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Emeritus Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg
Emeritus Professor

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg

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Overview

Background

Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg FAA; ARC Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies; Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, and School of Biological Sciences.

Research Publications (>440 publications, see list and impact Google Scholar). For full Curriculum vitae, click here.

BIOGRAPHY

Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is Professor of Marine Studies at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia Over the past 10 years he was Founding Director of the Global Change Institute (details here) and is Deputy Director of the Centre for Excellence in Coral Reef Studies (www.coralcoe.org.au, since 2006) and Affiliated Professor in Tropical Marine Biology at the University of Copenhagen (2016-present). Ove’s research focuses on the impacts of global change on marine ecosystems and is one of the most cited authors on climate change. In addition to pursuing scientific discovery, Ove has had a 20-year history in leading research organisations such as the Centre for Marine Studies (including 3 major research stations over 2000-2009) and the Global Change Institute, both at the University of Queensland. These roles have seen him raise more than $150 million for research and infrastructure. He has also been a dedicated communicator of the threat posed by ocean warming and acidification to marine ecosystems, being one of the first scientists to identify the serious threat posed by climate change for coral reefs in a landmark paper published in 1999 (Mar.Freshwater Res 50:839-866), which predicted the loss of coral reefs by 2050. Since that time, Ove led global discussions and action on the science and solutions to rapid climate change via high profile international roles such as the Coordinating Lead Author for the ‘Oceans’ chapter for the Fifth Assessment report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and the Coordinating Lead Author on the Impacts chapter of the IPCC Special report on 1.5oC. In addition to this work, Ove conceived and led the scientific XL-Catlin Seaview Survey (details here) which has surveyed over 1000 km of coral reefs across 25 countries (details here) and which captured and analysed over 1 million survey images of coral reefs. These images and data are available to the scientific community and others via an online database: (details here).

Developing these resources is part of Ove’s current push to understand and support solutions to global change with partners such as WWF International: (details here). As scientific lead, Ove has been steering a global response to the identification of 50 sites globally that are less exposed to climate change (Beyer et al 2018, Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2018), working with WWF International to assemble a global partnership across seven countries (Indonesia, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Cuba, East Africa, Madagascar and Fiji; Coral Reef Rescue Initiative). Scientific papers published by Ove cover significant contributions to the physiology, ecology, environmental politics, and climate change. Some of Ove’s most significant scientific contributions have been recognised by leading journals such as Science and Nature (Hoegh-Guldberg and Bruno 2010; Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2007; Hoegh-Guldberg et al. 2019a,b), scores of invited talks and plenaries over the past 20 years, plus his appointment as significant international roles e.g. Coordinating Lead Author of Chapter 30 (“The Oceans”) for the 5th Assessment Report, as well as Coordinating Lead Author for Chapter 3 (Impacts) on the special report on the implications of 1.5oC (for the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC).

Listen to a recent interview of Ove by Jonica Newby for the ABC Science Show.

Availability

Emeritus Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is:
Not available for supervision
Media expert

Research interests

  • Climate change and tropical coastal ecosystems

    The impacts of climate change on tropical coastal ecosystems are rapidly expanding and are seriously affecting natural and human systems. Key changes include rapid increases in sea temperatures, acidification, sea level and intensifying storms, which cause significant and usually negative changes to the distribution and abundance of coastal marine species. These impacts can have significant consequences for the health and food security of the over 500 million people that depend on these coastal ecosystems for food and livelihood. Our group is interested in helping fill these gaps to understand better how the future will unfold for tropical coastal ecosystems.

  • Can remote learning (MOOCs) help build capacity in tropical coastal management?

    Remote learning tools (such as Massive Open Online Courses or MOOCs) who great potential to assist in tropical coastal management, mainly as they provide an opportunity to exchange information from experts worldwide at low cost. In addition, MOOCs can be a good way for professionals to stay updated with the latest research and technologies in tropical coastal management, helping improve their skills and knowledge. In this regard, MOOCs can also be a valuable resource for people interested in tropical coastal management but who do not have the opportunity to pursue formal education in the field. By creating MOOCs, individuals can learn about tropical coastal management and gain a better understanding of the challenges and opportunities that are present in this field. Over the next two years, we have funding from the UN GEF and GCF programs to build 3-4 courses in partnership with WWF, NGOs and seven developing countries with considerable stakes in improving the health of coral reefs and related ecosystems. The participating countries include Madagascar, Tanzania, Indonesia, the Philippines, Fiji, the Solomon Islands, and Cuba.

  • Strategies for responding to climate change in tropical coastal settings.

