Francesca Coleman

Masters Alumna

Since she can remember Francesca has always loved the ocean. From spending weekends out sailing with her Dad to crabbing with her friends and attending beach clean-ups, she took every opportunity to learn about the ocean. Growing up in England the legacy of great British naturalists such as Charles Darwin and David Attenborough inspired her to travel the world and pursue a career in natural science.

When the opportunity arose for her to move to New Zealand to study a Bachelor of Science majoring in Zoology and Marine Science she grabbed it with both hands. At Otago University her interest in geological history grew and she found herself studying evolution and how biogeography shaped species distribution through time. After three years of living in the cold she decided tropical biology would be a welcome change, so set her sights on JCU.

Francesca completed her minor project, part of her MSc in Marine Biology, under the supervision of David Bellwood and Alexandre Siqueira with a focus on biogeographical barriers. After graduating, Francesca aspires to continue her research in biogeography and tropical evolution. 

Jessica Valenzuela

Masters Student Alumna / Research Assistant

Growing up in the landlocked region of north Texas in the United States, Jessica's passion for marine biology arose from her father's love for marine life, David Attenborough documentaries, and trips to the local aquarium. Determined to explore the ocean for herself, she moved to southern California, where she completed her undergraduate degree in 2016 at Claremont McKenna College. In 2019, she came to James Cook University to pursue her interest in tropical reef fishes. Under the supervision of David Bellwood and Renato Morais, she completed her masters in 2020. Her research project investigated ontogenetic habitat shifts in Caesioninae, a group of planktivorous fishes. Jessica now works as a research assistant for the Reef Function Hub.

Jess’s publications