Species Interactions & Reef Recovery
Marine Phytoplankton
10 February 2021
Mediterranean White Shark Search
8 September 2021
Project: Species Interactions and Reef Recovery in the Aftermath of Mass Coral Bleaching.
WHAT WE NEED FROM YOU
Location: Great Barrier Reef (Capricorn-Bunker group or Lizard Island)
Berths: 2-4 berths
Duration/Timing: 1-2 weeks; anytime 2022
Necessary Equipment: A diving compressor, dive tanks & dive weights.
PROJECT SUMMARY
Using the GBR as a natural laboratory, the research proposed here will investigate the ability of surviving corals to grow, compete, and recover across a natural gradient of bleaching disturbance. By combining multiple approaches from the organism to ecosystem level, this project will employ cutting-edge equipment and methodology to significantly advance the study of coral reef recovery and resilience now and into the future.
OBJECTIVES
The primary goal of this project is to delve into the poorly understood aspects of coral reef dynamics now and in the future, specifically investigating how species interactions are expected to influence the structure, function, and recovery of coral reef ecosystems in response to a changing climate. Specific targets include:
(i) generating a comprehensive, open-access data set on the benthic community composition and species interactions in novel ecosystems across the Great Barrier Reef
(ii) present at multiple scientific conferences to spread preliminary results and findings as well as published results to other researchers and the scientific community; and ultimately,
(iii) publish multiple peer-reviewed publications in high- impact journals.
PROJECT LEADER
Dr. Mar Fernández-Méndez is a biological oceanographer currently working at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. Her expertise covers a broad range from ecology to marine biogeochemistry including algal primary productivity, nutrient uptake bioassays, particulate matter stoichiometry, biodiversity and carbon trophic transfer in the marine food web. Her former research focused on productivity and carbon export in polar regions under the light of anthropogenic climate change and currently she is involved in artificial and natural upwelling research in Gran Canaria and the Peruvian coast. In the new future she would like to study the potential of Sargassum and other macroalgal species to sequester carbon through the biological carbon pump helping mitigate climate change.
Project: Species Interactions and Reef Recovery in the Aftermath of Mass Coral Bleaching.
What we need from you:
Location: Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Central Townsville)
Berths: Minimum 4 berths
Duration/Timing: Any two week period between Oct 2021 – Apr 2022 & particularly March to April 2022
(late austral summer) could be very interesting as there may be a bleaching event during that time.
Necessary Equipment: A diving compressor, dive tanks & dive weights.
Project Summary
Using the GBR as a natural laboratory, the research proposed here will investigate the ability of surviving corals to grow, compete, and recover across a natural gradient of bleaching disturbance. By combining multiple approaches from the organism to ecosystem level, this project will employ cutting-edge equipment and methodology to significantly advance the study of coral reef recovery and resilience now and into the future.
Objectives
The primary goal of this project is to delve into the poorly understood aspects of coral reef dynamics now and in the future, specifically investigating how species interactions are expected to influence the structure, function, and recovery of coral reef ecosystems in response to a changing climate. Specific targets include:
(i) generating a comprehensive, open-access data set on the benthic community composition and species interactions in novel ecosystems across the Great Barrier Reef
(ii) present at multiple scientific conferences to spread preliminary results and findings as well as published results to other researchers and the scientific community; and ultimately,
(iii) publish multiple peer-reviewed publications in high- impact journals.
Project Leader: Kristen Brown
Kristen Brown is a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Queensland.
She has participated in approximately 20 research expeditions in 9 countries, over half as lead research scientist, logging over 600 scientific dives.
