Professor Cynthia Riginos
Professor

Cynthia Riginos

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52152

Background

Ecological and evolutionary genomics

My research group uses genetic markers as tools for understanding dispersal and gene flow, often with conservation implications and most frequently focusing on highly dispersive marine animals such as fishes, mussels, and corals. We also study how gene flow and natural selection affect genomic variation and limit gene exchange across genomes, populations, and species.

Availability

Professor Cynthia Riginos is:
Not available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Agricultural, Veterinary and Food Sciences Biological Sciences Biosecurity science and invasive species ecology Ecology Environmental Sciences Fisheries sciences Genetics

Qualifications

  • Masters (Coursework) of Science, University of Arizona
  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Arizona

Research interests

  • Connectivity across land and seascapes

    How do habitat landscapes, ocean depth, and oceanography affect movements of individuals and genes? Can we identify source and linking populations in order to prioritize areas for conservation? How does environmentally mediated selection shape spatial patterns of population genetic variation?

  • Stochasticity in planktonic dispersal

    How does high temporal variability in sources of juvenile settlers affect evolutionary dynamics especially local adaptation? Does phenotypic plasticity allow niche specialization in the face of high gene flow?

  • Biological invasions, historical and modern

    What factors facilitate species expanding their ranges and colonizing new habitat? How do colonizing populations adapt to novel environments? Does hybridization with local species enhance invasiveness and rapid evolution?

Search Professor Cynthia Riginos’s works on UQ eSpace

124 works between 1999 and 2024
All (124) Journal Article (112) Book Chapter (2) Conference Publication (4) Other Outputs (6)

1 - 20 of 124 works

2024

Journal Article

Natural selection could determine whether <i>Acropora</i> corals persist under expected climate change

Lachs, Liam, Bozec, Yves-Marie, Bythell, John C., Donner, Simon D., East, Holly K., Edwards, Alasdair J., Golbuu, Yimnang, Gouezo, Marine, Guest, James R., Humanes, Adriana, Riginos, Cynthia and Mumby, Peter J. (2024). Natural selection could determine whether Acropora corals persist under expected climate change. Science, 386 (6727), 1289-1294. doi: 10.1126/science.adl6480

Natural selection could determine whether <i>Acropora</i> corals persist under expected climate change

2024

Journal Article

Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration

Riginos, Cynthia, Popovic, Iva, Meziere, Zoe, Garcia, Vhon, Byrne, Ilha, Howitt, Samantha M., Ishida, Hisatake, Bairos-Novak, Kevin, Humanes, Adriana, Scharfenstein, Hugo, Richards, Thomas, Briggs, Ethan, Clark, Vanessa, Lei, Chuan, Khan, Mariam and Prata, Katharine E. (2024). Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration. Peer Community Journal, 4 e106. doi: 10.24072/pcjournal.492

Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration

2024

Journal Article

A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation

Sequeira, Ana M.M., Bates, Amanda E., Hays, Graeme, Sims, David W., Andrzejaczek, Samantha, Audzijonyte, Asta, Baum, Julia K., Beal, Martin, Block, Barbara, Cinner, Joshua, Cowley, Kaitlyn, Gilman, Eric, Gleason, Arthur, Harrison, Autumn-Lynn, Hudson, Charlotte, Ishimura, Gakushi, Jabado, Rima W., Landrum, Jason P., Mangubhai, Sangeeta, McClenachan, Loren, Meagher, Laura, Riginos, Cynthia, Serrão, Ester A., Sherley, Richard B., Stuart-Smith, Rick D., Wambiji, Nina and Marley, Sarah A. (2024). A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation. Biological Conservation, 298 110717, 110717. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2024.110717

A framework for optimising opportunistic collaborative syntheses to propel ecological conservation

2024

Journal Article

Some reef-building corals only disperse metres per generation

Prata, Katharine E., Bongaerts, Pim, Dwyer, John M., Ishida, Hisatake, Howitt, Samantha M., Hereward, James P., Crandall, Eric D. and Riginos, Cynthia (2024). Some reef-building corals only disperse metres per generation. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291 (2027) 20231988, 20231988. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1988

Some reef-building corals only disperse metres per generation

2024

Journal Article

Chromosomal inversions harbour excess mutational load in the coral, <i>Acropora kenti</i>, on the Great Barrier Reef

