Room: 303 Craig Mair      Phone: +44(0)1248 382588

E-mail: g.j.williams@bangor.ac.uk      Twitter 

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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 

• Marine Conservation and Resource Management
• Marine Ecology

• MSc: Marine Environmental Protection
• BSc: Marine Biology
  University of Liverpool,
• PhD: Coral disease and the environment in the Pacific Ocean
  Victoria University of Wellington,

I teach a range of undergraduate and postgraduate classes in marine ecology and applied statistics.

Current PhD students (primary supervisor)

• Danielle Spring (2023-present) - Thesis title: Biophysical links between oceanographic processes and coral reef benthic communities.
• Hana Amir (2023-present) - Thesis title: How do coral energy strategies influence their survival?
• Lisa Goberdhan (2021-present) - Thesis title: Functional role of uncharted coral reef habitats in the Anthropocene.
• Alice Lawrence (2019-present) - Thesis title: The natural and anthropogenic drivers of reef fish community structure and function across scales. 

Current PhD students (co-supervisor)

• Javier Gonzalez Barrios (2022-present) - Thesis title: Confronting the changing diversity patterns of coral reefs.
• Laura-Li Jeannot (2022-present) - Thesis title: Effects of seabird nutrient inputs on the productivity of coral reef fish communities.
• Megan O'hara (2021-present) - Thesis title: What drives cold pulses at remote tropical reefs?

Past PhD students

• Catherine Sheppard (2020-2024) - Thesis title: Do species interactions after overfishing enhance or inhibit coral reef recovery (Lancaster University)?
• Helen Ford (2017-2022) – Thesis title: The seascape ecology of disturbance and recovery on Pacific coral reefs.
• Tim Jackson-Bue (2016-2021) – Thesis title: The use of high-resolution remote sensing to advance temperate reef ecology.
• Anna Woodhead (2016-2021) – Thesis title: Capturing ecosystem service delivery from coral reefs (Lancaster University).
• Ellie Vaughan (2016-2021) – Thesis title: Quantifying nutrient signals on coral reefs (Lancaster University).

I have a range of research interests in which PhD projects could be developed. Please contact me by email in the first instance regarding any of the following areas: coral reef ecology, marine spatial ecology, oceanographic drivers of coral reefs, marine climate change impacts, marine disease ecology, and ecological statistics.

2025

• PublishedEmergent patterns of reef fish diversity correlate with coral assemblage shifts along the Great Barrier Reef
  González-Barrios, J., Keith, S., Emslie, M., Ceccarelli, D., Williams, G. J. & Graham, N., 13 Jan 2025, In: Nature Communications. 16, 303.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedProtecting existing coral reefs must be our priority
  Williams, G. J., 8 Apr 2025, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. p. 754-755
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedQuantifying spatial gradients in coral reef benthic communities using multivariate dispersion
  Lawrence, A., Heenan, A. & Williams, G. J., 2 Apr 2025, In: Royal Society Open Science. 12, 4, p. 241254 241254.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2024

• PublishedHost 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., 1 Apr 2024, In: Bulletin of Marine Science . 100, 2, p. 163-184 22 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMetabolomic profiles of stony coral species from the Dry Tortugas National Park display inter- and intraspecies variation
  Deutsch, J., Demko, A., Jaiyesimi, O., Foster, G., Kindler, A., Vekich, T., Williams, G. J., Walker, B. K., Paul, V. & Garg, N., Dec 2024, In: mSystems. 9, 12, p. e0085624
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRegional 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
• E-pub ahead of printVariation in coral rubble cryptofauna is scale-dependent and driven by small-scale habitat characteristics
  Goberdhan, L., Robertson, C., Egerton, J., Fox, M., Johnson, M., Graham, N. & Williams, G. J., 5 Dec 2024, (E-pub ahead of print) In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 750, p. 19-36
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedVariation in farming damselfish behaviour creates a competitive landscape of risk on coral reefs
  Sheppard, C., Bostrom-Einarsson, L., Williams, G. J., Exton, D. & Keith, S., 29 May 2024, In: Biology Letters. 20, 5
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2023

