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)
Abstract: An understanding of the capacity for species to acclimate and adapt to rapid climate change is critical for effective management and conservation of ecosystems in the future. Much of the research to date has used the present-day thermal performance and sensitivity of populations or species to infer the capacity for persistence in predicted future environments. While this research suggests very little capacity for species to cope with future warming, new findings have shown that some species may be able to improve thermal performance when chronic warming conditions are experienced early in life or when previous generations have experienced warmer conditions. I present a series of studies that highlight the ability of tropical reef fish to developmentally and transgenerationally acclimate to projected ocean warming. I will discuss evidence for differences between species, populations and within individuals depending on the traits investigated.
Biography: Dr Jenni Donelson is a Chancellor’s Postdoctoral Fellow in the School of the Environment at the University of Technology, Sydney. Her research focuses on the plasticity of organisms in the face of changing environmental conditions. Specifically, on the capacity for developmental and transgenerational plasticity of reef fish to potentially enhance performance in future environments. Jenni received her doctorate from James Cook University in 2012 for research on the potential for thermal acclimation in a common coral reef damselfish. She is currently the Hon Treasurer of the Australian Coral Reef Society and a member of the Editorial Advisory Board at Global Change Biology.
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
