This project focuses on developing and re-applying advanced imaging and sampling techniques to observe over time the precise physiology and behaviour of coral during asexual reproduction.

The development of novel methods has allowed us to establish the first conceptual model for coral attachment, that for the first time allowed us to describe the biological steps leading to substrate attachment over hours/days, instead of weeks/months. This model is now at the center of a cross-institutional collaborative project with the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) and the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) that will test the model across multiple species of threatened corals to identifying factors that limit and enhance the rate and extent of attachment. This project will set precise biological baselines, protocols and timelines that inform Australia’s Coral Nurture Program and global out-planting practices – enhancing the success of restoration practices.