Larvae and lifecycles research theme
Most marine animal life cycles include a planktonic larva that settles and metamorphoses into a recognisable adult. This transition is critical to the health of all marine ecosystems, and factors heavily in applied pursuits, including aquaculture and pest management.
There are many gaps in our understanding of larval biology, settlement and metamorphosis. To better understand these processes, we study critical ecosystem engineers such as corals and sponges, and commercially- and environmentally-important species