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

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

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It’s been a busy year at Coral CoE! Here are some of our favourite highlights from 2020!

In a ground-breaking new study, scientists used innovative molecular techniques to explain how corals on the east coast of Australia survived previous tough conditions—enabling the Great Barrier Reef to become the vast reef it is today.
RESEARCH INSIGHTS: https://www.coralcoe.org.au/blog/genes-unlock-clues-to-the-evolution-survival-of-the-great-barrier-reef
PAPER I. Cooke, H. Ying, S. Forêt, P. Bongaerts, J. M. Strugnell, O. Simakov, J. Zhang, M. A. Field, M. Rodriguez-Lanetty, S. C. Bell, D. G. Bourne, M. J. van Oppen, M. A. Ragan, D. J. Miller. ‘Genomic signatures in the coral holobiont reveal host adaptations driven by Holocene climate change and reef specific symbionts’. Sci. Adv. 6, eabc6318 (2020). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abc6318

What exactly is a black coral? Where are they found? PhD student and lover of things down deep, Jeremy Horowitz chats about these incredible animals and why their name really doesn’t really do them justice.

An international team of scientists have developed a new genetic tool that can help them better understand and ultimately work to save coral reefs.

Nery Contti Neto explains his research on the effects of seagrass and corals reefs on sediment transport

Ecological surveys of Tonga’s coral reefs by PhD student Patrick Smallhorn-West in 2018

Hear from Associate Professor Jodie Rummer from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies on how she ended up as a marine biologist with us and JCU!

Connections with friends and family are key to helping communities adapt to the devastating impact of climate change on their homes and livelihoods, a new study shows.
The research found people are more empowered to respond when they see others doing the same.
Scientists analysed how an island community in Papua New Guinea of around 700 people coped with the impact of encroaching sea-levels and dwindling fish stocks. The study, published in the journal Nature Climate Change, examined the actions households took to deal with these impacts.
Lead author Dr Michele Barnes, from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University (Coral CoE at JCU), said: “We found their actions were related to their social networks, the ways they are connected to other people within the community.”
“To cope with the impacts of climate change, existing practices or behaviours can be tweaked—this is adaptation. However, in some cases this won’t be enough, and people need to enact more fundamental changes—transformation.”
“In our case, adaptation included things like building sea walls to protect existing land use,” said co-author Dr Jacqueline Lau, from Coral CoE and WorldFish. “And transformation involved developing alternative food and income sources away from fish and fishing-related activities.”
Essentially both sets of actions are necessary to combat the impacts of climate change.
Dr Barnes says influence within social networks is what encouraged both sets of actions. The team found the households more socially connected to others taking action were more likely to do the same.
“It may be a situation of ‘like-attracts-like’ where households with particular mindsets are more socially connected to similar households,” Dr Barnes said. “Another explanation is that households were influencing each other’s actions. It’s likely a combination of the two,” she said.
The authors also found household connections with the marine environment played an important role in determining the responses to climate impacts.
“Climate change and other human impacts rapidly degrade coral reef ecosystems and alter the composition of reef fish communities,” said co-author Professor Nick Graham, of Lancaster University in the UK.
“The adaptation of coastal communities is becoming essential. Our research highlights that interacting with and learning from the marine environment is one mechanism through which this adaptation can be achieved,” he said.
Dr Barnes says the policies and programs seeking to reduce vulnerability to climate change often focus on building up material assets or creating infrastructure.
“Our research emphasises a broader set of factors can play an important part in the actions communities end up taking,” she said.
PAPER Barnes M, Wang P, Cinner J, Graham N, Guerrero A, Jasny L, Lau J, Sutcliffe S, Zamborain-Mason J. (2020). ‘Social determinants of adaptive and transformative responses to climate change’. Nature Climate Change. DOI: 10.1038/s41558-020-0871-4

To Watch The Video Translated Into Tok Pisin

It’s been a busy year at Coral CoE! Here are some of our favourite highlights!

We’re excited to share that our 2018 Annual Report is out!

Happy International Women’s Day! Today we celebrate IWD2019 by profiling incredible CoralCoE & affiliated Women In STEM and Social Sciences at James Cook University, University of Queensland, Australian National University and University of Western Australia. Balance for Better!

Credits: Jodie Rummer, Tom Vierus, Ian Bouyoucos, Isabel Ender, ARC CoE, JCU, the ARC, L’Oreal-UNESCO, CRIOBE, Oceania Chondrichthyan Society (OCS), and Passions of Paradise

What do baby sharks have to do with climate change?
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Besides fishing, pollution and habitat destruction climate change is a major threat to sharks. Increasing ocean temperatures, as well as decreasing oxygen availability, affect all animal’s physiology including sharks. The physioshark project specifically investigates how climate change impacts induced stressors affect baby sharks. Around the island of Moorea in French Polynesia, a team of scientists conducts several field and lab-based experiments to find out more about the early-life stages of blacktip reef sharks and sicklefin lemon sharks.
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FOLLOW PHYSIOSHARK

Instagram: @physioshark (instagram.com/physioshark)
Facebook: @physioshark (facebook.com/physioshark)

or read through my article on their research
livingdreams.tv/science/project-physioshark-shark-research-on-moorea-french-polynesia

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FOLLOW ME

Instagram: @tomvierus (instagram.com/tomvierus/)
Facebook: @tomvierus (facebook.com/tomvierus)
For blogging: livingdreams.tv
For business: tomvierus.com
Email: tom@vierus.de
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Professor Cinner’s research aims to help solve the global problem of unsustainable coral reef fisheries by locating and learning from ‘bright spots’– reefs with more fish than expected, based on their exposure to pressures such as human population, poverty and unfavourable environmental conditions.

Read more here
Video by Cinematic Science

Media Releases

More
17 Mar 2022
Fade to grey – fish communities become duller as coral reefs die

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
11 Mar 2022
New strategies for saving the Great Barrier Reef

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
09 Mar 2022
Concerns as development threatens reefs

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
02 Feb 2022
No escape as new data shows coral everywhere face catastrophe

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

Seminars

More
26 Apr
When does taxonomy matter?

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
14 Apr
Controlling outbreaks of crown-of-thorns starfish to support the health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef

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
31 Mar
Behaviour and population responses to sea level rise by shorebirds

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
03 Mar
Ocean conservation: why aren’t we getting there?

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
02 Dec
Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (JEDI) at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies

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
25 Nov
The AIMS Indigenous Partnerships Plan – moving from engagement to partnerships.

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
18 Nov
Turning the tide of parachute science

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

12 Dec
Perceptions and experiences of climate change loss and damage in Northern Australia

ABSTRACT Climate change loss and damage is known as the “third pillar” of international climate governance in addition to mitigation and adaptation. Although there is no agreed upon definition,
Australian Research Council Pandora

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Coral Reef Studies

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

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