After severe disturbances, the recovery of coral reef ecosystems depends on a new generation of corals and fishes, which are delivered by ocean currents as microscopic larvae. We urgently need to work out where these tiny larvae come from. This research combines new genetic data with novel oceanographic modelling, to reveal larval dispersal patterns in coral reef ecosystems. These techniques are applied to extensive datasets from Australia and across the western Pacific Ocean, and are used to forecast and understand the recovery of fish and coral populations following severe disturbances, including coral bleaching, cyclones, and overfishing.
Chief Investigators
