John Edmondson is one of the co-founders, project co-leads and core operator partners. He has worked in reef tourism for over 25 years, including Africa and Australia, and implemented the first coral nurseries and out-planting on the Great Barrier Reef, with his wife Jenny Edmondson. John invented the novel “Coralclip®” device. This pair are master out-planters, with the largest proportion of corals propagated and planted within the Coral Nurture Program.
Dr Emma Camp is one of the co-founders and project leads (project management, data handling and research co-ordination). 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.
Prof David Suggett is one of the co-founders. Coral biologist studying how the environment regulates coral growth and survival, from coral genes to entire reef ecosystem interactions. 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
Ms Lorna Howlett (University of Technology Sydney/Wavelength Reef Cruises) is a PhD student examining effectiveness of coral propagation and out-planting activity of the Coral Nurture Program, including how fine-scale genetic differences regulate survivorship in important coral species used for restoration. Worked within the reef tourism industry prior to starting her PhD. Supports day-to-day coordination of operator activity and data reporting.
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. This work aims to be a tool used to guide CNP’S partners and practioners’ decision making for restoration goals specific to their respective site and desired coral outplanting outcomes. Kathryn’s previous experience has been focused on coral restoration in the Caribbean in which lessons learned from the region are incorporated with current restoration practices in the Great Barrier Reef.
Ms Christine Roper is a PhD student examining how reef environments regulate survivorship of new coral added to the reef through coral restoration versus natural recruitment. Worked within several reef industries and non-governmental organisations prior to starting her PhD. Supports day-to-day coordination of operator activity and data reporting.
Dr Paige Strudwick is a Postdoctoral Research Associate currently coordinating Coral Nurture Program activities, social media communication and researching methods to integrate resilience-based approaches into established propagation and outplanting protocols by harnessing natural heat tolerance on reefs and coral nurseries. Paige’s previous research has focussed on coral microbiology and how coral-associated bacterial communities are shaped by various CNP propagation and outplanting processes and materials.
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.
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