    Several major strategies can be used to respond to the impacts of climate change in impoverished coastal areas of the tropics. These strategies can help reduce the risks and negative impacts of climate change and provide opportunities for economic and social development in these areas. Some of the key parts of a strategy include: Adaptation: This involves taking steps to reduce the vulnerability of communities and ecosystems to the impacts of climate change. This can include measures such as building natural barriers and other protective infrastructure, improving early warning systems, and implementing sustainable coastal practices and barriers. Mitigation: This involves reducing greenhouse gas emissions and slowing the rate of climate change. This can be achieved through various measures, such as increasing renewable energy sources, reducing deforestation, and improving energy efficiency. Community-based adaptation: This involves working with local communities to identify and address their specific needs and concerns related to climate change. This can involve providing education and training and supporting community-led initiatives to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate change. Ecosystem-based adaptation: This involves using natural systems, such as coastal forests, mangroves, and coral reefs, to reduce the risks and impacts of climate change. For example, mangroves can provide natural protection against storms, sediment runoff and flooding, and forests can absorb and store carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Green infrastructure: This involves investing in infrastructure designed to be environmentally sustainable and resilient to the impacts of climate change. This can include measures such as reforestation, MPA design, and sustainable coastal practices.

Research impacts

Ove has produced >440 peer-reviewed research publications (see list and impact, Google Scholar). Ove is one of the most cited Australian science authors (and 3rd internationally of 53,136 authors) on “climate change” by Thomson-Reuter’s ISI Web of Science (details here) in 2009. This represents a group of less than 0.5% of all published scientific researchers worldwide. This has been updated recently with Ove being a member of the top 0.01% most productive scientists globally (Ioannidis et al. 2019) PLoS biology, 17(8), p.e3000384.). Ove received numerous awards from Thomson Reuters (e.g. Citation Award Winner in Ecology Thomson Reuters Citation & Innovation Award in 2012). Ove’s H-index is 124 (Google Scholar, Jan 2023), with a total number of citations of his work being 93,904 He have received several awards from Thomson-Reuters and now Clarivate Analytics (see above). He has been awarded a Eureka Prize for his scientific research, a QLD Premier’s fellowship, and later ARC Laureate Fellow. He was elected to the Australian Academy of Science in 2013 and has been instrumental in ensuring the most accurate science is communicated through appointments as Chief Scientist to the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (20 years) and the Coral Reef Rescue Initiative (4 years). He received the Prince Albert II 2014 Award for Climate Change, and the 2016 International Award from the Banksia Foundation. He has been recognised as a Highly Cited Researcher in 2001, 2014, 2018, 2019 and 2021 (top 1% of his field) and was listed among the 100 most influential people in Climate Policy globally (List available at Apolitical: (details here). As a coordinating Lead Author of two major reports (SR 1.5oC, AR5 Oceans report) and as Reviewing editor for AR6 Australian and NZ report, Ove and IPCC leaders received the Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity in 2022 (Gulbenkian Prize for Humanity).

Works

Search Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg’s works on UQ eSpace

410 works between 1982 and 2025

61 - 80 of 410 works

2019

Other Outputs

The ocean as a solution to climate change: five opportunities for action

Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Caldeira, Ken, Chopin, Thierry, Gaines, Steve, Haugen, Peter, Hemer, Mark, Howard, Jennifer, Konar, Manaswita, Krause-Jensen, Dorte, Lovelock, Catherine, Lindstad, Elizabeth, Michelin, Mark, Gunnar Nielsen, Finn, Northrop, Eliza, Parker, Robert W. R., Roy, Joyashree, Smith, Tristan, Some, Shreya and Tyedmers, Peter (2019). The ocean as a solution to climate change: five opportunities for action. Washington, DC, United States: World Resources Institute.

The ocean as a solution to climate change: five opportunities for action

2019

Other Outputs

Seaview Survey Photo-quadrat and Image Classification Dataset

González-Rivero, Manuel, Rodriguez-Ramirez, Alberto, Beijbom, Oscar, Dalton, Peter, Kennedy, Emma V., Neal, Benjamin P., Vercelloni, Julie, Bongaerts, Pim, Ganase, Anjani, Bryant, Dominic E.P., Brown, Kristen, Kim, Catherine, Radice, Veronica Z., Lopez-Marcano, Sebastian, Dove, Sophie, Bailhache, Christophe, Beyer, Hawthorne L. and Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove (2019). Seaview Survey Photo-quadrat and Image Classification Dataset. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2019.930

Seaview Survey Photo-quadrat and Image Classification Dataset

2019

Book Chapter

Coral reefs: megadiversity meets unprecedented environmental change

Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove (2019). Coral reefs: megadiversity meets unprecedented environmental change. Biodiversity and climate change: transforming the biosphere. (pp. 55-65) edited by Thomas E. Lovejoy and Lee Hannah. New Haven, CT, United States: Yale University Press.

