Joanne Oakes

Biography

Dr Joanne Oakes has over 20 years of experience using stable isotope techniques to investigate the ecology and biogeochemistry of coastal, terrestrial, and freshwater systems. She completed a PhD at Griffith University on the Gold Coast in 2007, and is now Deputy Director of the Centre for Coastal Biogeochemistry and Deputy Director of Higher Degree Training and Research at Southern Cross University.

Research

Dr Joanne Oakes has published 35 peer-reviewed articles in top journals and has been awarded over $2.2million in research grants. Dr Oakes' research focuses on the processing and fate of carbon and nitrogen within a range of environments, and how this is affected by altered conditions, such as elevated nutrients, changes in faunal or microbial communities, increased temperature, and ocean acidification. Dr Oakes' research extends from the arctic to the tropics, and from bare coastal sediments to seagrass beds and mangrove forests, and terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems. Dr Oakes has particular expertise in the application of innovative stable isotope techniques and enriched stable isotopes to trace carbon and nitrogen through these environments.

Supervision

Dr Joanne Oakes has 2 completed and 5 current PhD students and has supervised five Honours students to completion.

Teaching

Dr Oakes teaches into the Bachelor of Science, as Unit Assessor for the unit Cells and Molecules, and teaching into the units Ecology for Natural and Managed Systems, and Biogeochemistry. Dr Oakes has previous teaching experience in biology, estuarine ecology, and marine vertebrates at Southern Cross University and Griffith University.