In a recent update, we announced our partnership with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, funding a Research Fellow in Biodiversity to build Australian coral reef resilience to climate change.

The recipient of the inaugural ZIMMERMANN Biodiversity Fellowship is Dr Jennifer Matthews from the University of Technology Sydney, who has shared with us an update on her research work so far.

Dr Matthews, what prompted your research work on Sydney corals, and what does it entail?

“The world’s coral reefs face imminent threats, exemplified by the escalating temperature stress observed across Australia – including Sydney. Our team is actively engaged in identifying the coral species inhabiting Sydney's temperate waters, shedding light on new coral "refugees" seeking cooler environments. To date, we have sampled 60 corals across Sydney Harbour, with ongoing analysis of their DNA profiles”.

What aspects of the life of Sydney corals are you investigating?

“The ability to adapt to changing environmental conditions is crucial for relocating organisms, and metabolic shifts play a pivotal role in this adaptation. From summer to winter, organisms, including humans, leverage metabolic adjustments to thrive and survive. However, in the case of corals, crucial aspects of their metabolic responses remain unknown, posing a challenge in predicting their survival in elevated temperatures or migration to relatively cooler regions like Sydney”.

How are you conducting this investigation and what have you learned so far?

“To help answer this vital question, we have conducted two temperature-controlled experiments (at summer and winter extremes) at the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, to test the tolerance and metabolism of two species of corals from Sydney. Currently, our team is immersed in analysing the metabolic status of these corals. Intriguingly, preliminary results indicate that corals primarily adapt to temperature fluctuations by modifying their triacylglycerols, the primary form of body fat”.

What comes next in this process?

“Armed with this valuable insight, our next undertaking involves designing triacylglycerol-rich food to nourish the corals, enhancing their resilience against temperature-induced stress events, such as those currently challenging Australia’s reef”.

Dr Matthews also mentions that “the significance of this experiment has garnered attention from Australia's national public media service ABC News, which featured the research in a filmed segment and story, spotlighting the critical strides being made in understanding and preserving Australia's precious coral ecosystems”.