Background
About
Dr Samuel Mc Cormack is a Benthic Ecologist with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) based in Perth. His work focuses on the intersection of technology, ecology, and Indigenous Sea Country stewardship, using advanced imaging and AI methods to monitor benthic communities across northern Australia.
Employment
2021–Present
Benthic Ecologist, Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS)
2021–2022
Marine Biologist (Independent)
2021–2022
Research Scientist, ARC Centre of Excellence, James Cook University (JCU)
Education
2017–2021
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) — Marine Science, University of Waikato, New Zealand
2014–2016
Master of Science (First Class Honours) — Marine Science, University of Waikato, New Zealand
2012–2013
Bachelor of Science (Hons) — Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Waikato, New Zealand
2010–2011
Diploma in Marine Science, Bay of Plenty Polytechnic, New Zealand
Partnerships & Collaborations
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Bardi Jawi Rangers (Kimberley Land Council) — Co-developing Indigenous-led reef monitoring frameworks.
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DBCA (Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions) — Advancing technology integration in marine monitoring.
- International collaborations with National Sun Yat-sen University (Taiwan) on sponge taxonomy and digital microscopy workflows.
Awards
2019
Sir George Mason Charitable Trust Scholarship — Exploring the relationship between land and sea connectivity in Taranaki, New Zealand
2018
University of Waikato PhD Scholarship — Academic Excellence
2014
University of Waikato MSc Scholarship — Academic Excellence
2012
Treasuring the Bay Coastal Economic Forum Award — Best Student Presentation
2010
Pacific Coast Scholarship — Contribution to Community
Committees and roles
2025
Member, Australian New Zealand Marine Biotechnology Society (ANZMBS)
Supervision and mentorship
Provides mentorship for AIMS early career staff and Indigenous Ranger trainees in benthic image analysis, ReefCloud annotation, and autonomous system operations.
Publications
- Mc Cormack, S.P.M., Kelly, M., & Battershill, C.N. (2020). Description of two new species of Dysidea (Porifera: Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida: Dysideidae) from Tauranga Harbour, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Zootaxa, 4780(3). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4780.3.5
- Pratchett, M.S., Caballes, C.F., Hobbs, J.P.A., DiBattista, J.D., Bergseth, B., Mc Cormack, S.P.M., et al. (2023). Variation in the physiological condition of Common Coral Trout (Plectropomus leopardus) unrelated to coral cover on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Fishes, 8(10), 497. https://doi.org/10.3390/fishes8100497
- Klautau, M., Lopes, M.V., Tavares, G., Rizzieri, R., Sorokin, S., Fromont, J., Mc Cormack, S.P.M., et al. (2025). Calcinean sponges (Porifera: Calcarea) from the shelf edge of the Great Australian Bight. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 203(3), zlae041. https://doi.org/10.1093/zoolinnean/zlae041
