Researchers
Students
Alumni
ManagementSarah Kwong
PhD Candidate
James Cook University
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)
In 2013, driven by her enthusiasm towards the ocean, Sarah left her job as a pharmacist in Hong Kong to pursue her passions by working as a Scuba Diving Instructor. She has since worked at the Great Barrier Reef and in the Maldives. After witnessing the 2016 mass bleaching event right before her own eyes, she was inspired to become a Marine Biologist so that she could dedicate herself to working for coral reef protection.
Eventually, she moved to Australia to pursue her MSc in Marine Biology at James Cook University (JCU) in 2019. She has conducted her Master thesis project entitled “quantifying shedding and degradation rates of environmental DNA (eDNA) from Pacific crown-of-thorns seastar (Acanthaster cf. solaris)” at the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS). During this period of time, Sarah has developed a keen interest in the field of scientific research and thus decided to continue her academic pursuit through a PhD.
Sarah is incredibly grateful to have been awarded the AIMS@JCU PhD scholarship in 2021. Her research focuses on the development and application of novel genetic techniques to improve the management of crown-of-thorns seastar (CoTS) outbreaks on coral reefs. Specifically, she is aiming to develop a molecular age marker for CoTS by making use of DNA methylation patterns or telomere lengths. Her supervisory panel includes Dr. Sven Uthicke (AIMS), Prof. Morgan Pratchett (JCU), and Dr. Cecilia Villacorta-Rath (TropWATER).
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
