How Adaptable are Coral Reef Ecosystems to Climate Change?
The Reef Future Genomics 2020 Workshop, a KAUST hosted event.
Tuesday, April 8
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Level 0 Lecture Hall
Between Ibn Sina and Ibn Al-Haytham
(buildings 2 and 3)
Room 215
Harvard School of Public Health Professor John Quackenbush will deliver a lecture on the future frontiers of genomics-based approaches. Join us for an inspirational, forward-looking presentation from one of the world’s leading genomics experts .
Wednesday, April 9
9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
Level 0 Lecture Hall
Between Ibn Sina and Ibn Al-Haytham
(buildings 2 and 3)
Room 015
University of Melbourne Professor Ary Hoffmann will deliver a lecture on how to translate genomics-based research to address key ecological questions. Join us for insights from an international authority on the effects climate has on ecosystems, populations, and genes.
Background
Spread across 109 countries, the world’s coral reef communities are a storehouse of biodiversity and a source of livelihood for an estimated half billion people. Warmer water temperatures and increased acidity due to climate change places reef-forming corals at risk. Current knowledge of coral resilience and their capacity to adapt is extremely limited and bridging this gap is essential for reef managers seeking to maintain the diversity and function of coral reefs.
The ReFuGe (Reef Future Genomics) 2020 consortium strives to hasten the progress of management relevant genomics-based coral reef climate adaptation research by addressing key knowledge gaps and generating new perspectives, approaches, and collaborations. It brings together leaders in coral reef science and management, including:
- The Great Barrier Reef Foundation
- James Cook University
- The Australian Institute of Marine Science
- The University of Queensland
- The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority
- The Australian National University
KAUST is hosting this workshop to continue fast-tracking coral climate adaptation research using genomics-approaches. KAUST’s participation is critical to achieving the objectives of the consortium as corals from the Red Sea thrive under significantly warmer conditions than those experienced by corals in other parts of the world, suggesting the potential of corals to adapt.
