NERP TE Project 1.3 - Characterising the cumulative impacts of global, regional and local stressors on the present and past biodiversity of the GBR, 2011-2014 (UQ)

This project will investigate how coral communities along the Great Barrier Reef have historically responded to acute (e.g. cyclones) and chronic (e.g. water quality) disturbances using pioneering high-precision geological dating and palaeoecological techniques, combined with high-resolution geochemical analysis of coral records.

This project will determine high resolution chronological records on different time scales over the past 1-2 millennia of parameters such as:

  1. Sea-level based on high-precision dating and elevation survey of well-preserved microatolls;
  2. Salinity and pH value based on high-precision boron isotope analyses of selected coral cores in conjunction with back-reef sediment cores;
  3. Cyclone frequency based on precise dating of transported reef blocks, cyclone ridges and lagoon sediment cores;
  4. Sea-surface temperature based on geochemical proxy analyses (Sr/Ca, Mg/Ca, 18O/16O) of U-series-dated coral cores.
  5. Variation in coral reef community structure and coral calcification rates.

Data and Resources

Additional Information

Field Value
Published (Metadata Record) 02/03/2026
Last updated 03/03/2026
Organisation Australian Federal Government
License License Not Specified
Update Frequency Unknown