Zhang, Jia, Schneller, Nadja M., Field, Matt A., Chan, Cheong Xin, Miller, David J., Strugnell, Jan M., Riginos, Cynthia, Bay, Line and Cooke, Ira (2024). Chromosomal inversions harbour excess mutational load in the coral, Acropora kenti, on the Great Barrier Reef. Molecular Ecology, 33 (16) e17468, e17468. doi: 10.1111/mec.17468

Chromosomal inversions harbour excess mutational load in the coral, <i>Acropora kenti</i>, on the Great Barrier Reef

2024

Journal Article

Research priorities to support coral reefs during rapid climate change

Fabricius, Katharina E., Cooley, Sarah R., Golbuu, Yimnang, Riginos, Cynthia, Gonzalez-Rivero, Manuel, Heron, Scott F., Mead, David, Cinner, Joshua and Schaffelke, Britta (2024). Research priorities to support coral reefs during rapid climate change. PLOS Climate, 3 (7), e0000435. doi: 10.1371/journal.pclm.0000435

Research priorities to support coral reefs during rapid climate change

2024

Journal Article

Gene flow throughout the evolutionary history of a colour polymorphic and generalist clownfish

Schmid, Sarah, Bachmann Salvy, Marianne, Garcia Jimenez, Alberto, Bertrand, Joris A. M., Cortesi, Fabio, Heim, Sara, Huyghe, Filip, Litsios, Glenn, Marcionetti, Anna, O'Donnell, James L., Riginos, Cynthia, Tettamanti, Valerio and Salamin, Nicolas (2024). Gene flow throughout the evolutionary history of a colour polymorphic and generalist clownfish. Molecular Ecology, 33 (14) e17436, e17436. doi: 10.1111/mec.17436

Gene flow throughout the evolutionary history of a colour polymorphic and generalist clownfish

2024

Journal Article

DNA metabarcoding as a tool for characterising the spatio-temporal distribution of planktonic larvae in the phylum Echinodermata

Byrne, Ilha, Riginos, Cynthia, Uthicke, Sven, Brookes, Dean and Popovic, Iva (2024). DNA metabarcoding as a tool for characterising the spatio-temporal distribution of planktonic larvae in the phylum Echinodermata. Coral Reefs, 43 (3), 1-15. doi: 10.1007/s00338-024-02496-7

DNA metabarcoding as a tool for characterising the spatio-temporal distribution of planktonic larvae in the phylum Echinodermata

2024

Journal Article

Contaminant or goldmine? In silico assessment of Symbiodiniaceae community using coral hologenomes

Ishida, Hisatake, Riginos, Cynthia and Chan, Cheong Xin (2024). Contaminant or goldmine? In silico assessment of Symbiodiniaceae community using coral hologenomes. Frontiers in Protistology, 2. doi: 10.3389/frpro.2024.1376877

Contaminant or goldmine? In silico assessment of Symbiodiniaceae community using coral hologenomes

2024

Journal Article

High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator

Popovic, Iva, Bergeron, Lucie A., Bozec, Yves-Marie, Waldvogel, Ann-Marie, Howitt, Samantha M., Damjanovic, Katarina, Patel, Frances, Cabrera, Maria G., Wörheide, Gert, Uthicke, Sven and Riginos, Cynthia (2024). High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator. PLoS Genetics, 20 (2) e1011129, e1011129. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1011129

High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator

2024

Other Outputs

Scripts and data from: High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator

Riginos, Cynthia and Popovic, Iva (2024). Scripts and data from: High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/ad122d0

Scripts and data from: High germline mutation rates, but not extreme population outbreaks, influence genetic diversity in a keystone coral predator

2024

Other Outputs

Shallow Agaricia genomic data

Riginos, Cynthia, Prata, Katharine and Bongaerts, Pim (2024). Shallow Agaricia genomic data. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/62bc9a5

Shallow Agaricia genomic data

2024

Other Outputs

Data and scripts from - Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration

Riginos, Cynthia, Prata, Katharine, Popovic, Iva, Byrne, Ilha, Howitt, Samantha, Ishida, Hisatake and Meziere, Zoe (2024). Data and scripts from - Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/76456b1

Data and scripts from - Cryptic species and hybridisation in corals: challenges and opportunities for conservation and restoration

2024

Journal Article

Exploring coral speciation: multiple sympatric Stylophora pistillata taxa along a divergence continuum on the Great Barrier Reef

