Marine microbiology

Marine microbes are the cornerstone of all marine ecosystems, driving the chemistry, nutrient cycles and energy flows in the water column and benthos.

These critical engineers are the most abundant and biodiverse group of organisms in any ecosystem. They also form essential symbiotic partnerships with other microbes (biofilms) as well as multicellular animals, plants, fungi and algae, similar to the human microbiome.

We study microbes at all ecological levels, from free-living ecosystem engineers to intimate symbionts of host animals, including sponges and coral.

Projects

Contact our project leads for more information about these highlighted projects and the other work we do within this node.

Evolutionary genomics of marine microalgae

We use comparative genomic approaches to understand genetic diversity of microalgae in diverse marine ecosystems, ranging from the coral photosymbionts to toxic bloom-forming species.

Project lead: Cheong Xin Chan

Microbial cues for coral settlement and survival

We are identifying microbial taxa, genes and pathways involved in inducing or inhibiting coral larval settlement and metamorphosis for a diverse range of coral species to produce larval settlement cues for use in coral aquaculture to support reef restoration.

Project leads: Laura Rix, Inka Vanwonterghem

Sponges as models in animal-microbe symbioses

We are leading an international consortium to develop common suite of approaches and tools for multiple sponge species to understand the evolution and function of animal symbioses.

Project leads: Sandie Degnan, Sheen Wong

Marine hologenomics

We are studying how animal immune and metabolic systems interact and co-evolve with their symbiotic microbess to create a single super-organism – the holobiont.

Project leads: Sandie Degnan, Sheen Wong and Bernard Degnan

Ocean metrics project

We are integrating metagenomic eDNA and artificial intelligence to develop DNA-based ecological indicators and predictive tools for monitoring and assessing the health of Australia’s diverse marine, estuarine and riverine ecosystems.

Project leads:  Phil Hugenholtz, Cheong Xin Chan, Laura Rix, David Ascher

Collaborators and funding bodies

Collaborators include:

Alfred Wegener Institute, Germany
Australian Institute of Marine Science
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Germany
Minderoo OceanOmics
Rutgers University, US
University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
University of British Columbia, Canada
University of Chicago Marine Biological Laboratory, US
University of Technology, Sydney

Funding bodies include:

ARC Discovery
Department of Environment and Science, Queensland
Minderoo Foundation
Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program partnership between the Australian Government’s Reef Trust and the Great Barrier Reef Foundation
US Department of Energy's Joint Genome Institute

Professor Andrew Barnes

Professor

School of the Environment
Associate Professor Cheong Xin Chan

Associate Professor

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
Professor Bernard Degnan

Professorial Research Fellow

School of the Environment
Professor Sandie Degnan

Professorial Research Fellow

School of the Environment
Professor Phil Hugenholtz

Professor

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences
Honorary Professor Nicole Webster

Honorary Professor

School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences