Seagrasses of Australia Structure, Ecology and Conservation

Professor Tony Larkum’s early work was concerned with the processes of ion uptake in roots and giant algal cells. However, his interest in sub-aquatic physiology led increasingly to programs involving algae and seagrasses.

More recently, much of his research effort in this area has been devoted to photoinhibition and UV inhibition of algae and corals including algae in coral reefs and coral bleaching mechanisms and since 1997 his major work has been devoted to understanding the phenomenon of mass coral bleaching, which has been linked to increase in surface sea temperatures and thus to global warming.

In addition he has been interested in novel cyanobacteria, such as Acaryochloris, which have novel chlorophylls capable of absorbing near infra-red light.

Professor Peter Ralph is a Professor of Marine Biology at UTS, and Executive Director of the Climate Change Cluster (C3) in the Faculty of Science. He is also founder of the Deep Green Biotech Hub, member of the IOC-UNESCOBlue Carbon International Scientific Working Group and former leader of the CSIRO Marine and Coastal Carbon Biogeochemistry Cluster. Within C3, he leads two research programs: Algae Biosystems and Biotechnology, and Seagrass Health.

Professor Gary Kendrick is a marine plant ecologist who is passionate about understanding how we both can protect and use our rich marine environments. He has multiple interests including understanding biodiversity and ecology of temperate and tropical seagrass meadows and reefs, conservation and restoration of marine foundation species, and educating people about coastal and marine ecosystems.  

His experimental work on the ecology of seagrass meadows, kelp and Sargassum beds includes understanding the role of seagrasses and kelps in structuring communities, herbivory in seagrass meadows and reefs, and the effect of ocean warming and human impacts on the resilience of seagrasses and macroalgae.

Professor Kendrick has recently focussed on dispersal and recruitment ecology, and genetics of seagrasses, has measured and modelled the dispersal of seagrass seeds and documented seedling survival.