Investigator), Cole, V. (Partner Investigator) & Valesini, F. (Partner Investigator)
30/07/24 → 29/07/27
Project: Research
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Living Seawalls in Boston Harbour
Dafforn, K. (Primary Chief Investigator), Bishop, M. (Chief Investigator), Mayer-Pinto, M. (Partner Investigator), Goad, A. (Other), Byrnes, J. (Chief Investigator) & Chen, B. (Chief Investigator)
1/06/23 → 31/05/27
Project: Research
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MQRC 23: MQRC_Consilience_Smart Green Cities
Leishman, M. (Primary Chief Investigator), Davies, P. (Chief Investigator), Sheng, M. (Chief Investigator), Linnenluecke, M. (Chief Investigator), Bishop, M. (Chief Investigator), Nasiri, N. (Chief Investigator) & Bagnall, D. (Chief Investigator)
1/01/23 → 31/12/27
Project: Research
Research Outputs
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Adverse impacts of off-road vehicles on coastal dune vegetation are widespread, substantial, and long-lasting: evidence from a global meta-analysis of sandy beach-dune systems
Schlacher, T. A., Weston, M. A., Orchard, S., Kelaher, B. P., Maslo, B., Dugan, J. E., Hubbard, D. M., Costa, L., Bishop, M. J., Kostoglu, K. N., Gilby, B. L., Henderson, C. J., Amaro, T., Lucrezi, S., Crosby, C., Elliott, M., Emery, K. A., Lucia, F., Hesp, P. A. & Kirsty, H. & 8 others, , Jan 2025, In: Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science. 312, p. 1-14 14 p., 109038.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
4 Citations (Scopus) -
Designing blue infrastructure to facilitate native species and prevent marine invasion
Dafforn, K., Bishop, M., Fuchert, T., Lee, A., Mayer-Pinto, M., Schaefer, N. & Vozzo, M., 2025, Proceedings of the 4th World Conference on Floating Solutions: WCFS 2024. Zhao, X. L., Dai, J.-G., Liu, S. & Lim, S. H. (eds.). Singapore: Springer, Springer Nature, p. 221-227 7 p. (Lecture Notes in Civil Engineering; vol. 597 LNCE).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference proceeding contribution › peer-review
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Ecological effects of habitat complexity vary with intertidal elevation: implications for seawall eco-engineering
Vozzo, M. L., Bishop, M. J., Dafforn, K. A. & Mayer-Pinto, M., Aug 2025, In: Journal of Applied Ecology. 62, 8, p. 2018-2035 18 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Downloads (Pure) -
Genetic differentiation of habitat-forming kelp Ecklonia radiata across an urban estuary
Janssen, A. R., Mayer-Pinto, M., Bishop, M. J., O'Hare, J. A., Stow, A. J. & Dafforn, K. A., Jan 2026, In: Marine Environmental Research. 213, p. 1-11 11 p., 107613.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile -
Interdisciplinary solutions to enable nature-based solutions for coastal protection achieve ecological and engineering outcomes
Twomey, A. J., Erickson, K., Bishop, M. J., Boody, K., Callaghan, D. P., Cannard, T., Lovelock, C. E., Mayer-Pinto, M., Morris, R. L., Pomeroy, A. W. M., Saunders, M. I., Steven, A., Waltham, N. J. & Bugnot, A., Sept 2025, In: Environmental Science and Policy. 171, p. 1-12 12 p., 104157.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile16 Downloads (Pure)
Datasets
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Data from: Spatial variation in the biotic and abiotic filters of oyster recruitment: Implications for restoration
Esquivel-Muelbert, J. R. (Contributor), Lanham, B. (Contributor), Martinez-Baena, F. (Contributor), Dafforn, K. (Contributor), Gribben, P. (Contributor) & Bishop, M. (Contributor), Macquarie University, 10 Jun 2022
Dataset
Prizes
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2017 BHERT Award for Outstanding Collaboration for National (non-economic) Benefit
Hughes, L. (Recipient), Leishman, M. (Recipient), Staas, L. (Recipient), Gallagher, R. (Recipient), Hancock, N. (Recipient), Beaumont, L. (Recipient), Graham, V. (Recipient), Ralph, T. J. (Recipient), Chang, H.-C. (Recipient), Tomkins, K. (Recipient), Ens, E.-J. (Recipient) & Bishop, M. (Recipient), 2017
Prize: Honorary award
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Faculty Excellence Award
Daczko, N. (Recipient), Spence, N. (Recipient), Bishop, M. (Recipient), Di Bona, R. (Recipient), Jamie, J. (Recipient), Karunaratne, P. (Recipient), Kosnik, M. (Recipient), Owers, M. (Recipient), Rodger, A. (Recipient), Spitler, L. (Recipient), Valckenborgh, F. (Recipient) & Westaway, K. (Recipient), 10 Dec 2021
Prize: Teaching award
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Faculty of Science and Engineering Award for Excellence in Research
Leishman, M. (Recipient), Hughes, L. (Recipient), Graham, T. (Recipient), Beaumont, L. (Recipient), Bishop, M. (Recipient), Gallagher, R. (Recipient), Hancock, N. (Recipient), Tomkins, K. (Recipient), Chang, H.-C. (Recipient), Ens, E.-J. (Recipient), Staas, L. (Recipient) & Ralph, T. (Recipient), 24 Nov 2017
Prize
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Macquarie University Academic Staff Award for Excellence in Research, Highly Commended
Hughes, L. (Recipient), Leishman, M. (Recipient), Beaumont, L. (Recipient), Bishop, M. (Recipient), Gallagher, R. (Recipient), Hancock, N. (Recipient), Tomkins, K. (Recipient), Chang, H.-C. (Recipient), Ens, E.-J. (Recipient), Ralph, T. (Recipient) & Graham, T. (Recipient), 1 Nov 2017
Prize
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Macquarie University Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Teaching Excellence: Early Career
Bishop, M. (Recipient), 2011
Prize: Teaching award