SIMS Early Career Researchers

Dr Hayden Schilling 

Post-doctoral Research Associate

Supervisor

Prof. Iain Suthers

University Affiliation  

UNSW Australia 

Background 

I am a fisheries oceanographer with an interest in understanding the dynamics behind exploited fish populations. I am also broadly interested in coastal and estuarine ecology, fish biology and trophic interactions.

I completed a PhD with the University of NSW and NSW DPI Fisheries in 2019 focusing on the biology of the recreational fishing species tailor, Pomatomus saltatrix. My PhD research included all aspects of life history including growth rates, diet, juvenile habitat use, reproductive biolody and larval dispersal. Following this I was a marine data scientist for UNSW where I completed a project on estuarine artificial reefs before joining SIMS.  

Research at SIMS 

As a fisheries oceanographer I work closely with NSW DPI Fisheries and try to use oceanography to answer management relevant questions usually focussed on better understanding fluctuations in fisheries production. My current projects are focused around: 

• How ocean models can be used to understand fluctuations in recruitment by modelling larval dispersal
• The influence of onshore winds on recruitment of estuarine species
• The variation in the zooplankton community across the continental shelf 

I collaborate widely with many researchers interested in linking oceanography to biological data as well as currently supervising two UNSW honours students with NSW DPI looking at garfish stock structure and environmental drivers of mulluway growth. 

Google Scholar

@ht_schilling