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)
The trophic link between corals and fishes is potentially very important in energetics of coral reef ecosystems. Corallivory is the primary means of incorporating energy derived from corals into higher trophic levels. However, chronic grazing by fishes must also represent a significant energetic cost for reef-building corals. Natural stressors like coral predation will likely be compounded by the effects of climate change and other anthropogenic stressors. This interaction is not yet understood, and further study is required for the appropriate management of coral reefs. The primary aim of this research project is to explore the energetic cost of chronic fish predation on common reef corals. I intend to do this through five research objectives: (1) compare the predation intensity on different coral species in different habitats; (2) quantify the amount of coral material which is removed by coral-feeding butterflyfish; (3) Compare coral energetics such as growth, condition and reproductive output in the presence and absence of chronic fish predation; (4) test the impact that newly settled obligate coral feeders have on the corals they inhabit; and (5) investigate possible beneficial aspects of fish predation by testing whether coral predators consume coral disease and whether this consumption slows the rate of progression of these diseases. The combination of these aims will greatly increase the understanding of the functional importance and ecological consequences of corallivory on coral reefs and allow me to investigate whether corallivores are exacerbating changes to coral reef dynamics resulting from global environmental change.
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
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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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