A5078404309- Coral and Marine Ecosystems Studies
- Marine and fisheries research
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Marine animal studies overview
- Ichthyology and Marine Biology
- Coastal and Marine Management
- Aquaculture disease management and microbiota
- Coastal wetland ecosystem dynamics
- Parasite Biology and Host Interactions
- Plant and Fungal Species Descriptions
- Coastal and Marine Dynamics
- Marine Bivalve and Aquaculture Studies
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research
- Water Quality Monitoring Technologies
James Cook University
2007-2025
Australian Institute of Marine Science
2020-2025
AIMS@JCU
2023-2025
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
2007-2011
Australian Research Council
2007
Very little is known about how environmental changes such as increasing temperature affect disease dynamics in the ocean, especially at large spatial scales. We asked whether frequency of warm anomalies positively related to coral across 1,500 km Australia's Great Barrier Reef. used a new high-resolution satellite dataset ocean and 6 y cover data from annual surveys 48 reefs answer this question. found highly significant relationship between frequencies white syndrome, an emergent disease,...
While coral reefs in Australia have historically been a showcase of conventional management informed by research, recent declines cover triggered efforts to innovate and integrate intervention restoration actions into frameworks. Here we outline the multi-faceted approaches that developed since 2017, from newly implemented in-water programs, research enhance resilience investigations socio-economic perspectives on goals. We describe projects using gardening, substrate stabilisation,...
Knowledge of coral larval precompetency periods and maximum competency windows is fundamental to understanding population dynamics, informing biogeography connectivity patterns, predicting reef recovery following disturbances. Yet for many species, estimates these early-life history metrics are scarce vary widely. Furthermore, settlement cues taxa not known despite consequences habitat selection. Here we performed a comprehensive experimental time-series investigation behaviour, 25...
Coral reefs are under increasing pressure in a changing climate, one such threat being more frequent and destructive outbreaks of coral diseases. Thermal stress from rising temperatures has been implicated as causal factor disease observed on the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, elsewhere world. Here, we examine seasonal effects satellite-derived temperature abundance diseases known white syndromes considering both warm during summer deviations mean preceding winter. We found high correlation...
Growth anomalies (GAs) are common, tumor-like diseases that can cause significant morbidity and decreased fecundity in the major Indo-Pacific reef-building coral genera, Acropora Porites. GAs unusually tractable for testing hypotheses about drivers of disease because their pan-Pacific distributions, relatively high occurrence, unambiguous ease identification. We modeled multiple disease-environment associations may underlie prevalence growth (AGA) (n = 304 surveys) Porites (PGA) 602 from...
Abstract Increasingly frequent and severe bleaching events driven by climate change are decreasing coral populations worldwide. Recovery of these relies on reproduction the survivors such including local upstream larval sources. Yet, corals that survive may be impaired sublethal effects suppress reproduction, reducing input to reefs, consequently impeding recovery. We investigated impact 2020 mass-bleaching event Acropora millepora inshore, turbid reefs in Woppaburra sea Country (the Keppel...
Abstract Natural bleaching events provide an opportunity to examine how local‐scale environmental variation influences severity and recovery. During the 2020 marine heat wave, we documented widespread severe coral affecting 75%–98% of cover throughout Keppel Islands in southern inshore Great Barrier Reef. Acropora , Pocillopora Porites were most severely affected genera, while Montipora was comparatively less susceptible. Site‐specific heat‐exposure metrics not correlated with severity, but...
Coral sexual recruitment is critical to reef recovery yet often fails on degraded reefs. seeding one approach artificially increase the densities of coral settlers reefs and can be applied in many ways. A thorough comparison seeding‐method performance needed inform restoration decisions difficult undertake given cost complexities around employing multiple methods simultaneously. Here, we first designed a vessel‐based coral‐spawning aquaculture system. Then undertook an experimental larvae...
Borrowing from principles of aerial seeding in terrestrial reforestation, coral utilises "devices" designed to increase spat survival. However, device-assisted survival has not been compared natural survivorship, nor have devices trialled environments with strong competitors such as macroalgae. Herein, we deployed seeded alongside terracotta tiles, a proxy for recruitment dynamics. Tiles and were plots examining ongoing macroalgae removal ("sea-weeding"), was monitored over two years....
The deployment of engineered substrates seeded with newly settled corals is a technique being developed to increase the numbers juvenile on reefs goal improving reef resilience in response climate warming. Using hierarchical sampling design, we explored spatial scales at which coral (spat) survival and growth varied situ investigated environmental drivers spat success southern inshore Great Barrier Reef. After 10 months, variation size was greatest smallest scale (1–2 m) (27 11% variation,...
Rubble is ubiquitous on coral reefs and can aggregate into fields, forming a significant component of the reef substrate. fields often remain unconsolidated, with rubble pieces subject to movement that dependent hydrodynamic forcing, size, shape, other factors. Settlement corals has long been assumed, but dynamic presumed deter settlement thought contribute high post-settlement mortality. forms following severe disturbances, predicted increase under climate change, potential impact...
The annual mass spawning of scleractinian corals on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), Australia, is purported to be unprecedented in terms taxonomic and geographical scale synchrony. Here, we compare synchrony both within among coral species four regions spanning 10°of latitude GBR this with separated by a similar latitudinal range Japanese tropical sub-tropical Archipelago. On GBR, peak reproductive activity at all latitudes occurred November whereas there was clear disjunction period Japan,...
Abstract Coral reef ecosystems globally are under threat, leading to declining coral cover and macroalgal proliferation. Manually removing macroalgae (i.e. ‘sea‐weeding’) may promote local‐scale recovery by reducing a biological barrier, though the impact of removal on community composition benthic organisms has not been quantified. In this three‐year study (2018–2021), fleshy (predominantly Sargassum spp.) were periodically removed from 25 m 2 experimental plots two inshore fringing reefs...
The frequency of disease within coral communities was evaluated using an 18-month series photographs taken before, during, and after a major dredging program at Barrow Island, off Australia's northwest coast. Up to 60 corals were assessed repeatedly each four 'impact' sites (<1 km from dredging), 'reference' (>20 dredging). Contrary earlier report, the occurrence (usually <5% corals) not significantly altered by dredging. pattern does constitute suitable early warning bioindicator impacts on...
Many species of colonial corals have sterile zones—areas where polyps are sexually immature. While inconspicuous in many species, the zones observed Acropora glauca 2019 were striking, likely due to tabular growth morphology, highly pigmented eggs, and high degree intracolony spawning synchrony this species.
Abstract Natural bleaching events provide an opportunity to examine how local scale environmental variation influences severity and recovery. During the 2020 marine heatwave, we documented widespread severe coral (75 – 98% of cover) throughout Keppel Islands in Southern inshore Great Barrier Reef. Acropora, Pocillopora Porites were most severely affected genera, while Montipora was comparatively less susceptible. Site-specific heat-exposure metrics not correlated with Acropora severity, but...