Geocoastal Research Group
School of Geoscience, The University of Sydney
kate.whitton@sydney.edu.au

Kate Emily Whitton is a PhD candidate within the Geocoastal Research Group at the University of Sydney. Her research focuses on the future of coral reef systems by examining historical changes across multiple spatial scales, from specific reef zones to cross-shelf gradients of the Great Barrier Reef.

Building on an Honours degree in Advanced Science (Wildlife Conservation and Marine Science), Kate’s current work bridges the gap between ecology and geomorphology. Her research investigates shifts in reef ecomorphodynamics, specifically how structural complexity and fluctuations in hydrodynamic energy shape reef responses to disturbance. Kate’s project aims to refine ecomorphological models, such as carbonate budgets, by synthesizing diverse datasets—including remote imagery, sediment cores, bathymetry, and oceanographic models. By integrating biogeochemical and geological data, her work seeks to accurately predict future reef evolution, providing critical insights for ecosystem management and the preservation of coastal protection services. 

RESEARCH OUTPUTS

Whitton, K., Da Silva, A., Byrne, M., Hamylton, S., Salles, T., Fellowes, T., Baker, E., Vila-Concejo, A. (2025) Coral reef Trajectories: Defining Health States and the Shift Toward Coping States. Authorea. 
DOI: 10.22541/au.176463836.67004130/v1

Byrne, M., Waller, A., Clements, M., Kelly, A.S., Kingsford, M.J., Liu, B., Reymond, C.E., Vila-Concejo, A., Webb, M., Whitton, K. and Foo, S.A. (2025), Catastrophic bleaching in protected reefs of the Southern Great Barrier Reef. Limnol. Oceanogr. Lett, 10: 340-348. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10456

Deo, R., John, C., Zhang, C., Whitton, K., Salles, T., Webster, J., Chandra, R., (2024), Deepdive: Leveraging Pre-trained Deep Learning for Deep-Sea ROV Biota Identification in the Great Barrier Reef. Sci Data. 11, 957. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-024-03766-3

Vila-Concejo, A., Perris, L., Da Silva, A., Whitton, K., Meoded-Stern, L., Steilberg-Liu, W., Holmes, R., Breuer, H., Byrne, M., Fellowes, T., Salles, T., Morris, B., Bruce E., (2025), Grooves in forereefs act as transport channels to deliver coral rubble during tropical cyclones. Cambridge Prisms: Coastal Futures. 3, 29. doi:10.1017/cft.2025.10019

Byrne, M., Carvalho, R., Foo, S., Hamlyton, S., Rogers, K., Witton, K. (2025). A nursery habitat for sandfish (Holothuria scabra) found at Low Isles, northern Great Barrier Reef.