Meziere, Zoe, Popovic, Iva, Prata, Katharine, Ryan, Isobel, Pandolfi, John and Riginos, Cynthia (2024). Exploring coral speciation: multiple sympatric Stylophora pistillata taxa along a divergence continuum on the Great Barrier Reef. Evolutionary Applications, 17 (1) e13644, e13644. doi: 10.1111/eva.13644

Exploring coral speciation: multiple sympatric Stylophora pistillata taxa along a divergence continuum on the Great Barrier Reef

2023

Journal Article

Comparative landscape genomics has arrived with a splash

Riginos, Cynthia and Jahnke, Marlene (2023). Comparative landscape genomics has arrived with a splash. Molecular Ecology, 32 (24), 6725-6728. doi: 10.1111/mec.17204

Comparative landscape genomics has arrived with a splash

2023

Other Outputs

CORDAP R&amp;D Technology Roadmap for Understanding Natural Adaptation and Assisted Evolution of Corals to Climate Change

Bay, Line, Ortiz, Juan, Humanes, Adriana, Riginos, Cynthia, Baums, Iliana, Scharfenstein, Hugo, Aranda, Manuel, Peixoto, Raquel, Niehaus, Amanda, Le Port, Agnès, van Oppen, Madeleine, Voolstra, Christian, Baker, Andrew, Kenkel, Carly, Aguirre, J. David, Guest, James, Lasky, Jesse, Hendry, Andrew, Schoepf, Verena, Reusch, Thorsten, Angilletta, Jr, Michael, Bhagooli, Ranjeet, Schmidt-Roach, Sebastian, Suggett, David, Wilson, Alastair, Abadi, Maram, Razak, Tries, Baria-Rodriguez, Maria, Duarte, Carlos ... Palumbi, Stephen (2023). CORDAP R&amp;D Technology Roadmap for Understanding Natural Adaptation and Assisted Evolution of Corals to Climate Change. CORDAP. doi: 10.62542/gq8m3cy5

CORDAP R&amp;D Technology Roadmap for Understanding Natural Adaptation and Assisted Evolution of Corals to Climate Change

2023

Other Outputs

Sequences and scripts

Riginos, Cynthia, Byrne, Ilha, Popovic, Iva and Uthicke, Sven (2023). Sequences and scripts. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.48610/3076584

Sequences and scripts

2023

Journal Article

Selecting coral species for reef restoration

Madin, Joshua S., McWilliam, Michael, Quigley, Kate, Bay, Line K., Bellwood, David, Doropoulos, Christopher, Fernandes, Leanne, Harrison, Peter, Hoey, Andrew S., Mumby, Peter J., Ortiz, Juan C., Richards, Zoe T., Riginos, Cynthia, Schiettekatte, Nina M. D., Suggett, David J. and van Oppen, Madeleine J. H. (2023). Selecting coral species for reef restoration. Journal of Applied Ecology, 60 (8), 1537-1544. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.14447

Selecting coral species for reef restoration

2023

Journal Article

The importance of timely metadata curation to the global surveillance of genetic diversity

Crandall, Eric D., Toczydlowski, Rachel H., Liggins, Libby, Holmes, Ann E., Ghoojaei, Maryam, Gaither, Michelle R., Wham, Briana E., Pritt, Andrea L., Noble, Cory, Anderson, Tanner J., Barton, Randi L., Berg, Justin T., Beskid, Sofia G., Delgado, Alonso, Farrell, Emily, Himmelsbach, Nan, Queeno, Samantha R., Trinh, Thienthanh, Weyand, Courtney, Bentley, Andrew, Deck, John, Riginos, Cynthia, Bradburd, Gideon S. and Toonen, Robert J. (2023). The importance of timely metadata curation to the global surveillance of genetic diversity. Conservation Biology, 37 (4) e14061, e14061. doi: 10.1111/cobi.14061

The importance of timely metadata curation to the global surveillance of genetic diversity

2023

Journal Article

Moving beyond heritability in the search for coral adaptive potential

Richards, Thomas J., McGuigan, Katrina, Aguirre, J. David, Humanes, Adriana, Bozec, Yves‐Marie, Mumby, Peter J. and Riginos, Cynthia (2023). Moving beyond heritability in the search for coral adaptive potential. Global Change Biology, 29 (14), 3869-3882. doi: 10.1111/gcb.16719

