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)
Ben McNeil is an Australian academic who is an expert in a range of areas relating to climate change science, policy and energy economics. After completing his PhD in 2001 he worked as a research fellow at Princeton University, USA and returned to Australia in 2004, where he is now a senior research fellow at the Climate Change Research Centre at the University of New South Wales. In 2007, he was chosen as an expert reviewer for the United Nations Inter-Governmental Panel on Climate Change 4th assessment report and was invited to present his research to the Prime Minister and cabinet at Parliament House in Canberra. He was also recently elected to represent young scientists in the Federation of Australian Science and Technological Societies. Dr McNeil also has a Masters of Economics in Political Economy from the University of Sydney.
Although ocean acidification is a relatively new field for research, there has been an explosion of experimental and in-situ work over the world’s oceans into understanding how higher CO2 and the lower pH will impact marine ecosystems. This work has shown that both the nature and magnitude of impacts vary widely depending on species and regions. In this talk I present and discuss in-situ data from the Antarctic to the Great Barrier Reef in order to provide some insight into the nature of the ‘Ocean Acidification’ problem. In particular I will provide an overview of the difference between a trend, threshold and ‘tipping point’ from a climate science perspective and try to suggest how we move forward in the marine science community to best truly understand the risks posed by ocean acidification.
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
Abstract: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will likely be under strong selection. Individual variation in heat tolerance and its heritability underpin the potential fo
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
Partner Research Institutions
