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)
Steven was born in South Africa, studied computer science and maths as an undergrad there (University of Natal), followed by a PhD in computer science at Stanford in the U.S., and now 15 years at AT&T Research.
Indices for site prioritization are widely used as a means of addressing the question: which sites are the most important for conservation of biodiversity? We investigate the theoretical underpinnings of target-based prioritization indices, which prioritize sites according to the degree to which they contribute to achieving a set of predetermined conservation targets. We show a strong connection between existing work on site prioritization and the mathematical theory of voting power. Some well-known paradoxes of voting power also apply to commonly-used site prioritization indices; by negating such paradoxes, we develop a set of intuitive axioms that we would like a single-species site prioritization index to obey. We introduce an extremely simple new index, called “fraction-of-spare,” that satisfies all the axioms. As an experimental evaluation, we study the multi-year scheduling of site acquisitions for conservation of forest types in New South Wales, under specific assumptions about clearing rates. We find that for this application, the fraction-of-spare index outperforms 52 existing prioritization indices. We are also able to compute the optimal schedule of acquisitions (under the assumed clearing rates) using mathematical programming techniques, which allows us to conclude that there is still further potential for improvement in the use of site prioritization indices for conservation scheduling.
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
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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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