• PublishedCo-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
• PublishedCoral 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
• PublishedInfluence 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
• PublishedLocal 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
• PublishedMacroalgae 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. & 24 others, 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. 3318-3330
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNear-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., Sept 2023, In: Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers. 199, 104107.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedOcean 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
• PublishedRecurring 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

2022

• PublishedLinking 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
• PublishedSeabed 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
• PublishedThe 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

• PublishedArtificial 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
• PublishedCoral 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. 1029-1044
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNitrogen 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
• PublishedPrecision 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
• PublishedQuantifying 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
• PublishedSpatial 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
• PublishedSpatial 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
• PublishedThree-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

2020

• PublishedA 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. & 52 others, 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
• PublishedLocal 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
• PublishedLocalized outbreaks of coral disease on Arabian reefs are linked to extreme temperatures and environmental stressors
  Aeby, G., Howells, E., Work, T., Abrego, D., Williams, G. J., Wedding, L., Caldwell, J., Moritsch, M. & Burt, J., Jun 2020, In: Coral Reefs. 39, 3, p. 829-846 18 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedModelling 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
• PublishedNatural variation in coral reef trophic structure across environmental gradients
  Heenan, A., Williams, G. & Williams, I., Mar 2020, In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 18, 2, p. 69-75
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPossible 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. 603-617
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedThree-dimensional digital mapping of ecosystems: a new era in spatial ecology
  D'Urban Jackson, T., Williams, G. J., Walker-Springett, G. & Davies, A., 12 Feb 2020, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B.. 287, 1920, 20192383.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2019

• PublishedCoral reef ecology in the Anthropocene
  Williams, G. J., Graham, N. A. J., Jouffray, J.-B., Norstrom, A. V., Nystrom, M., Gove, J. M., Heenan, A. & Wedding, L. M., Jun 2019, In: Functional Ecology. 33, 6, p. 1014-1022
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCoral reef ecosystem services in the Anthropocene
  Woodhead, A. J., Hicks, C. C., Norstrom, A. V., Williams, G. J. & Graham, N. A. J., Jun 2019, In: Functional Ecology. 33, 6, p. 1023-1034
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedForaging consistency of coral reef fishes across environmental gradients in the central Pacific
  Zgliczynski , B. J., Williams, G., Hamilton, S., Cordner, E., Fox, M., Eynaud, Y., Michene, R., Kaufman, L. & Sandin, S. A., Oct 2019, In: Oecologia. 191, 2, p. 433-445
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedParsing human and biophysical drivers of coral reef regimes
  Jouffray, J.-B., Wedding, L., Norstrom, A. V., Donovan, M., Williams, G., Crowder, L., Erickson, A., Friedlander, A. M., Graham, N. A. J., Gove, J. M., Kappel, C., Kittinger, J., Lecky, J., Oleson, K., Selkoe, K., White, C., Williams, I. & Nystrom, M., Feb 2019, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 286, 1896, 20182544.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPathogenesis of a tissue loss disease affecting multiple species of corals along the Florida Reef Tract
  Aeby, G. S., Ushijima, B., Campbell, J., Jones, S., Williams, G. J., Meyer, J., Hase, C. & Paul, V., 1 Nov 2019, In: Frontiers in Marine Science. 6, 678.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPrey-size plastics are invading larval fish nurseries
  Gove, J. M., Whitney, J., McManus, M. A., Lecky, J., Carvalho, F., Lynch, J., Li, J., Neubauer, P., Smith, K., Phipps, J., Kobayashi, D., Balagso, K., Contreras, E., Manuel, M., Merrifield, M., Polovina, J., Asner, G., Maynard, J. A. & Williams, G. J., 26 Nov 2019, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA. 116, 48, p. 24143-24149 7 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRed Sea SAR11 and Prochlorococcus Single-cell Genomes Reflect Globally Distributed Pangenomes
  Thompson, L. R., Haroon, M. F., Shibl, A. A., Cahill, M. J., Ngugi, D. K., Williams, G. J., Morton, J. T., Knight, R., Goodwin, K. D. & Stingl, U., Jul 2019, In: Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 85, 13, e00369-19.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRethinking coral reef functional futures
  Williams, G. J. & Graham, N. A. J., 7 Jun 2019, In: Functional Ecology. 33, 6, p. 942-947
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Editorial › peer-review
• PublishedScale-dependent spatial patterns in benthic communities around a tropical island seascape
  Aston, E. A., Williams, G. J., Green, J. A. M., Davies, A. J., Wedding, L. M., Gove, J. M., Jouffray, J.-B., Jones, T. T. & Clark, J., Mar 2019, In: Ecography. 42, 3, p. 578-590
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSocial-environmental drivers inform strategic management of coral reefs in the Anthropocene
  Darling, E. S., McClanahan, T. R., Maina, J., Gurney, G. G., Graham, N. A. J., Januchowski-Hartley, F., Cinner, J. E., Mora, C., Hicks, C. C., Maire, E., Puotinen, M., Skirving, W. J., Adjeroud, M., Ahmadia, G., Arthur, R., Bauman, A. G., Beger, M., Berumen, M. L., Bigot, L. & Bouwmeester, J. & 60 others, Brenier, A., Bridge, T. C. L., Brown, E., Campbell, S. J., Cannon, S., Cauvin, B., Chen, C. A., Claudet, J., Denis, V., Donner, S., Estradivari, Fadli, N., Feary, D. A., Fenner, D., Fox, H., Franklin, E. C., Friedlander, A., Gilmour, J., Goiran, C., Guest, J., Hobbs, J.-P. A., Hoey, A. S., Houk, P., Johnson, S., Jupiter, S. D., Kayal, M., Kuo, C.-Y., Lamb, J., Lee, M. A. C., Low, J., Muthiga, N., Muttaqin, E., Nand, Y., Nash, K. L., Nedlic, O., Pandolfi, J. M., Pardede, S., Patankar, V., Penin, L., Ribas-Deulofeu, L., Richards, Z., Roberts, T. E., Rodgers, K. S., Safuan, C. D. M., Sala, E., Shedrawi, G., Sin, T. M., Smallhorn-West, P., Smith, J. E., Sommer, B., Steinberg, P. D., Sutthacheep, M., Tan, C. H. J., Williams, G., Wilson, S., Yeemin, T., Bruno, J. F., Fortin, M.-J., Krkosek, M. & Mouillot, D., 12 Aug 2019, In: Nature Ecology and Evolution. 3, 9, p. 1341-1350
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2018

