Restoring Seagrass Resilience

Seagrass ecosystems have suffered significant declines globally and focus is shifting to restoration efforts. However, restoration of seagrass ecosystems is a relatively young and difficult field and estimates show less than 40% of restoration efforts worldwide are deemed successful. A key component to successful restoration is an understanding of the genetic factors influencing restoration success. The proposed PhD will develop an understanding of genetic and genotypic diversity in the tropical seagrass Zostera muelleri and examine opportunities to match locally adapted variants. Given that locally adapted populations have a "genetic memory" formed from decades of selective stochastic events, such an approach is likely to surpass efforts to merely match current environmental conditions when selecting donor material. The applicant should have knowledge of restoration approaches, seagrass ecology and degree level knowledge of genetics.