PhD: Palaeoecological dynamics of coral reef ecosystem collapse and recovery

Coral reef ecosystems are experiencing extreme ecological changes under the stress of climate change, threatening some of the most important biodiversity hotspots on Earth. The fossil record during ancient climate change intervals holds clues into what the future holds for coral reefs under the threat of climate change. Coral reef ecosystems have undergone profound evolutionary and ecological changes over hundreds of millions of years, including the shift from extinct tabulate and rugose corals to modern scleractinian corals, and spanning numerous crises and recoveries associated with climate change. However, less well understood are the ecological and evolutionary responses of the reef-associated communities as corals respond to climate-driven stress. This project aims to apply cutting-edge methods from statistical palaeoecology, evolutionary ecology, and conservation palaeobiology to the fossil record of coral reef ecosystems to understand how reef-associated communities respond to and recover from ancient climate change events.

The successful student on this project will have the opportunity to address and develop a range of questions related to the palaeoecology of coral reef ecosystems using the fossil record. Some questions may include, but are not limited to: What factors trigger coral reef ecosystem collapse? What are the patterns of coral reef ecosystem recovery? How has the structure of coral reef ecosystems changed over time? Ultimately, the successful student on this project will build an important quantitative understanding of how these interconnected dynamics can help inform the future of life in our oceans.