Rate My Professor Adam Brook

Adam Brook is the Laboratory and Aquatic Systems Technician in the Department of Marine Science at the University of Otago, stationed at the Portobello Marine Laboratory in room 211. His contact information includes telephone +64 3 479 5813, mobile +64 21 279 5812, and email adam.brook@otago.ac.nz. Brook graduated from the University of Otago in 2015. Before his current position, he gained experience as a professional aquarist, cultivating interests in aquatic systems and aquaculture, particularly specializing in mollusc husbandry. Since early 2018, he has engaged in small-scale Blackfoot pāua culture aimed at experimental reseeding of Customary Protection Areas, managing processes from spawning local broodstock to growing out juveniles and reseeding them into protected marine environments. He also participated in field monitoring of pāua numbers in Karitane Harbour in 2022 with University of Otago researchers.

Brook provides critical technical support for diverse marine science research at the Portobello Marine Laboratory, including aquarium setups, maintenance, laboratory operations, and field assistance. His contributions are recognized in numerous peer-reviewed publications, such as 'Size-specific reduction in kelp consumption by New Zealand urchins exposed to chemical cues from the red rock lobster' (2024), 'Shifts in species composition in kelp forest communities: implications of differences in total phenolic composition among species' (2024), 'Correction factors for prey size estimation from PenguCams' (2025), 'Spiny rock lobster (Jasus edwardsii) responses to marine heatwave conditions' (2025), and 'Chemical cues from a predatory fish (Parapercis colias) suppress herbivory by the sea urchin Evechinus chloroticus' (2025), among others including studies on sea star growth, trematode risks to seabirds, and environmental DNA monitoring. Through these efforts, Brook enables advancements in marine ecology, fisheries management, aquaculture techniques, and climate change impacts on coastal ecosystems. He has contributed to initiatives like Te Tiaki Mahinga Kai and is noted in the Coastal People: Southern Skies Annual Report 2022.