My Royal society funded research focuses on New Zealand’s iconic kelp forest communities. Side research funded by the Australian Research Council focuses on coral reefs, while I also work with colleagues in the Mediterranean coralligenous systems.

Kelp forest response to climate change

Kelp forests provide billions of dollars annually to the world’s economy, and despite providing more value on a per km basis than coral reef ecosystems, their responses to climate change are comparatively understudied. My core research focuses on how key foundation species within kelp forests (kelp and coralline algae) respond to local and global anthropogenic drivers, such as changes in means and variability in light, oxygen, pH and temperature. This work focuses on using organism physiology to explain ecological change where possible, by using a combination of cutting-edge laboratory, field and modelling/quantitative techniques.

Calcification

Coralline algae are the cement that glue together both temperate and coral reefs, and act as required settlement substrates for coral, sea urchins (kina) and abalone (pāua). My research combines physiological, genetic and geochemical tools to determine how and why coralline algal calcification is influenced by ocean acidification and other anthropogenic drivers. Where possible this works extends to inform on the calcification of similar species such as corals and other macroalgae. I have recently been assessing how tolerance to ocean acidification can increase over multiple generations of exposure in coralline algae.

Multiple stressors and experimental design

I attempt to improve research design and implementation using some of the information gained over the >40 laboratory manipulation experiments I have conducted personally. Current theoretical and practical work involves improving trade-offs between logistics and power in multiple generation experiments, and employing elegant designs to test future scenarios of change in marine species.

Prospective postgraduate students should email me if these research topics overlap with their interests.