Coral reefs: megadiversity meets unprecedented environmental change

2018

Journal Article

Securing a long-term future for coral reefs

Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Kennedy, Emma V., Beyer, Hawthorne L., McClennen, Caleb and Possingham, Hugh P. (2018). Securing a long-term future for coral reefs. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 33 (12), 936-944. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2018.09.006

Securing a long-term future for coral reefs

2018

Journal Article

Risk-sensitive planning for conserving coral reefs under rapid climate change

Beyer, Hawthorne L., Kennedy, Emma V., Beger, Maria, Chen, Chaolun Allen, Cinner, Joshua E., Darling, Emily S., Eakin, C. Mark, Gates, Ruth D., Heron, Scott F., Knowlton, Nancy, Obura, David O., Palumbi, Stephen R., Possingham, Hugh P., Puotinen, Marji, Runting, Rebecca K., Skirving, William J., Spalding, Mark, Wilson, Kerrie A., Wood, Sally, Veron, John E. and Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove (2018). Risk-sensitive planning for conserving coral reefs under rapid climate change. Conservation Letters, 11 (6) e12587, e12587. doi: 10.1111/conl.12587

Risk-sensitive planning for conserving coral reefs under rapid climate change

2018

Journal Article

Deep reefs of the Great Barrier Reef offer limited thermal refuge during mass coral bleaching

Frade, Pedro R., Bongaerts, Pim, Englebert, Norbert, Rogers, Alice, Gonzalez-Rivero, Manuel and Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove (2018). Deep reefs of the Great Barrier Reef offer limited thermal refuge during mass coral bleaching. Nature Communications, 9 (1) 3447, 1-8. doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-05741-0

Deep reefs of the Great Barrier Reef offer limited thermal refuge during mass coral bleaching

2018

Journal Article

The many possible climates from the Paris Agreement's aim of 1.5 °C warming

Seneviratne, Sonia I., Rogelj, Joeri, Séférian, Roland, Wartenburger, Richard, Allen, Myles R., Cain, Michelle, Millar, Richard J., Ebi, Kristie L., Ellis, Neville, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Payne, Antony J., Schleussner, Carl-Friedrich, Tschakert, Petra and Warren, Rachel F. (2018). The many possible climates from the Paris Agreement's aim of 1.5 °C warming. Nature, 558 (7708), 41-49. doi: 10.1038/s41586-018-0181-4

The many possible climates from the Paris Agreement's aim of 1.5 °C warming

2018

Journal Article

The dynamics of coral-algal interactions in space and time on the southern Great Barrier Reef

Brown, Kristen T., Bender-Champ, Dorothea, Kubicek, Andreas, van der Zande, Rene, Achlatis, Michelle, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove and Dove, Sophie G. (2018). The dynamics of coral-algal interactions in space and time on the southern Great Barrier Reef. Frontiers in Marine Science, 5 (MAY) 181. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2018.00181

The dynamics of coral-algal interactions in space and time on the southern Great Barrier Reef

2018

Journal Article

Bleaching and mortality of a photosymbiotic bioeroding sponge under future carbon dioxide emission scenarios

Fang, James K. H., Schönberg, Christine H. L., Mello-Athayde, Matheus A., Achlatis, Michelle, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove and Dove, Sophie (2018). Bleaching and mortality of a photosymbiotic bioeroding sponge under future carbon dioxide emission scenarios. Oecologia, 187 (1), 25-35. doi: 10.1007/s00442-018-4105-7

Bleaching and mortality of a photosymbiotic bioeroding sponge under future carbon dioxide emission scenarios

2018

Journal Article

Single-cell measurement of ammonium and bicarbonate uptake within a photosymbiotic bioeroding sponge

Achlatis, Michelle, Pernice, Mathieu, Green, Kathryn, Guagliardo, Paul, Kilburn, Matthew R, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove and Dove, Sophie (2018). Single-cell measurement of ammonium and bicarbonate uptake within a photosymbiotic bioeroding sponge. The ISME Journal, 12 (5), 1308-1318. doi: 10.1038/s41396-017-0044-2

Single-cell measurement of ammonium and bicarbonate uptake within a photosymbiotic bioeroding sponge

2018

Other Outputs

Seaview Survey: GBR Training and Validation Dataset

González-Rivero, Manuel, Rodriguez-Ramirez, Alberto and Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove (2018). Seaview Survey: GBR Training and Validation Dataset. The University of Queensland. (Dataset) doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.518

Seaview Survey: GBR Training and Validation Dataset

2018

Journal Article

Remote sensing of coral bleaching using temperature and light: progress towards an operational algorithm

Skirving, William, Enriquez, Susana, Hedley, John D., Dove, Sophie, Eakin, C. Mark, Mason, Robert A. B., De La Cour, Jacqueline L., Liu, Gang, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Strong, Alan E., Mumby, Peter J. and Iglesias-Prieto, Roberto (2018). Remote sensing of coral bleaching using temperature and light: progress towards an operational algorithm. Remote Sensing, 10 (1) 18, 18. doi: 10.3390/rs10010018

