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)
Sea turtles are thought to be particularly vulnerable to climate change. Not only they have life history traits, behavior and physiology strongly influenced by environmental variables but they also lay their eggs in coastal areas prone to sea level rise and cyclonic activity. Despite sea turtles potential vulnerability to climate change little is known about the specific effects that it will have on their broader ecology and population stability.
Therefore, Mariana’s research has aimed at assessing how sea turtles will be impacted by climate change. More specifically, she investigated how the reproductive output and nesting grounds used by the northern Great Barrier Reef green turtle population will be affected by 1) increased temperature, 2) sea level rise, and 3) cyclonic activity. The results from her study were incorporated into a vulnerability assessment framework to investigate the cumulative impact of multiple climatic processes on sea turtles nesting grounds.
The framework used allows managers and scientists to determine which nesting grounds will be most vulnerable to climate change, which climatic process will cause the most impact to each nesting ground and how the vulnerability of nesting grounds will change if impacts from specific climatic factors are mitigated. Outcomes from Mariana’s study provide crucial information for the future management and conservation of sea turtle populations as climate change progresses.
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
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