Dr Stephen Newman received his PhD from James Cook University for his research focused on the distribution, abundance, age, growth and mortality of tropical snappers on the Great Barrier Reef.
Since then his research has primarily involved investigating the status and assessment of the fish resources of Western Australia. This includes assessing bycatch and discarding issues, investigating protected species interactions and developing mitigation strategies, evaluation of non-destructive assessment techniques, examining the biology and ecology of fishes with particular relevance to fisheries, effects of climate change on fish and fisheries of tropical WA, and Marine Stewardship Certification (MSC) assessment of relevant fisheries.
This research has meant working closely with industry and management, and has been pivotal in shaping the sustainable management of the State’s finfish fisheries resources.
Dr Newman has worked on the biology and stock assessment of a range of fish species including red emperor, goldband snapper, threadfin, spangled emperor, cods, sharks and Spanish mackerel. He has also worked on the stock structure and connectivity of a range of fish species.
He has regularly contributed to national and international workshops on strategic management issues (e.g. harvest strategies for sharks and red snappers across northern Australia, Indonesia-Australia red snapper shared stock management plan).
Dr Newman currently leads the North Coast and Gascoyne research groups within the Finfish branch at Fisheries. Their research advises managers on the sustainable harvest of the fish resources of WA.
He has several research collaborations with scientists and students at universities and international organisations, has led large multi-disciplinary research teams, and is involved in studies on the stock assessment, biology and ecology of fish, particularly in deepwater environments, as well as the connectivity of several fish species, ecosystem and oceanographic processes and taxonomic reviews.
Publications
Dr Stephen J. Newman PhD
Principal Research Scientist, Finfish
T: (08) 9203 0111
E: Stephen.Newman@fish.wa.gov.au