Grants from the Joyce W. Vickery Research Fund are intended to support worthy research in those fields of the Biological Sciences that fall within the range of interests of the Society, especially natural history research within Australia.

Project: Thieves in the night: does nocturnal egg predation exert early mortality in nest-guarding fish?
Synopsis: Given the very high levels of mortality during the early life history of fishes, any shifts in processes at this stage can have critical impacts on the replenishment and sustainability of populations. A study on smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) in the USA found that males guarding nests enjoy low nest predation by invasive round gobies (Neogobius melanostomus), which otherwise consume all eggs within 15 minutes if the guarding male is absent. The aims of this research project are to determine if Oriental weatherloach are egg predators and whether nest-guarding Purple spotted gudgeons can defend their eggs from this invasive species. Awarded $700.00