• PublishedAdvancing the integration of spatial data to map human and natural drivers on coral reefs
  Wedding, L., Lecky, J., Gove, J., Walecka, H., Donovan, M., Williams, G., Jouffray, J.-B., Crowder, L., Erickson, A., Falinski, K., Friedlander, A., Kappel, C., Kittinger, J., McCoy, K., Norstrom, A., Nystrom, M., Oleson, K., Stamoulis, K., White, C. & Selkoe, K., 1 Mar 2018, In: PLoS ONE. :e0189792.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedBiophysical drivers of coral trophic depth zonation
  Williams, G., Sandin, S. A., Zgliczynski , B. J., Fox, M., Gove, J. M., Rogers, J. S., Furby, K., Hartmann, A., Caldwell, Z. R., Price, N. & Smith, J. E., Apr 2018, In: Marine Biology. 165, 60.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCombining fish and benthic communities into multiple regimes reveals complex reef dynamics
  Donovan, M. K., Friedlander, A. M., Lecky, J., Jouffray, J.-B., Williams, G. J., Wedding, L. M., Crowder, L. B., Erickson, A. L., Graham, N. A. J., Gove, J. M., Kappel, C. V., Karr, K., Kittinger, J. N., Norström, A. V., Nyström, M., Oleson, K. L. L., Stamoulis, K. A., White, C., Williams, I. D. & Selkoe, K. A., 16 Nov 2018, In: Scientific Reports. 8, 16943.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedFirst record of coralline fungal disease (CFD) in the Indian Ocean
  Williams, G., Roche, R. & Turner, J., 4 Jun 2018, In: Coral Reefs. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00338-018-1704-z , 1 p.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGradients in primary production predict trophic strategies of mixotrophic corals across spatial scales
  Fox, M. D., Williams, G. J., Johnson, M. D., Radice, V. Z., Zgliczynski , B. J., Kelly, E. L. A., Rohwer, F. L., Sandin, S. A. & Smith, J. E., 5 Nov 2018, In: Current Biology. 28, 21, p. 3355-3363
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedHigh frequency temperature variability reduces the risk of coral bleaching
  Safaie, A., Silbiger, N. J., McClanahan, T. R., Pawlak, G., Barshis, D. J., Hench, J. L., Rogers, J. S., Williams, G. & Davis, K. A., 2018, In: Nature Communications. 9, 1671.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedTowards Developing a Mechanistic Understanding of Coral Reef Resilience to Thermal Stress Across Multiple Scales
  Roche, R., Williams, G. & Turner, J., Mar 2018, In: Current Climate Change Reports. 4, 1, p. 51-64 D 87.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2017

