Dr. Sander Scheffers

Dr Sander Scheffers

Dr. Sander ScheffersResearch Fellow, Coral Reef Research Center,
Southern Cross University,
PO Box 157, Lismore, NSW 2480, Australia
Tel: +61 (02)66203277    Fax: +61(02) 66212669  Mob: +61(0) 488317749

Associate Researcher, Caribbean Research Institute for Management of Biodiversity (CARMABI) , Curaçao (NA)

Email: sander.scheffers@scu.edu.au

Education and degrees:
PhD.: September 2005, University of Amsterdam, Theme: ‘Benthic-Pelagic coupling in
Coral Reefs’. MSc.: 1996, University Amsterdam, Theme: ‘Large scale ecological patterns in coral
reefs’.

Research interests

Dr. Scheffers has over 13-years research experience in coral reef research in the Caribbean, Asia and more recently in the Great Barrier Reef and Western Australia (Coral Bay, Houtman Abrolhos), and built up extensive experience in coral reef ecology and biodiversity, coastal geomorphology, geochronology, and coral-based high-resolution environmental reconstruction (e.g. Holocene climate, storm history). Following the award of his Ph.D in September 2005, He immediately received postdoctoral research fellowships at the University of Cologne, Central Queensland University and most recently Southern Cross University. At Southern Cross he is the project leader of several coral reef based projects. Since 2003, he has been continuously collaborating with highly regarded scientists such as Prof. Rolf Bak (Netherlands), Dr. Thomas Felis (Germany), Prof. Peter Harrison (SCU), A/Prof. Jian-xin Zhao (UQ, Australia) and Prof. Malcolm McCulloch (UWA, Australia, collaboration on ocean acidification and coral calcification in Western Australia, Caribbean & Thailand), and obtained substantial experience in dating of reef corals for a great variety of applications. He participated as lead investigator in the pilot study on Houtman Abrolhos islands storm chronology and Holocene/ modern reef response.

Recent publications relevant to Curacao:

  • Engel, M., Bolten, A., Brückner, H., Daut, G., Kelletat, D., Schäbitz, F., Scheffers, A., Scheffers, S.R., Vött, A., Wille, M. & T. Willershäuser (2009): Reading the chapter of extreme wave  events in nearshore geo-bio-archives of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles) – initial results from Lagun and Boka Bartol. Marburger Geographische Schriften 145: 157-178.
  • Pignatelli, C., Scheffers, A., Scheffers, SR. and Mastronuzzi, G., 2008. Evaluation of tsunami flooding from geomorphological evidence in Bonaire (Netherland Antilles), (Zeitschrift fuer Geomorphologie, accepted 15.12.2008)
  • Scheffers, SR, Scheffers, A., Browne, T. & Haviser, J., 2009. Tsunamis, hurricanes, the demise of coral reefs and shifts in prehistoric human populations in the Caribbean. Quaternary International, 195: 69-87
  • Scheffers, SR., Scheffers, A., Kelletat, D., Radtke, U., Staben, K. & Bak, R.P.M., 2006. Tsunami trigger long-lasting phase-shifts in coral reef ecosystem. Zeitschrift fuer Geomorphologie 146: 59-79.
  • Scheffers, A. & Scheffers, SR, 2006. Documentation of the Impact of Hurricane Ivan on the Coastline of Bonaire (Netherlands Antilles). Journal of Coastal Research, 22(6): 1437-1450.
  • Scheffers SR, Bak RPM, van Duyl FC (2005). Why is bacterioplankton growth in coral reef framework cavities enhanced? Marine Ecology Progress Series 299: 89-99
  • Van Duyl FC, Scheffers SR, Driscoll M, Thomas FIM (2005). The effect of water exchange on bacterioplankton depletion and inorganic nutrient dynamics in coral reef cavities. Coral Reefs 25: 23-36
  • Kelletat D, Scheffers A. & Scheffers, SR. 2004. Holocene tsunami deposits on the Bahaman Islands of Long Island and Eleuthera. Zeitschrift fuer Geomorphologie, NF 48 (4): 519-540.
  • Scheffers SR, Nieuwland G, Bak RPM, van Duyl FC (2004). Removal of bacteria and nutrient dynamics within the coral reef framework of Curaçao (Netherlands Antilles). Coral Reefs 23: 413-422
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