Genomics and evolution of symbiont transmission in coral reefs. This project aims to understand more deeply the symbiosis between coral and the alga Symbiodinium that underpins the primary productivity, biodiversity and economic impacts of Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef. Reef-building corals are sustained by symbiosis between the coral and the alga Symbiodinium, and breakdown of symbiosis under environmental stress leads to coral bleaching and death. This project aims to understand how ge ....Genomics and evolution of symbiont transmission in coral reefs. This project aims to understand more deeply the symbiosis between coral and the alga Symbiodinium that underpins the primary productivity, biodiversity and economic impacts of Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef. Reef-building corals are sustained by symbiosis between the coral and the alga Symbiodinium, and breakdown of symbiosis under environmental stress leads to coral bleaching and death. This project aims to understand how genomes of differently acquired Symbiodinium have evolved to support symbiosis with corals, through sequencing of algal genomes of Symbiodinium. This knowledge will improve the precision in predicting change to inform decision-making strategies in the conservation and restoration of coral reefs.Read moreRead less
Saving seagrass from climate change. This research aims to test whether seagrass ecosystems can be safeguarded from climate change impacts by enhancing genetic connectivity in range edge populations using novel genetic rescue approaches. We will use the range edge seagrass meadows of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shark Bay as our model, which was significantly impacted by a marine heat wave in 2010/2011. The project will generate new knowledge on how seagrasses can adapt and survive in situ. ....Saving seagrass from climate change. This research aims to test whether seagrass ecosystems can be safeguarded from climate change impacts by enhancing genetic connectivity in range edge populations using novel genetic rescue approaches. We will use the range edge seagrass meadows of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Shark Bay as our model, which was significantly impacted by a marine heat wave in 2010/2011. The project will generate new knowledge on how seagrasses can adapt and survive in situ. Expected outcomes are improved conservation, management and restoration practices for seagrass meadows. This should provide significant benefits for long-term resilience of this economically and culturally significant ecosystem.Read moreRead less
Harnessing seaweed genes to mitigate methane emissions from livestock . Novel climate solutions are crucial as agriculture is responsible for 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project aims to understand the molecular components for the production of bioactive natural products in a seaweed that, when fed to cattle and sheep, cuts out methane emissions. The project will apply genomic techniques to determine the key genes involved and the ecological factors that influence their expressio ....Harnessing seaweed genes to mitigate methane emissions from livestock . Novel climate solutions are crucial as agriculture is responsible for 25% of global greenhouse gas emissions. This project aims to understand the molecular components for the production of bioactive natural products in a seaweed that, when fed to cattle and sheep, cuts out methane emissions. The project will apply genomic techniques to determine the key genes involved and the ecological factors that influence their expression across the seaweed life cycle. The findings will provide a platform to harness the full potential of seaweed as a natural additive in livestock feeds. This multidisciplinary project will enhance research capacity and strengthen international collaborations.Read moreRead less
Tracking origins and spread of Crown-of-Thorns Seastars on the Great Barrier Reef. This proposal aims to uncover the source reefs for Crown-of-Thorns Seastars (CoTS) outbreaks and the main routes of spread through the Great Barrier Reef. Coral eating CoTS pose a significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Using population genomics, invasive species genetics, and epidemiology and drawing upon extensive collections of adults and larvae dating from the 1980’s onwards, this project will test promi ....Tracking origins and spread of Crown-of-Thorns Seastars on the Great Barrier Reef. This proposal aims to uncover the source reefs for Crown-of-Thorns Seastars (CoTS) outbreaks and the main routes of spread through the Great Barrier Reef. Coral eating CoTS pose a significant threat to the Great Barrier Reef. Using population genomics, invasive species genetics, and epidemiology and drawing upon extensive collections of adults and larvae dating from the 1980’s onwards, this project will test prominent hypotheses about outbreak origins and subsequent spatial spread of CoTS via larval dispersal. The project expects to clarify the locations and timing of long distance dispersal pathways and to test whether larval detection near reefs can provide an early warning for local outbreaks on these same reefs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101064
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$416,000.00
Summary
Exploring eco-evolutionary dynamics to predict the future of coral reefs. This project aims to predict the future of coral reefs in the rapidly changing climate of the Anthropocene by integrating state-of-the-art population genomics with evolutionary and ecological modelling. The project expects to describe pathways of genetic and non-genetic adaptation; and the strength and direction of connectivity of warm vs cold adapted coral populations - united in an eco-evolutionary framework. Expected ou ....Exploring eco-evolutionary dynamics to predict the future of coral reefs. This project aims to predict the future of coral reefs in the rapidly changing climate of the Anthropocene by integrating state-of-the-art population genomics with evolutionary and ecological modelling. The project expects to describe pathways of genetic and non-genetic adaptation; and the strength and direction of connectivity of warm vs cold adapted coral populations - united in an eco-evolutionary framework. Expected outcomes address critical gaps in data and methodology that currently hinder our ability to reliably model the evolutionary and ecological dynamics of one of the most biologically diverse, socially and economically valuable and climatically vulnerable ecosystems of our planet, contributing to their science-based management. Read moreRead less