• PublishedA robust operational model for predicting where tropical cyclone waves damage coral reefs
  Puotinen, M., Maynard, J. A., Beeden, R., Radford, B. & Williams, G., May 2017, In: Scientific Reports. 6, 26009.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLarge-area imaging reveals biologically driven non-random spatial patterns of corals at a remote reef
  Edwards, C., Eynaud, Y., Williams, G., Pedersen, N., Zgliczynski, B., Gleason, A., Smith, J. & Sandin, S., Dec 2017, In: Coral Reefs. 36, 4, p. 1291-1305
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMetagenomic covariation along densely sampled environmental gradients in the Red Sea
  Thompson, L. R., Williams, G., Haroon, M. F., Shibl, A., Larsen, P., Shorenstein, J., Knight, R. & Stingl, U., Jan 2017, In: ISME Journal. 11, p. 138-151
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedMeta-Mass Shift Chemical (MeMSChem) profiling of metabolomes from coral reefs
  Hartmann, A., Petras, D., Quinn, R., Protsyuk, I., Archer, F., Ransome, E., Williams, G., Bailey, B., Vermeij, M., Alexandrov, T., Dorrestein, P. & Rohwer, F., 31 Oct 2017, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 114, 44, p. 11685-11690
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2016

• PublishedGuiding coral reef futures in the Anthropocene
  Norstrom, A. V., Nystrom, M., Jouffray, J.-B., Folke, C., Graham, N. A. J., Moberg, F., Olsson, P. & Williams, G., 1 Nov 2016, In: Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedHawaiʻi Coral Disease database (HICORDIS): species-specific coral health data from across the Hawaiian archipelago
  Caldwell, J. M., Burns, J. H. R., Couch, C., Ross, M., Runyon, C., Takabayashi, M., Vargas-Ángel, B., Walsh, W., Walton, M., White, D., Williams, G. & Heron, S. F., Sept 2016, In: Data in Brief. 8, p. 1054-1058
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedImproving marine disease surveillance through sea temperature monitoring, outlooks and projections
  Maynard, J., van Hooidonk, R., Harvell, C. D., Eakin, C. M., Liu, G., Willis, B. L., Williams, G., Groner, M. L., Dobson, A., Heron, S. F., Glenn, R., Reardon, K. & Shields, J. D., 5 Mar 2016, In: Philosophical Transactions of The Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 371, 1689
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLocal-scale projections of coral reef futures and implications of the Paris Agreement
  van Hooidonk, R., Maynard, J. A., Tamelander, J., Gove, J. M., Ahmadia, G. N., Raymundo, L., Williams, G., Heron, S. F. & Planes, S., Dec 2016, In: Scientific Reports. 6, 39666.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNatural bounds on herbivorous coral reef fishes
  Heenan, A., Hoey, A. S., Williams, G. & Williams, I. D., 23 Nov 2016, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B.. 283, 1843
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNear-island biological hotspots in barren ocean basins
  Gove, J. M., McManus, M. A., Neuheimer, A. B., Polovina, J. J., Drazen, J. C., Smith, C. R., Merrifield, M. A., Friedlander, A. M., Ehses, J. S., Young, C. W., Dillon, A. K. & Williams, G., 16 Feb 2016, In: Nature Communications. 7, 10581.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedReef Fish Survey Techniques: Assessing the Potential for Standardizing Methodologies
  Caldwell, Z. R., Zgliczynski , B. J., Williams, G. & Sandin, S. A., 25 Apr 2016, In: PLoS ONE. 11, 4, e0153066.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedTemporal dynamics and persistence of sponge assemblages in a Central Pacific atoll lagoon
  Knapp, I. S. S., Williams, G. & Bell, J. J., Oct 2016, In: Marine Ecology. 37, 5, p. 1147-1153
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2015

