Marine Science Department, University of Otago

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Ocean Physics
Fjord Systems
Marine Mammals
Sedimentology

Academic Staff - Keith Probert

Assoc. Prof. Keith Probert BSc PhD(Lond.) ARCS

Department of Marine Science
University of Otago, P.O. Box 56, Dunedin
New Zealand
Phone 64-3-479-7465
Fax 64-3-479-8336
Email: keith.probert@otago.ac.nz

Web:

Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems

Research Interests:

Benthic ecology, in particular structure and function of sediment benthos
Ecology of polychaete annelids
Human impacts on benthic systems
Marine conservation

Courses:

MARI 301 Marine Ecology
MARI 433 Deep-Sea Biology

Research Projects:

Benthic functioning in the region of the Subtropical Front (in conjunction with the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research - NIWA).
Distributional ecology of polychaetes of the New Zealand upper slope (in conjunction with NIWA)
Benthic ecology of the Otago continental shelf and upper slope
Ecology of southern New Zealand inlets and estuaries

Selected Publications

Leduc, D. and Probert, P.K. Small-scale effect of intertidal seagrass
(Zostera muelleri) on meiofaunal abundance, biomass, and community
structure. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the U.K. in press.
Leduc, D., Probert, P.K. and Nodder, S.D. Influence of mesh size and core penetration on estimates of deep-sea nematode abundance, biomass, and diversity. Deep-Sea Research I, in press.
Paavo, B., Jonker, R., Thrush, S. and Probert, P.K. Macrofaunal community patterns of adjacent coastal sediments with wave-reflecting or wave-dissipating characteristics. Journal of Coastal Research, in press.
Probert, P.K., Glasby, C.J., Grove, S.L. and Paavo, B.L. 2009. Bathyal polychaete assemblages in the region of the Subtropical Front, Chatham Rise, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 43: 1121-1135.
Leduc, D., Probert, P.K. and Duncan, A. 2009. A multi-method approach for
identifying meiofaunal trophic connections. Marine Ecology Progress Series
383: 95-111.
Leduc D. and Probert P. K. 2009. The effect of bacterivorous nematodes on detritus incorporation by macrofaunal detritivores: a study using stable isotope and fatty acid analyses. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 371: 130-139.
Hernaman, V., Probert, P.K. and Robbins, W.D. 2009. Trophic ecology of coral reef gobies: interspecific, ontogenetic, and seasonal comparison of diet and feeding intensity. Marine Biology 156: 317-330.
Hernaman, V. and Probert, P.K. 2008. Spatial and temporal patterns of abundance of coral reef gobies (Teleostei: Gobiidae). Journal of Fish Biology 72:1589-1606.
Brewin, P.E., Probert, P.K. and Barker, M.F. 2008. Deep-basin macrobenthos of Doubtful Sound, Fiordland, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42: 1-21.
Paavo, B., Ziegelmeyer, A., Lavric, E. and Probert, P.K. 2008. Morphometric correlations and body mass regressions for Armandia maculata, Aglaophamus macroura (Polychaeta), and Zethalia zelandica (Gastropoda). New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 42: 85-91.
Probert, P.K., Christiansen, S., Gjerde, K.M., Gubbay, S. and Santos, R.S. 2007. Management and conservation of seamounts. In: Seamounts: Ecology, Fisheries and Conservation (eds) T.J. Pitcher, T. Morato, P.J.B Hart, M.R. Clark, N. Haggan and R.S. Santos. Blackwell: Oxford, UK. pp. 442-475
Nodder, S.D., Duineveld, G.C.A., Pilditch, C.A., Sutton, P.J., Probert, P.K., Lavaleye, M.S.S., Witbaard, R., Chang, F.H., Hall, J.A. and Richardson, K.M. 2007. Physical focusing of phytodetritus deposition beneath a deep-ocean front, Chatham Rise, New Zealand. Limnology and Oceanography 52: 299-314.
Leduc, D., Probert, P.K., Frew, R.D. and Hurd, C.L. 2006. Macroinvertebrate diet in intertidal seagrass and sandflat communities: a study using C, N, and S stable isotopes. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 40: 615-629.
Grove, S.L., Probert, P.K., Berkenbusch, K. and Nodder, S.D. 2006. Distribution of bathyal meiofauna in the region of the Subtropical Front, Chatham Rise, south-west Pacific. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 330: 342-355
