1

People and ecosystems

Understanding of the links between coral reef ecosystems, the goods and services they provide to people, and the wellbeing of human societies.

2

Ecosystem dynamics: past, present and future

Examining the multi-scale dynamics of reefs, from population dynamics to macroevolution

3

Responding to a changing world

Advancing the fundamental understanding of the key processes underpinning reef resilience.

Coral Bleaching

Coral Bleaching

Coral Reef Studies

From 2005 to 2022, the main node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies was headquartered at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland (Australia)

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About the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

Leading-edge coral reef research centre

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies undertakes world-best integrated research for sustainable use and management of coral reefs. Funded in July 2005 under the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centres of Excellence program, this prestigious research centre is headquartered at James Cook University, in Townsville. The ARC Centre is a partnership of James Cook University (JCU), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), The Australian National University (ANU), the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), The University of Queensland (UQ) and The University of Western Australia (UWA). The ARC Centre of Excellence cements Australia’s leading contribution to coral reef sciences, and fosters stronger collaborative links between the major partners and 24 other leading institutions in nine countries. According to ISI Essential Science Indicators, four of the ARC Centre’s major research partners rank in the top 20 institutions world-wide for citations for coral reef science with JCU ranking 1st (among 1644 institutions in 103 countries). Collectively, the ARC Centre creates the world’s largest concentration of coral reef scientists. The Centre Director is Professor Graeme Cumming.  Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg (UQ) and Professor Malcolm McCulloch (UWA) are the Deputy Directors. The ARC Centre of Excellence focuses on 3 research programs, each one under the stewardship of Program Leaders from James Cook University, The University of Western Australia and The University of Queensland.

The Centre of Excellence takes a leading role in multi-national research programs. It is the largest single institutional contributor to the Global Coral Reef Targeted Research Program, funded by The World Bank, and is an Institutional Member of the Resilience Alliance. The Centre of Excellence has strong links to the Census of Marine Life project, and to coral reef management agencies worldwide, particularly the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in Townsville.

The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies acknowledges that Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are the original inhabitants and Traditional Custodians of this continent and that they have unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land and waters. At our James Cook University headquarters, we acknowledge the Bindal and Wulgurukaba peoples and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies is committed to working towards the achievement of genuine and sustainable reconciliation between Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and the wider community.

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Partner Research Institutions

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Coral Reef Studies