• PublishedAssessing relative resilience potential of coral reefs to inform management
  Maynard, J. A., McKagan, S., Raymundo, L., Johnson, S., Ahmadia, G. N., Johnston, L., Houk, P., Williams, G., Kendall, M., Heron, S. F., van Hooidonk, R., Mcleod, E., Tracey, D. & Planes, S., 1 Dec 2015, In: Biological Conservation. 192, December, p. 109-119
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCoral reef benthic regimes exhibit non-linear threshold responses to natural physical drivers
  Gove, J. M., Williams, G. J., McManus, M. A., Clark, S. J., Ehses, J. S. & Wedding, L. M., 2 Mar 2015, In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 522, p. 33-48
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedCryptic species obscure introduction pathway of the blue Caribbean sponge (Haliclona (Soestella) caerulea), (order: Haplosclerida) to Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific
  Knapp, I. S., Forsman, Z. H., Williams, G. J., Toonen, R. J. & Bell, J. J., 6 Aug 2015, In: PeerJ. 3
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedDisease dynamics of Porites bleaching with tissue loss: prevalence, virulence, transmission, and environmental drivers
  Sudek, M., Williams, G. J., Runyon, C., Aeby, G. S. & Davy, S. K., 10 Feb 2015, In: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 113, 1, p. 59-68
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedEnvironmental and ecological controls of coral community metabolism on Palmyra Atoll
  Koweek, D., Dunbar , R. B., Rogers, J. S., Williams, G., Price, N., Mucciarone, D. & Teneva , L., Mar 2015, In: Coral Reefs. 34, 1, p. 339-351
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedImpacts and Recovery from Severe Tropical Cyclone Yasi on the Great Barrier Reef
  Beeden, R., Maynard, J., Puotinen, M., Marshall, P., Dryden, J., Goldberg, J. & Williams, G., 15 Apr 2015, In: PLoS ONE. 10, 4, p. e0121272
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedInfluence of local environmental variables on the viral consortia associated with the coral Montipora capitata from Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii, USA
  Lawrence, S. A., Wilkinson, S. P., Davy, J. E., Arlidge, W. N., Williams, G. J., Wilson, W. H., Aeby, G. S. & Davy, S. K., 24 Mar 2015, In: Aquatic Microbial Ecology. 74, p. 251-262
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLocal human impacts decouple natural biophysical relationships on Pacific coral reefs
  Williams, G. J., Gove, J. M., Eynaud, Y., Zgliczynski, B. J. & Sandin, S. A., 28 Feb 2015, In: Ecography. 38, 8, p. 751-761
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedProjections of climate conditions that increase coral disease susceptibility and pathogen abundance and virulence
  Maynard, J., van Hooidonk, R., Eakin, C. M., Puotinen, M., Garren, M., Williams, G. J., Heron, S. F., Lamb, J., Weil, E., Willis, B. & Hervell, C. D., 4 May 2015, In: Nature Climate Change. 5, p. 688-694
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2014

