Sequencing multiple coral and sea anemone species

This research focuses on the evolutionary genomics of marine species, especially sea anemone and coral species. Despite the economic and evolutionary significance of these species, we still know little about how variation at the molecular level influences the response of coral and sea anemones to various abiotic and biotic stresses. Currently, there is a lack of large genome datasets for both coral and sea anemone species from the Great Barrier Reef. To address this lack of data, Peter currently leads two large genome projects that are sequencing multiple coral and sea anemone species. This data, in combination with other experiments, is helping to improve our understanding about the function and evolution of these organisms in coral reef systems. The ultimate goal of this research is to improve the conservation of Australian coral and sea anemone species.