Moving beyond heritability in the search for coral adaptive potential

Current funding

  • 2024 - 2027
    Empowering community-led coral reef restoration and prioritization in the Maldives (Coral Accelerator Program grant administered by SCU)
    Southern Cross University
    Open grant
  • 2022 - 2026
    Some like it hot: invasive species, hybridisation, and a warming world
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Control Innovation Program
    Great Barrier Reef Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    RRAP-ECO-01-V1 Integrated field-testing and sub-program management
    Australian Institute of Marine Science
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    RRAP-ECO-03-V1 Ecological and genetic adaptation: EcoRRAP (GBRF Funding Administered by AIMS)
    Australian Institute of Marine Science
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2025
    RRAP-M&DS-04-V1: Modelling and Decision Support (M&DS)-ReefMod R&D
    Australian Institute of Marine Science
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2021 - 2022
    Plankton specimen DNA extraction, purifications and sequencing.
    CSIRO
    Open grant
  • 2020 - 2024
    Systematic and taxonomic analyses of eastern Australian Symbiodiniaceae: the unification of research on coral-algal mutualisms
    Australian Biological Resources Study
    Open grant
  • 2019 - 2022
    Tracking origins and spread of Crown-of-Thorns Seastars on the GBR
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Using genetic connectivity to improve source reef model outputs and predictions of recovery
    Great Barrier Reef Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Resolving the cryptic species identity of native Mytilus mussels and a marine global invader along Australia's temperate coastlines
    National Taxonomy Research Grant Program
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2017
    Survival after arrival: how post-settlement mortality shapes population connectivity and climate change resilience in a coastal marine fish
    The Hermon Slade Foundation
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2018
    Reconciling competing objectives for the design of marine reserve networks: biodiversity, food security, and local equity in benefits
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    Shark Futures: Sustainable management of the NSW whaler shark fishery
    New South Wales Department of Primary Industries
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2014
    Getting there and staying there: How important is larval dispersal versus local selection in determining the genetic composition of a coral reef fish population?
    Sea World Research and Rescue Foundation Inc
    Open grant
  • 2012
    High Throughput Genotyping using Paralleled and Miniaturized DNA amplification.
    UQ Major Equipment and Infrastructure
    Open grant
  • 2009
    Building Capacity in Quantitative Genomics
    UQ School/Centre Co-Funding
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2010
    Coral reef connectivity: an empirical and theoretical synthesis
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2011
    Focusing regional marine conservation: merging seascape genetics and biophysical modeling within a graph-theoretic framework
    World Wildlife Fund, Inc
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    Evaluating sources of selection on gamete recognition genes
    UQ Early Career Researcher
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Sea-scape genetics - small scale larval dispersal of cunjevoi (Pyura stolonifera)
    UQ New Staff Research Start-Up Fund
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2007
    Collaborative Research: Extreme discordance between allozyme and non-allozyme introgression in Baltic mussels. Selection on allozymes?
    Duke University
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Cynthia Riginos is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Some like it hot: invasive species, hybridisation, and a warming world

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Katrina McGuigan

  • Master Philosophy

    Evaluating label accuracy in Australian seafood

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Carissa Klein

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Climate change and the genetic consequences of hybridisation in clownfishes

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Karen Cheney, Dr JP Hobbs

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Dispersal and adaptation in edge of range corals

    Principal Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Genetics of climate-change adaptation in Great Barrier Reef corals

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Cheong Xin Chan, Professor John Pandolfi

  • Master Philosophy

    Evaluating label accuracy in Australian seafood

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Carissa Klein

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The Genomics of Hybridization and Introgression in Anemonefishes: Implications for Conservation and Evolutionary Dynamics

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Karen Cheney, Dr JP Hobbs

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Growth and survival dynamics of coral:The effects of various environmental influences on population level physiology in Acropora muricata and Galaxea fascicularis

    Associate Advisor

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Hologenomic variation in the reef-building coral Acropora hyacinthus across the Great Barrier Reef

    Associate Advisor

    Other advisors: Associate Professor Cheong Xin Chan

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Cynthia Riginos directly for media enquiries about:

  • coral
  • fish
  • genetics
  • genomics
  • hybridization
  • invasive
  • landscape
  • marine
  • open data
  • reproducibility
  • seascape
  • spatial

Need help?

For help with finding experts, story ideas and media enquiries, contact our Media team:

communications@uq.edu.au