• PublishedAntarctic sea-ice microbial communities show distinct patterns of zonation in response to algal-derived substrates
  Cowie, R. O., Williams, G. J., Maas, E. W., Voyles, K. M. & Ryan, K. G., 2 Oct 2014, In: Aquatic Microbial Ecology. 73, 2, p. 123-134
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedIdentifying multiple coral reef regimes and their drivers across the Hawaiian archipelago
  Jouffray, J., Nystrom, M., Norstrom, A. V., Williams, I. D., Wedding, L. M., Kittinger, J. N. & Williams, G. J., 24 Nov 2014, In: Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B. 370, 1659
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedLocal genomic adaptation of coral reef-associated microbiomes to gradients of natural variability and anthropogenic stressors
  Kelly, L. W., Williams, G. J., Barott, K. L., Carlson, C. A., Dinsdale, E. A., Edwards, R. A., Haas, A. F., Haynes, M., Lim, Y. W., McDole, T., Nelson, C. E., Sala, E., Sandin, S. A., Smith, J. E., Vermeij, M. J., Youle, M. & Rohwer, F., 30 Jun 2014, In: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 111, 28, p. 10227-10232
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedOcean warming and acidification have complex interactive effects on the dynamics of a marine fungal disease
  Williams, G. J., Price, N. N., Ushijima, B., Aeby, G. S., Callahan, S., Davy, S. K., Gove, J. M., Johnson, M. D., Knapp, I. S., Shore-Maggio, A., Smith, J. E., Videau, P. & Work, T. M., 7 Mar 2014, In: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 281, 1778
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPositive and Negative Effects of a Threatened Parrotfish on Reef Ecosystems
  McCauley, D. J., Young, H. S., Guevara, R., Williams, G. J., Power, E. A., Dunbar, R. B., Bird, D. W., Durham, W. H. & Micheli, F., 26 Jul 2014, In: Conservation Biology. 28, 5, p. 1312-1321
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2013

• PublishedBenthic communities at two remote Pacific coral reefs: effects of reef habitat, depth, and wave energy gradients on spatial patterns
  Williams, G. J., Smith, J. E., Conklin, E. J., Gove, J. M., Sala, E. & Sandin, S. A., 28 May 2013, In: PeerJ. 1, e81.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedContrasting recovery following removal of growth anomalies in the corals Acropora and Montipora
  Williams, G. J., 11 Oct 2013, In: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 106, 2, p. 181-185
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedQuantifying Climatological Ranges and Anomalies for Pacific Coral Reef Ecosystems
  Gove, J. M., Williams, G. J., McManus, M. A., Heron, S. F., Sandin, S. A., Vetter, O. J. & Foley, D. G., 18 Apr 2013, In: PLoS ONE. 8, 4, e61974.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedRestriction of sponges to an atoll lagoon as a result of reduced environmental quality
  Knapp, I. S. S., Williams, G. J., Luis Carballo, J., Antonio Cruz-Barraza, J., Gardner, J. P. A. & Bell, J. J., 15 Jan 2013, In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. 66, 1-2, p. 209-220
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2012

• PublishedBlack reefs: iron-induced phase shifts on coral reefs
  Kelly, L. W., Barott, K. L., Dinsdale, E., Friedlander, A. M., Nosrat, B., Obura, D., Sala, E., Sandin, S. A., Smith, J. E., Vermeij, M. J. A., Williams, G. J., Willner, D. & Rohwer, F., Mar 2012, In: The ISME Journal. 6, 3, p. 638-649
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedEnvironmental Factors Affecting Large-Bodied Coral Reef Fish Assemblages in the Mariana Archipelago
  Richards, B. L., Williams, I. D., Vetter, O. J. & Williams, G. J., 27 Feb 2012, In: PLoS ONE. 7, 2, e31374.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedNatural history of coral-algae competition across a gradient of human activity in the Line Islands
  Barott, K. L., Williams, G. J., Vermeij, M. J. A., Harris, J., Smith, J. E., Rohwer, F. L. & Sandin, S. A., 2012, In: Marine Ecology Progress Series. 460, p. 1-12
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2011

