LOREX: Southern Cross University at Coffs Harbour
Location: Coffs Harbour, New South Wales, Australia
Associated University: Southern Cross University
Program Dates: mid June 2019 and January 2020
About the National Marine Science Centre:
The National Marine Science Centre is located in Coffs Harbour on the subtropical east coast of Australia and is adjacent to the Solitary Islands Marine Park. Eight resident scientists and several additional affiliated scientists conduct research in areas of marine biology and ecology, biogeochemistry, marine conservation, fisheries and aquaculture, and human-marine interactions such as climate change and marine pollution. The NMSC scientists and staff are also involved in a broad range of teaching and outreach programs. Current faculty and research topics include:
- Professor Steve Smith, Director of NMSC works on marine benthic ecology, biodiversity of marine and estuarine environments, and marine sustainability. He delivers much of this research through collaboration with citizen scientists.
- Professor Isaac Santos focuses on the interface between coastal oceanography, hydrology, and biogeochemistry as well as the use of natural radioactive tracers to investigate submarine groundwater discharge and carbon cycling in marine settings.
- Professor Brendan Kelaher works on aspects of sustainable management of marine ecosystems and fisheries, shark bite mitigation, and wildlife monitoring using emerging technologies (e.g. drones).
- Associate Professor Symon Dworjanyn focuses on marine ecology and sustainable aquaculture as well as evolutionary biology and the effect of ocean acidification and warming on marine invertebrates, adaptation and mitigation strategies to limit ecosystem impacts.
- Associate Professor Steven Purcell is a fisheries scientist with research projects throughout the Pacific. He mainly works on issues related to sustainability of invertebrate fisheries which include stock assessment, and improving fishers’ livelihoods by optimizing handling and processing.
- Associate Professor Christian Sanders is a geochemist who works on coastal processes and dynamics of organic carbon burial and export rates in mangrove systems. His work is strongly associated with the emerging field of Blue Carbon.
- Anna Scott focuses on anemonefishes and their host sea anemones, research themes include the reproductive biology and captive breeding of anemones, and determining the impacts of bleaching and climate change on various aspects of the symbiosis.
- Benjamin Mos’ research is in sustainable aquaculture, with a focus on marine invertebrates and anthropogenic impacts such as pollution on aquaculture.
To learn more, visit the host institute’s website: https://www.scu.edu.au/national-marine-science-centre/
This program is supported by NSF grant #1831075, 2019-2021.