DNA reveals the past and future of coral reefs
New DNA techniques are being used to understand how coral reacted to the end of the last ice age in order to better predict how they will cope with current changes to the climate. James Cook Univer
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)
Climate-induced coral loss is causing declines in abundance and diversity of coral reef fishes. Thus far, these impacts have been greatest on those fishes which depend on live coral for food or shelter, with the most specialized species showing the greatest declines in abundance following coral mortality. As the frequency, intensity and magnitude of disturbance events on coral reefs increase, many such fishes may be at considerable risk of extinction. Establishing the extinction risk, and more importantly the factors that increase extinction risk among vulnerable species groups, is therefore critical in prioritizing conservation efforts aimed at preventing and reversing biodiversity loss. This study will investigate the capacity of large-range butterflyfishes to withstand large-scale disturbances through variation in ecological versatility, and/or recolonisation of disturbed habitats by remnant populations. The specific aims of the project are (1) to investigate geographic variation in the feeding ecology of wide-ranging butterflyfishes and determine whether specialisation is a local or regionalised phenomenon; (2) to investigate the influence of diet and resource availability on the abundance and distribution of butterflyfishes; (3) to determine genetic population structure and quantify population connectivity among geographically separated populations of large-range butterflyfishes; and (4) to investigate the effects of ecological specialisation on the genetic population structure of butterflyfishes. This research will provide a greater understanding of the relationships between abundance, specialisation, geographic range, population connectivity and extinction risk in coral reef fishes.
New DNA techniques are being used to understand how coral reacted to the end of the last ice age in order to better predict how they will cope with current changes to the climate. James Cook Univer
A new study on the effects of climate change in five tropical countries has found fisheries are in more trouble than agriculture, and poor people are in the most danger. Distinguished Profess
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
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Abstract: The Reef Ecology Lab in KAUST’s Red Sea Research Center explores many aspects of movement ecology of marine organisms, ranging from adult migrations to intergenerational larval dispersal
Abstract: Macroalgal meadows are a prominent, yet often maligned component of the tropical seascape. Our work at Ningaloo reef in WA demonstrate that canopy forming macroalgae provide habitat for ad
Abstract: Sharks are generally perceived as strong and fearsome animals. With fossils dating back at least 420 million years, sharks are not only majestic top predators but they also outlived dinosa
Abstract: Connectivity plays a vital role in many ecosystems through its effects on fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes. Its consequences for populations and metapopulations have been
Abstract: Evolution of many eukaryotic organisms is affected by interactions with microbes. Microbial symbioses can ultimately reflect host’s diet, habitat range, and even body shape. However, how
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
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