• PublishedGross and microscopic morphology of lesions in Cnidaria from Palmyra Atoll, Central Pacific
  Williams, G. J., Work, T. M., Aeby, G. S., Knapp, I. S. & Davy, S. K., Feb 2011, In: Journal of Invertebrate Pathology. 106, 2, p. 165-173
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedGrowth Anomalies on the Coral Genera Acropora and Porites Are Strongly Associated with Host Density and Human Population Size across the Indo-Pacific
  Aeby, G. S., Williams, G. J., Franklin, E. C., Haapkyla, J., Harvell, C. D., Neale, S., Page, C. A., Raymundo, L., Vargas-Angel, B., Willis, B. L., Work, T. M. & Davy, S. K., 18 Feb 2011, In: PLoS ONE. 6, 2
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedOutbreak of Acropora white syndrome following a mild bleaching event at Palmyra Atoll, Northern Line Islands, Central Pacific
  Williams, G., Knapp, I. S., Work, T. M. & Conklin, E. J., Sept 2011, In: Coral Reefs. 30, 3, p. 621-621
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPatterns of Coral Disease across the Hawaiian Archipelago: Relating Disease to Environment
  Aeby, G. S., Williams, G. J., Franklin, E. C., Kenyon, J., Cox, E. F., Coles, S. & Work, T. M., 31 May 2011, In: PLoS ONE. 6, 5
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedProximate environmental drivers of coral communities at Palmyra Atoll: Establishing baselines prior to removing a WWII military causeway
  Williams, G. J., Knapp, I. S., Maragos, J. E. & Davy, S. K., Aug 2011, In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. 62, 8, p. 1842-1851
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedSpatial and temporal patterns of scleractinian coral, soft coral, and zoanthid disease on a remote, near-pristine coral reef (Palmyra Atoll, central Pacific)
  Williams, G. J., Knapp, I. S., Aeby, G. S. & Davy, S. K., 6 Apr 2011, In: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 94, 2, p. 89-100
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2010

• PublishedDisease dynamics of Montipora white syndrome within Kaneohe Bay, Oahu, Hawaii: distribution, seasonality, virulence, and transmissibility
  Aeby, G. S., Ross, M., Williams, G., Lewis, T. D. & Work, T. M., 26 Jul 2010, In: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 91, 1, p. 1-8
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedModeling patterns of coral bleaching at a remote Central Pacific atoll
  Williams, G. J., Knapp, I. S., Maragos, J. E. & Davy, S. K., Sept 2010, In: Marine Pollution Bulletin. 60, 9, p. 1467-1476
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedPredictive Modeling of Coral Disease Distribution within a Reef System
  Williams, G. J., Aeby, G. S., Cowie, R. O. M. & Davy, S. K., 17 Feb 2010, In: PLoS ONE. 5, 2, e9264.
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2008

• PublishedCoral disease at Palmyra Atoll, a remote reef system in the Central Pacific
  Williams, G., Aeby, G. S. & Davy, S. K., Mar 2008, In: Coral Reefs. 27, 1, p. 207-207
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
• PublishedQuantitative characterisation of reef fish diversity among nearshore habitats in a northeastern New Zealand marine reserve.
  Williams, G. J., Cameron, M. J., Turner, J. R. & Ford, R. B., 1 Mar 2008, In: New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research. 42, 1, p. 33-46
  Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2021

• Ecography (Journal)

  Subject Editor

  Apr 2021 – Oct 2024

  Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)

2017

• Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (Journal)

  Associate Editor

  Jan 2017 – Dec 2020

  Activity: Editorial activity (Editorial board member)

• How do coral energy strategies influence their survival? ( Fathimath Hana Amir's Envision PhD: Case partners additional funding)

  01/12/2023 – 15/10/2027 (Active)

• Biophysical links between oceanographic processes and coral reef benthic communities: does upwelling confer resilience to coral reefs? (Danielle Spring)

  01/10/2023 – 31/12/2199 (Active)

• The role of oceanic nutrients on coral reef persistence through climate change

  01/02/2023 – 16/09/2024 (Finished)

• High-resolution climate model projects - additional funding for Outreach

  01/02/2022 – 16/09/2024 (Finished)

• ENVISION studentship: CASE contribution, The Nature Conservancy

  01/10/2021 – 15/10/2025 (Active)

• High-resolution climate model projections of coral reef futures for the British Indian Ocean Territory and broader Indian Ocean

  21/09/2020 – 30/09/2023 (Finished)

• FISHSCALES - Quantifying drivers of functional diversity and structure of reef-FISH assemblages across SCALES for ecosystem-based management

  01/09/2019 – 01/08/2022 (Finished)

• FISHSCALE - MSCA - Laura Richardson

  01/06/2019 – 31/12/2199 (Active)

• (METRICs)Marine Ecosystem Trophic References & Indicators for assessing system Condition and Status

  16/10/2017 – 30/09/2020 (Finished)

• ENVISION studentship: CASE contribution from The Nature Conservancy

  01/10/2017 – 01/08/2022 (Finished)