Hi All, a very exciting opportunity has come up to undertake a PhD project with the Geocoastal Research Group in collaboration with a wide network of wonderful Australian and international colleagues.

Project title: Lessons from coral reef systems on the edge: investigating the impact of rapid environmental changes on reef development.

Project summary:

This PhD project will investigate how coral reefs have responded to major environmental changes over the past 500,000 years, including fluctuations in sea level, temperature, and water quality. Using fossil reef records from the Indo-Pacific (GBR, Hawaii, Tahiti, North West Australia), including previous IODP expeditions (e.g., Exp. 310, 325, 389), this study will examine the environmental thresholds driving reef growth, stress, collapse, and recovery during past episodes of rapid global climate, sea-level and environmental change. The research will apply innovative geochemical analyses, including major trace and rare earth elements and stable isotopes, to reconstruct past environmental conditions. These data will be integrated with paleocologic records of reef community structure, accretion rates, and bioerosion to identify patterns in how reefs have historically responded to environmental stress. A key objective is to test whether reef responses follow predictable (deterministic) pathways or if they are more random (stochastic) in nature. To achieve this, the project will use advanced statistical tools that account for uncertainties in age models, sampling bias, and proxy interpretations. In addition, forward stratigraphic and ecological modelling will be employed to simulate how reef systems respond to varying environmental conditions over time, including changes in sea level, sedimentation, wave energy, and ecological interactions. The project forms part of a newly funded ($1,081,809) ARC Discovery grant and will involve collaboration with a wider network of Australian and international researchers working on this and related projects. Based in the School of Geosciences (University of Sydney) within the dynamic Geocoastal Research Group, the PhD student will contribute to a broader effort to improve our understanding of reef resilience and vulnerability. The findings will have important implications for predicting the future of coral reefs under accelerating global climate change, particularly regarding their capacity to recover from disturbance and adapt to rapidly shifting environmental conditions.

This opportunity is open to both eligible domestic (Australian) and international students so feel free to distribute this to any students who might be interested in applying. See the link below for more details and how to apply.

https://www.sydney.edu.au/scholarships/d/arc-postgraduate-research-scholarship.html

Open Date: 12 June 2025

Close Date: 02 July 2025

If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact me directly (jody.webster@sydney.edu.au)

Cheers

Jody

#MarineScienceSydneyUni