Bradford-Grieve, J., Probert, K., Lewis, K., Sutton, P., Zeldis, J., Orpin, A. 2006. Chapter 36. New Zealand shelf region. In: The Sea, Volume 14: The Global Coastal Ocean: Interdisciplinary Regional Studies and Syntheses (eds) A. Robinson and H. Brink, Wiley, New York. pp. 1449-1490.
Probert, K., Jillett, J. and Carson, S. Southern Seas: Discovering Marine Life at 46°S. Dunedin, University of Otago Press 2005.
Kaselowsky, J., Scholz, J., Mawatari, S.F., Probert, P.K., Gerdes, G., Kadagies, N. and Hillmer, G. 2005. Bryozoans and microbial communities of cool-temperate to subtropical latitudes. Paleoecological implications I. Growth morphologies in shallow-water bryozoans settling on bivalve shells (Japan and New Zealand). Facies 50:349-361.
Darby, J., Fordyce, R.E., Mark, A., Probert, K. and Townsend, C. (eds). 2003. The Natural History of Southern New Zealand. Dunedin, University of Otago Press. 387 pp.
Nodder, S.D., Pilditch, C.A., Probert, P.K., Hall, J.A. 2003. Variability in benthic biomass and activity beneath the Subtropical Front, Chatham Rise, SW Pacific Ocean. Deep-Sea Research I 50: 959-985.
Bradford-Grieve, J.M., Probert, P.K., Nodder, S.D., Thompson, D., Hall, J., Hanchet, S., Boyd, P., Zeldis, J., Baker, A.N., Best, H.A., Broekhuizen, N., Childerhouse, S., Clark, M., Hadfield, M., Safi, K. and Wilkinson, I. 2003. Pilot trophic model for subantarctic water over the Southern Plateau, New Zealand: a low biomass, high transfer efficiency system. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 289: 223-262.
Probert, P. K. 2002. Ocean science and conservation - catching the wave. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 12: 165-168.
Probert, P.K., Read, G.B., Grove, S.L. & Rowden, A.A. 2001. Macrobenthic polychaete assemblages of the continental shelf and upper slope off the west coast of South Island, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 35: 971-984.
Ford, R.B., Thrush, S.F. & Probert, P.K. 2001. The interacting effect of hydrodynamics and organic matter on colonization: a soft-sediment example. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 52: 705-714.
Heiss, W.H., Smith, A.M. & Probert, P.K. 2000. Influence of the small intertidal seagrass Zostera novazelandica on linear water flow and sediment texture. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 34: 689-694.
Berkenbusch, K. Rowden, A. A. & Probert, P. K. 2000. Temporal and spatial variation in macrofauna community composition imposed by ghost shrimp Callianassa filholi bioturbation. Marine Ecology Progress Series 192: 249-257.
Ford, R.B., Thrush, S.F. & Probert, P.K. 1999. Macrobenthic colonisation of disturbances on an intertidal sandflat: the influence of season and buried algae Marine Ecology Progress Series 191: 163-174.
Probert, P. K. 1999. Seamounts, sanctuaries and sustainability: moving towards deep-sea conservation. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 9:601-605.
Grove, S. L. & Probert, P. K. 1999. Sediment macrobenthos of Upper Otago Harbour, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 33: 469-480.
Fyfe, J., Israel, S. A., Chong, A., Ismail, N., Hurd, C.L.& Probert, K. 1999. Mapping marine habitats in Otago, southern New Zealand. Geocarto International 14 (3): 15-26.
Jacob, W., McClatchie, S., Probert, P. K. & Hurst, R. J. 1998. Demersal fish assemblages off southern New Zealand in relation to depth and temperature. Deep-Sea Research I 45: 2119-2155.
Probert, P. K. & Grove, S. L. 1998. Macrobenthic assemblages of the continental shelf and upper slope off the west coast of South Island, New Zealand. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand 28:259-280.
McKnight, D.G. and Probert, P.K. 1997. Epibenthic communities on the Chatham Rise, New Zealand. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 31:505-513
Probert, P.K., McKnight, D.G. & Grove, S.L. 1997. Benthic invertebrate bycatch from a deep-water trawl fishery, Chatham Rise, New Zealand. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 7:27-40.
Probert, P.K., Grove, S.L., McKnight, D.G. & Read, G.B. 1996. Polychaete distribution on the Chatham Rise, Southwest Pacific. Internationale Revue der Gesamten Hydrobiologie 81:577-588.