What will the project or research area do?

This project will initially focus on coral reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, Australia. We plan to collect information on the breaking strength of different seaweeds that occur on coral reefs, and match this information against the break forces that waves crashing onto different parts of the reef would exert on seaweeds growing there. Based on this information, we will calculate whether each species of algae can or can't grow in that part of the reef based on whether it is strong enough to withstand breakage by wave action. The analytical model we develop from this early work will then be tested on coral reefs around the world. Ultimately, this will allow us to predict whether each coral reef... read more

3 categories your project can fall under

Biological & Biomedical
Environmental Science
Engineering & Materials

Total Funds Needed

$12,000

Project or Research Area At-a-Glance

Coral reefs provide enormous social, cultural and economic benefits to maritime nations around the world. However, these ecosystem goods and services are under threat from coral-algal phase shifts that result in a massive loss of biodiversity and a breakdown in ecosystem function. Coral-algal phase shifts are the result of seaweed overgrowth, where seemingly healthy coral reefs are rapidly overtaken by large seaweeds that smother and kill the corals. Research so far has shown that overfishing of herbivores, which crop the algae, may be one reason why algal overgrowths have occured in the Caribbean. However, coral reefs in other parts of the world have not undergone such algal overgrowth, des... read more