The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies undertakes world-best integrated research for sustainable use and management of coral reefs. It is Australia’s leading contributor to coral reef sciences with strong collaborative links between its major partners and 24 other leading institutions in nine countries. Collectively, the centre creates the world’s largest concentration of coral reef scientists.

CoralCoE focuses on three research programs: People and Ecosystems; Ecosystem Dynamics: Past, Present and Future; and Responding to a changing world. The centre takes a leading role in multi-national research programs. It is the largest single institutional contributor to the Global Coral Reef Targeted Research Program, funded by the World Bank. It has strong links to the Census of Marine Life project, and to coral reef management agencies worldwide, particularly the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority in Townsville.

Website

http://www.coralcoe.org.au/

Organisation type

• Australian Research Centre of Excellence – Headquarters

Number of research staff

100-200 research staff

Address

Building 19, James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811

Strengths and capabilities

• world’s largest provider of graduate training in coral reef research
• marine palaeoecology
• social science
• biomechanics and physiological ecology
• population dynamics, community ecology, and macroecology
• predictive and Bayesian modelling
• market and supply chain research of endangered marine species
• fishing pressure and fish stock assessment
• marine spatial planning
• ecological risk assessment

Lead researchers

• Professor Terry Hughes—Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, ARC Laureate Fellow, ARC Federation Fellow (twice),
• Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg—Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, ARC Laureate Fellow, Queensland Premier's Fellow

Achievements of the centre

• First ranked institution globally for number of journal publications and citations in coral reef science (Web of Science)
• World's largest provider of graduate training in coral reef studies

Key science sectors

More information about the sectors this centre is involved in:

• Environment and nature
• Social sciences
• Tropical