ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
Undergrad, B.Sc.(Hons), Monash Ph.D., University of Adelaide Postdoc, Harvard Assistant then Associate Professor, University of Texas at Austin Associate then Full Professor, University of Calgary Field of Study; Molecular/cell/developmental biology
Our coral research investigates the molecular basis of reproductive timing in corals. The main study site is the Flower Garden Banks in the Gulf of Mexico. These two small, deep reefs (> 25 m deep and less than 40 acres) have over 70% coral cover and are in pristine condition. Over 90% of the individual corals are one of the five major Caribbean broadcast spawning species (Montastraea /Diploria), and all spawn on the same evening- usually eight nights after the August full moon. Timing at this site is extremely consistent, and each species spawning can be predicted to within approximately 10 minutes from year to year. We have been exploring how corals sense and respond to environmental cues to achieve this amazing accuracy. Using a combination of molecular analysis and field manipulation experiments we have identified molecular markers of light responsiveness and are using these to measure how corals sense solar and lunar illumination and use this information to regulate entrained and non-entrained elements of spawning behavior.
James Cook University researchers have found brightly coloured fish are becoming increasingly rare as coral declines, with the phenomenon likely to get worse in the future. Christopher Hemingson, a
Researchers working with stakeholders in the Great Barrier Reef region have come up with ideas on how groups responsible for looking after the reef can operate more effectively when the next bleaching
A new study has delivered a stark warning about the impacts of urban growth on the world’s coral reefs. As coastal developments expand at pace around the world, a year-long study of coral on a reef
Alarming new research shows global warming of 1.5°C relative to pre-industrial levels will be catastrophic for almost all coral reefs – including those once thought of as refuges. Associate Profes
Abstract: The past few years have seen unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) but the consequences of this on biodiversity are not yet known. This talk will expl
Abstract: Molecular approaches have revolutionised our understanding of the systematics and evolution of most branches on the tree of life, including corals. Over the last twenty-five years molecula
Abstract: Outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS) are a major driver of coral decline across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and compound upon the impacts of increasingly frequent and severe coral
Abstract: Being a new staff member at JCU, I will start with a short overview of my research. Next I will zoom in on a specific topic that I have been interested in for a long time: the impact of e
Abstract: The harsh truth is that, despite exciting innovations and increases in activity, ocean conservation is not succeeding, at least not fast enough. This is my conclusion from the last decad
This talk is the last of the parachute science seminar series organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract Universities and institutions across th
This talk is the second of three on parachute science being organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract For millenia, Traditional Owners have hel
This talk is the first of three on parachute science being organized by the ARC CoE Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) committee. Abstract Parachute science is the practice whereby
Partner Research Institutions
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
