The Coral Reef Research Hub

The Coral Reef Research Hub is dedicated to sharing coral news, job postings, research publications, academic opportunities, grant information and anything else related to coral reefs and their associated ecosystems. Our goal is to be a career development resource for a growing community of coral reef professionals, researchers and early career scientists. We are also building a dedicated networking community outside of regular social media channels that allows its members to network with each other, create niche research groups and facilitate collaboration. With up-to-date career postings (job openings, PhD positions, internships etc), researcher publication hosting, a small research grants program, mentorships and knowledge sharing masterclasses, The Coral Reef Research Hub is a unique initiative and set to become THE place for those wanting to get ahead in the highly competitive field of coral reef science. See our website for more details and join us today! https://lnkd.in/eW9QtDGe #coralreefs #jobpostings #jobs #jobopportunities #careerdevelopment #networking #internships #volunteering #research #grants #phd #postdoc #academia #marinescience #marineecology #marinebiology #coralresearch

CALL TO CORAL SCIENTISTS: Join our growing network today! Together we are stronger!! The Coral Reef Research Hub is a network of coral professionals and early career scientists built around a bespoke networking platform that is FREE for anyone to join. Here you can network with other members through profile search functions and message each other privately to collaborate or ask advice. The platform also offer premium content (opportunity listings, mentorships, masterclasses etc) for those wanting to take a deeper dive into what CoRR Hub has to offer. Membership fees from premium members all get fed back into running costs with any leftovers assigned to our small research grant program. We like to think of these fees as a donation for those that can afford to help support us, so that we in turn can help support you on your coral career journey. We are built by coral scientists FOR coral scientists. As a special gift to you as one of our valued LinkedIN members we would like to offer a SIX MONTH free trail of premium content access as a monthly member. Simply follow the link below, click register now, select monthly membership and enter your details. The discount code is: 37E5057B99 Visit us here: https://lnkd.in/eW9QtDGe With over 1000 members and growing we are set to become one of the largest independent networks of coral reef researchers and early career scientists in the world! #coralreefs #coralreefresearch #networking #socialmedia #socialnetworking #careerdevelopment #earlycareerscientist #coralreefecology #coralscience #marinebiology

CORAL REEF NEWS: Unexpected ecosystem found deep below Red Sea Coral Reef Scientists from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) and the National Center for Wildlife (NCW) report in PNAS NEXUS an unusual ecosystem below the third largest coral reef system in the world and biggest in the Red Sea. Found in Difat Farasan, otherwise known as the Farasan Bank and located near the border between Saudi Arabia and Yemen, deep waters were inhabited by corals, fish and other animals not expected to survive in conditions of such low oxygen and high acidity. Read full story here: https://lnkd.in/emTNUs23 #coralreefs #deepseacorals #coralreefecology #marineresearch #redsea #rov #underwaterexploration #oceanscience #marineecology #marinebiology

JOB OPPORTUNITIES AT CORAL GARDENERS! Coral Gardeners are working with talented individuals that are ready to create new ways to revolutionize ocean conservation. Passion, openness, and creativity are part of our DNA. Want to work for Coral Gardeners? They offer full-time positions, part-time employment and internship opportunities! Send them your resumé today! See here: https://lnkd.in/gXMdKkPq #coralreefs #coralgardeners #coralrestoration #reefrestoration #coralconservation #coraljobs #jobopportunity #marinebiology

SEAGRASS PHD: Air-Ocean gas exchange in three-dimensional breaking waves (Closing soon!) The absorption of carbon dioxide and other gases by the oceans plays a major role in our climate and coastal processes, including coral and seagrass growth for coastal protection, but we lack a comprehensive understanding of the processes by which this occurs. The entrainment of air bubbles in breaking waves is known to be important, but how this occurs in real, three-dimensional sea states and coastal environments remains unknown. In this exciting PhD project you will investigate how air-ocean CO2 and O2 exchange is influenced by different types of three-dimensional wave breaking. The research will deliver both fundamental insight into wave dynamics and real world benefits in climate modelling and coastal protection. The main scientific outcome will be improved understanding of bubble dynamics in directional breaking waves. The work will seek to understand how qualitatively different wave breaking processes influence bubble entrainment, in terms of the quantity of bubbles, the bubble sizes, and the depth to which they are entrained. This project is a collaboration between the University of Manchester (UK) and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) in Singapore, both world-leading in the fields of experimental and numerical wave dynamics. The University of Manchester offers a novel computational model to capture bubble entrainment, and unparalleled expertise on three-dimensional wave dynamics, whilst A*STAR offers world leading expertise in breaking wave and bubble dynamics and high-performance computing. Together this enables this transformative project with broad applicability across ocean and coastal science and engineering. The project will lead to joint research publications in leading journals, presentations at international conferences, and your research will support improved estimates of air-ocean CO2 and O2 exchange. This will directly lead to increased accuracy of predictive climate models. The outputs will also be made open source and parameterised for use in offshore engineering and wave prediction models, improving the state-of-the-art in these areas. You will spend 2 years in Manchester and 2 years in Singapore. Alongside a range of transferable skills such as scientific writing and presentation skills, you will gain proficiency in theoretical, experimental and computational fluid dynamics, scientific programming, and high-performance computing. These skills are highly valued across a broad range of industries. Application deadline 21st March 2025 See full details here: https://lnkd.in/eNsC_7v3 #seagrass #phd #seagrassphd #phdopportunity #marinescience #climate #coastalprocesses #marineecology #seagrassecology #marinebiology

