2024 Fundamental Ecology Award Winner – Tess Jenkins
Applying classic ecological theories to understand reproductive behaviours in coral-associated reef fishes
Tess was born and raised in Western Australia, where early explorations along the coastline sparked a lifelong curiosity about the intricate life beneath the ocean’s surface. After completing her undergraduate degree at James Cook University in Townsville, Tess discovered a particular passion for understanding how behaviours in small reef-associated species are shaped by their surrounding environment. This passion brought Tess back home to study the unique fish communities of Ningaloo Marine Park. As a Forrest Research Foundation Scholar and member of the Centre for Evolutionary Biology at UWA, Tess is undertaking a PhD that explores how reproductive behaviours—such as mating systems and sex allocation strategies—have evolved in small, coral-dwelling fishes in direct response to their habitat associations. By shedding light on the ecology and evolution of these often-overlooked species, Tess hopes to contribute to conservation strategies that protect not only the fishes themselves but also the vulnerable coral habitats they depend on.
2025 Next Generation Ecologist Award Winner – Dr Eamonn Wooster
Harnessing animal intelligence to repair Australian mammal communities
Dr. Eamonn Wooster holds an independent fellowship at Charles Sturt University. His work spans behavioural ecology, invasion biology and macroecology, combining field research with meta-analytic and macroecological methods. He works to link individual-level animal behaviour to population-level interactions and leverage this information to conserve the natural world.
2025 Australian Ecology Research Award Winner – Prof Sarah Legge
Professor Sarah Legge is a part-time Professor at Charles Darwin University, an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University, and also works as a private consultant. She originally worked on the evolution of sociality, mating systems, sex allocation, siblicide, and intra-tropical migration, before transitioning to wildlife conservation 20 years ago. Since then, she has paired targeted research with landscape-scale management trials to understand the mechanisms and impacts of threats like mismanaged fire and invasive species, with this information then used to inform conservation management. In these efforts, Sarah collaborates with on-ground managers from government, non-government, and Indigenous land management sectors, working in the overlaps between research, management and policy. She is committed to service, contributing to many government statutory committees and government and non-government advisory committees.