Associate Professor Emma Camp is the Program leader and a co-founder of Coral Nurture Program. Emma is a biogeochemist studying how reef chemistry influences corals, with a major focus on how corals thrive within ‘natural extremes’ (naturally hot, acidic, deoxygenated waters). ROLEX Fellow, UN Young Leader and National Geographic Explorer.
John Edmondson is a co-founder of Coral Nurture Program and core partner. John has worked in reef tourism for over 25 years, including in Africa and Australia. John and Jenny Edmondson together facilitated CNPs deployment of the first coral nurseries and out-planting activities on the Great Barrier Reef. John invented the novel “Coralclip®” device. John and Jenny provide significant support for Coral Nurture Program research through their tourism company Wavelength Reef Cruises.
Prof David Suggett is a co-founder of Coral Nurture Program. David is a coral biologist and reef scientist studying how the environment regulates coral growth and survival, from coral genes to entire reef ecosystem interactions. David has worked on reefs around the world, including Brazil, Indonesia, New Caledonia, and Seychelles and currently the Red Sea. He led the first phase of the Coral Nurture Program (2018-2022) and continues to support CNP management and strategy. He is also an Advisory Board Member for the international Coral Restoration Consortium.
Dr Paige Strudwick is a Postdoctoral Research Associate currently coordinating Coral Nurture Program activities researching methods to integrate resilience-based approaches into established propagation and outplanting protocols by harnessing natural heat tolerance on reefs and coral nurseries. Paige manages CNP social media communications and is the lead coordinator for the Whitsundays Region facilitating on-ground activities, training and engagement with tourism operators. Paige is passionate about coral microbiology and understanding how coral-associated bacterial communities can be considered to optimise CNP propagation and outplanting outcomes.
Dr Christine Roper is a Postdoctoral Research Associate with Coral Nurture Program, examining how to identify and utilise corals with beneficial traits in coral propagation and planting practices to enhance site resilience. Christine is focused on investigating methods to advance strategic stock selection of more thermally resilient corals and corals with other desirable traits. Christine is the lead coordinator for Coral Nurture Program activities in the Cairns and Port Douglas region, facilitating on-ground activities, training and engagement with tourism operators and Traditional Owners.
Cass Hayward coordinates the Whitsunday Reef Islands Initiative, overseeing the implementation of the Coral Nurture Program and other reef restoration activities in the Whitsundays. Cass’s experience is in coastal, marine and island project management and natural resource management. She has worked at the Mackay Whitsunday Isaac NRM group, Reef Catchments, since 2017.
Kathryn Cobleigh is a PhD student evaluating ecological functions that are gained or lost with diverse coral outplanting assemblages, including species not typically used in current restoration efforts. Kathryn’s work informs the development of tools to guide restoration practitioners’ decision-making to optimise outcomes relative to operator- and site-specific goals. Kathryn’s previous experience has been focused on coral restoration in the Caribbean.
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