NEW CORAL REEF RESEARCH - Tracking over 30 years of coral reef infrastructure degradation in Barbados (OPEN ACCESS) Coral reefs face escalating threats from global and local stressors, and these challenges are exacerbated in the Caribbean. This study focuses on coral reef structure in Barbados, where a previous study documented reef degradation in the 1990s. As 30 years have passed, we examined the rate of change of reef structure and quantified associated substrate presence along the western reefs of Barbados. Using satellite and geotagged imagery, we analyzed 19 reef structures over the interval 2013 to 2023 along the west coast of Barbados, comparing them to the previous study’s findings in 1950 and 1991. We ground-truthed five sites previously categorized as highly degraded reefs to confirm their structural integrity and substrate-type. Results confirmed ongoing reef structural loss, averaging ~ 137.68 m1 annually across all sites. We identified four primary substrate types: coral, algae-covered substrate, rubble, and sand, with algae-covered substrate predominating and projected to persist. Our results underscore the urgency of monitoring reef health and highlight the potential limitations of satellite assessment. This research enhances understanding of reef dynamics and offers a framework for identifying vulnerable areas, which are crucial for effective conservation efforts. See full paper here: https://lnkd.in/eP9jVPuz #coralreefs #coralreefhealth #habitatloss #habitatdegradation #barbados #caribbean #coralconservation #coralreefecology #marinebiology

WANT TO GET INVOLVED WITH Whale and Dolphin Conservation in the Canary Islands? Travel to Spain’s sun-drenched, subtropical island archipelago, just off the coast of Morocco. You’ll be based on the island of Tenerife and go whale and dolphin watching with volunteers from around the world, taking photographs of the animals and recording other information. Another part of your volunteer work on Tenerife island will be to create awareness among tourists around ethical whale and dolphin watching. Please note this is a paid experience. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ePqMwQm2 #canaryislands #marinemammals #volunteering #tenerife #coralreefs #dolphins #whales #whalewatching #conservation #marinebiology

CORAL DOCTORAL OPPORTUNITY: Coral acclimation to global warming: Uncovering the mechanisms of coral-symbiont dynamics and symbiont change (Germany) Hard corals form the foundation of coral reefs. Their success is the result of an endosymbiotic association with photoautotrophic algae (symbiont hereafter). High water temperatures induce corals to expel their symbionts, a phenomenon called bleaching, the most prominent threat to corals. Since some symbionts are more thermally tolerant than others, symbiont change (i.e., a shift of the symbiont community within corals) may act as an acclimation mechanism of the coral-algae complex under global warming. The physiological mechanisms underpinning symbiont change, however, are poorly understood. In this project, we plan to integrate experimental ecology and ecophysiology (the primary task of the Marine Ecology Group at the University of Bremen) with mathematical modelling (the primary task of this position) to identify mechanisms and environmental conditions that drive symbiont change. Mathematical modelling will integrate the relevant information gained from laboratory experiments into a broad and flexible simulative context. Through numerical experiments, the candidate will explore different coral acclimation hypotheses related to symbiont change and their effects in the context of varying environmental conditions. This project will shed new light on the capacity of corals to respond to environmental perturbations and will contribute to the development of innovative strategies to support the functioning of coral reefs under the influence of ocean warming. Application deadline 27th March 2025 Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/ezahN3Z6 #coralreefs #symbiosis #coralreefecology #doctorate #careers #careerdevelopment #globalwarming #climatechange #marinebiology

NEW CORAL RESEARCH REVIEW: Finding a forever home - new model shows multiple factors at play in coral settlement A new model to help scientists understand the many influences on young corals finding a “forever home” on a reef has been developed by researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and The University of Western Australia (UWA). The model can help identify what type of local conditions might maximise restoration actions that use larvae seeding.  When corals reproduce, or spawn, tiny larvae drift around the reef. These coral larvae need to find a suitable reef surface to settle on and begin growing.  There are many factors influencing where they end up calling home: water movements or currents driven by waves and tides, the types of reef surface larvae prefer, and which types of reef habitats they encounter as they drift across the reef. But deciphering how these processes interact and influence settlement remain largely unexplored because of the difficultly in observing and measuring the dispersal and settlement of tiny coral larvae in the wild. Read full report here: https://lnkd.in/gDK8PVuy #coralreefs #coralbreeding #coralsettlement #coralrecruitment #modelling #coralreefecology #coralreefresearch #marinebiology

FREE ONLINE COURSE: Introduction to Coral Reef Management (ICRI) Over the last few decades, the combination of global and local threats has resulted in major declines in reef health around the world. Understanding the causes of these declines and effective strategies to manage and monitor coral reefs is a priority for coral reef managers and practitioners, and the communities that depend on them. The Introduction to Coral Reef Management Online Course is designed to provide marine managers and practitioners with the foundational knowledge necessary to support coral reef resilience. Learn more here: https://lnkd.in/emPUzZBJ #coralreefs #freeonlinecourse #learning #freecourse #coralreefecology #tropicalmarineecology #coralreefmanagement #marinebiology