PhD Scholarship – Investigating macroalgal dynamics to enhance inshore coral restoration

Coral reef degradation is often linked to seaweed (macroalgae) proliferation, with phase shifts from coral to seaweed dominance posing a significant challenge to reef resilience. Seaweed can physically inhibit coral recruitment, produce bioactive compounds affecting coral health, and/or alter microbial communities, yet these competitive interactions remain understudied in tropical and inshore reef systems.   This PhD project builds on over a decade of coral health monitoring and restoration efforts by the Gladstone Ports Corporation (GPC) focusing on the impacts of severe flooding and recent heatwave events on coral ecosystems in the Port of Gladstone (PoG). This PhD project will investigate the ecological dynamics between seaweeds and corals, where increasing seaweed cover poses a challenge to restoration efforts. The research will assess seasonal seaweed growth patterns, their impacts on coral survival under thermal stress, and potential management strategies to enhance coral transplantation success. By integrating ecophysiology, phenotyping, omics, microbial community analysis, and identifying suitable substrates for minimising seaweed growth, the project will identify key competitive mechanisms and restoration windows where coral out-planting can be optimized.   This research, in collaboration with leading research institutions – Central Queensland University (CQU), the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), and the University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC) – along with industry partners GPC and Monsoon Aquatics, will play a key role in developing science-driven restoration strategies for inshore reef habitats. These efforts will support broader conservation initiatives for the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), contributing to its long-term resilience. Join us in driving innovative solutions for coral reef restoration and sustainability.