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.
New research reveals marine heatwaves are a much bigger threat to coral reefs than previously thought, with effects that go beyond coral bleaching. In the study, scientists show for the first time th
The world’s largest coordinated study of coral reefs identifies just where and how to save coral reefs across the Indo-Pacific.More than 80 scientists, including an Australian team from the ARC
A group of Australian scientists has created the world’s first computer model that can accurately predict the movements of baby coral trout across the Great Barrier Reef.The study confirms the i
Being a fussy eater is a problem for reef fish who seek refuge from climate change on deeper reefs. But, scientists discovered, the coral that these fussy fish eat can support them.The study was l
Abstract: Outbreaks of the corallivorous Crown-of-thorns starfish (COTS; Acanthaster cf. solaris) have been responsible for 40% of the decline in coral cover on the GBR over the last 35 years. With
Abstract: Coral reef restoration is gaining momentum globally in response to the threat of climate change and associated coral bleaching. In Australia, as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptatio
Abstract:Developing global environmental policies, and implementing these at a local level has proven extremely challenging. I will present research using ethnographic techniques and multi-level
Abstract: Recurrent bleaching events since the early 1980’s have led to enduring ecosystems changes throughout the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea and the increasing frequency and intensity of
Abstract: Conservation relies largely on the ability to influence behaviours and ensure rule adherence. Yet, noncompliance in conservation contexts is common. For instance, poaching regularly neg
AbstractProjected near-future ocean CO2 levels alter behaviours that affect survival, such as predator escape and foraging, in marine invertebrates. However, the mechanisms responsible for these e
Abstract:The long-standing paradigm that ecology and evolution play out on different timescales is increasingly challenged by recent studies that show real-time interaction of the two. Similarly t
Abstract: The declining condition of many habitats in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area means marine park managers have to take a different approach to management. Managers can no longer rely
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
