Bonnie Holmes

Biography

Dr Bonnie Holmes’ research focuses on the biology and ecology of large sharks and fish. Bonnie has specialised in using techniques such as satellite telemetry to understand and answer complex questions about how these species use their habitat in time and space. Bonnie also has an interest in population genetics, and has undertaken behaviour ecology work on a diversity of keystone species marine species, ranging from teleost fishes to marine mammals. The research has been important for improving the sustainability of species management, as well as understanding food web ecology and how humans impact upon it.

Further to her applied research, Bonnie spent several years working in sustainability assessment at Fisheries Queensland where she was involved in developing key fisheries assessment techniques to monitor stock status of fisheries resources, as well as management of the aquatic invasives program for Biosecurity Queensland. Currently she has both HDR and Honours students working on shark, fish and cetacean biology, ecology and genetics.

For students interested in pursuing HDR, Honours or special research projects please contact Bonnie via email bholmes@usc.edu.au.

Professional roles

• Co-Lead - Marine and Terrestrial Megafauna Cluster UniSC
• Cat B member - UniSC Animal Ethics Committee
• UniSC Research Sub-Committee Member

Professional memberships

• Oceania Chondrichthyan Society – Past Council Member
• Australian Society for Fish Biology – Alien Fishes Committee Past Co-Chair
• Freshwater Vertebrate and Invertebrate Working Group – Environment & Invasives Committee, former Executive Officer

Education

• 2002 — Bachelor of Science (Flinders University)
• 2003 — Bachelor of Science (Honours) (Flinders University)
• 2015 — Doctor of Philosophy (University of Queensland)
• 2019 — Research Integrity and HDR Supervision (Griffith University)
• 2021 — HEA Associate Fellow (University of the Sunshine Coast)

Teaching areas

• Animal Ecology
• Marine Science

Current Student Supervision

PhD

• G. Hume (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Investigating the population ecology of dolphins in southeast Queensland, Australia.
• M. Ichsan (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Biology, ecology and population structure of critically endangered wedgefish in the Indo-West Pacific.
• M. Cross (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Biology and ecology of scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) in Queensland, Australia.
• R. Banaghan (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Towards sustainable inshore fisheries: The potential of estuarine electrofishing in Australia.
• T. Lee-Perrior (Griffith University) - Bull shark toxicology in southeast Queensland.
• Louise Hosking (Adelaide University) - Bridging data gaps: chemical sclerochronology for enhanced shark conservation and management.
• Miranda Spencer-Altice (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Maternal investments and early life stress in neonatal and juvenile sharks: Implications for conservation.
• J. Buckman (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Understanding threats, migration ecology, and population structure to enhance the recovery and resilience of the east Australian humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae).
• Sam Amini (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Movement ecology and trophic dynamics of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in southeast Queensland.

Honours

Current (2026):

• F. Quinn (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) juvenile kinship in Sunshine Coast rivers, Queensland, Australia.
• S. Jones (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Bioindicators of ecosystem health: bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas) parasite loading in SEQ rivers.
• J. Bell (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Physiological stress response to capture in bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas).
• B. Toohey (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Parasite Community Structure, Diversity, and Prevalence in the Indo-Pacific Bottlenose Dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) from Southeast Queensland
• I. Steel (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Aetiology of a novel humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) skin lesion and assessment of its prevalence, severity, and spatio-temporal patterns in Southeast Queensland.
• D. Botros (University of the Sunshine Coast) - The net effect: Analysing six decades of cetacean bycatch in the Queensland Shark Control Program.

Past Student Completions:

• I. Athien-Hayes Hons Class I (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Does the temporal and spatial presence of whales drive the seasonal movements of large sharks in SEQ?
• V. Biskis PhD (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Habitat use, population structure and distribution of endangered sawfish species and implications for management in northern Queensland river systems.
• A. Ikpe MSc (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Fine-scale habitat use and physiology of the tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier).
• D. Estefanía Alarcón Ruales PhD (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Demography and population structure of blue whales, bottlenose dolphins and orcas of the Galapagos Archipelago: Genetics, diet and health status of three cetacean species in the Ecuadorian whale sanctuary.
• J. Vardon PhD (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Assessing shark depredation in Queensland fisheries.
• C. Saint-Clair Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Investigating shark interactions in the Eastern Tuna and Billfish Fishery.
• D. Russell Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Occurrence, frequency and distribution of anthropogenic marks on dolphins on the Sunshine Coast.
• G. Webster Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Epidermal health assessments of the Australian humpback (Sousa sahluensis) and Indo-Pacific bottlenose (Tursiops aduncus) dolphins with the Great Sandy Marine Park.
• J. Lennan Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Historical and contemporary abundance patterns of humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) in Hervey Bay, Queensland, Australia.
• R. Banaghan Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Impacts of environmental and temporal factors on the catch rate of bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas) in nearshore habitats in Queensland, Australia.
• L. Smith PhD (University of Queensland) - Global population structure of sailfish (Istiophorus platypterus) and its ecology and distribution in the central Indo-Pacific.
• M. Cross Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Spatial and temporal variation of marine megafauna in the coastal zone of southeast Queensland.
• A. Linn Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Assessing multiple paternity in spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna) litters from Queensland, Australia.
• M. Keane Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Using SNP genotype sequencing to understand kinship and relatedness of humpback whales (Megaptera novaengliae) in a migratory stop-over site in south-east Queensland.
• M. Millington PhD (Griffith University) - Silent invasion - Ornamental fish as leading invaders of Australian freshwaters.
• N. Brunjes Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Genetic population structure of the great hammerhead shark (Sphyrna mokarran) in Australia.
• J. Milburn Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Cryptic mortality and depredation of spanner crabs (Ranina ranina) off the east coast of Australia.
• B. Page Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Stock structure of the eastern shovelnose ray (Aptychotrema rostrata) along the east coast of Australia.
• J. Ibbeson Hons Class 1 (University of the Sunshine Coast) - Understanding the influence of biophysical features on shark catch in the East Coast Inshore Fin Fish Fishery.

Expert media commentary

Dr Bonnie Holmes’ specialist areas of knowledge include the biology and ecology of large sharks and fish. Bonnie has specialised in using techniques such as satellite telemetry to understand and answer complex questions about how these species use their habitat in time and space. Bonnie also has an interest in population genetics, and has undertaken behaviour ecology work on a diversity of keystone species marine species, ranging from teleost fishes to marine mammals.