Remote sensing of coral bleaching using temperature and light: progress towards an operational algorithm

2017

Journal Article

Human activities influence benthic community structure and the composition of the coral-algal interactions in the central Maldives

Brown, Kristen T., Bender-Champ, Dorothea, Bryant, Dominic E. P., Dove, Sophie and Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove (2017). Human activities influence benthic community structure and the composition of the coral-algal interactions in the central Maldives. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 497, 33-40. doi: 10.1016/j.jembe.2017.09.006

Human activities influence benthic community structure and the composition of the coral-algal interactions in the central Maldives

2017

Journal Article

Sponge bioerosion on changing reefs: Ocean warming poses physiological constraints to the success of a photosymbiotic excavating sponge

Achlatis, Michelle, van der Zande, Rene M., Schonberg, Christine H. L., Fang, James K. H., Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove and Dove, Sophie (2017). Sponge bioerosion on changing reefs: Ocean warming poses physiological constraints to the success of a photosymbiotic excavating sponge. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 10705, 10705. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-10947-1

Sponge bioerosion on changing reefs: Ocean warming poses physiological constraints to the success of a photosymbiotic excavating sponge

2017

Journal Article

Editorial: the effect of climate change across ocean regions

Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove and Poloczanska, Elvira S. (2017). Editorial: the effect of climate change across ocean regions. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4 (NOV) 361. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2017.00361

Editorial: the effect of climate change across ocean regions

2017

Journal Article

Linking fishes to multiple metrics of coral reef structural complexity using three-dimensional technology

González-Rivero, M., Harborne, A. R., Herrera-Reveles, A., Bozec, Y. M., Rogers, A., Friedman, A., Ganase, A. and Hoegh-Guldberg, O. (2017). Linking fishes to multiple metrics of coral reef structural complexity using three-dimensional technology. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 13965, 13965. doi: 10.1038/s41598-017-14272-5

Linking fishes to multiple metrics of coral reef structural complexity using three-dimensional technology

2017

Journal Article

Comparison of two photographic methodologies for collecting and analyzing the condition of coral reef ecosystems

Bryant, D. E. P., Rodriguez-Ramirez, A., Phinn, S., Gonzalez-Rivero, M., Brown, K. T., Neal, B. P., Hoegh-Guldberg, O. and Dove, S. (2017). Comparison of two photographic methodologies for collecting and analyzing the condition of coral reef ecosystems. Ecosphere, 8 (10) e01971, e01971. doi: 10.1002/ecs2.1971

Comparison of two photographic methodologies for collecting and analyzing the condition of coral reef ecosystems

2017

Journal Article

Winners and losers as mangrove, coral and seagrass ecosystems respond to sea-level rise in Solomon Islands

Albert, Simon, Saunders, Megan I., Roelfsema, Chris M., Leon, Javier X., Johnstone, Elizabeth, Mackenzie, Jock R., Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Grinham, Alistair R., Phinn, Stuart R., Duke, Norman C., Mumby, Peter J., Kovacs, Eva and Woodroffe, Colin D. (2017). Winners and losers as mangrove, coral and seagrass ecosystems respond to sea-level rise in Solomon Islands. Environmental Research Letters, 12 (9) 094009, 094009. doi: 10.1088/1748-9326/aa7e68

Winners and losers as mangrove, coral and seagrass ecosystems respond to sea-level rise in Solomon Islands

2017

Journal Article

An evaluation of semi-automated methods for collecting ecosystem-level data in temperate marine systems

Griffin, Kingsley J., Hedge, Luke H., Gonzalez-Rivero, Manuel, Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove I. and Johnston, Emma L. (2017). An evaluation of semi-automated methods for collecting ecosystem-level data in temperate marine systems. Ecology and Evolution, 7 (13), 4640-4650. doi: 10.1002/ece3.3041

An evaluation of semi-automated methods for collecting ecosystem-level data in temperate marine systems

2017

Journal Article

Coral reef ecosystems under climate change and ocean acidification

Hoegh-Guldberg, Ove, Poloczanska, Elvira S., Skirving, William and Dove, Sophie (2017). Coral reef ecosystems under climate change and ocean acidification. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4 (158) 158. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2017.00158

Coral reef ecosystems under climate change and ocean acidification

Supervision

Availability

Emeritus Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg is:
Not available for supervision

Supervision history

Completed supervision

Media

Enquiries

Contact Emeritus Professor Ove Hoegh-Guldberg directly for media enquiries about:

  • Biodiversity studies
  • Biology and stress
  • Climate change and coral
  • Climate impacts on coral reef ecosystems
  • Climate projections
  • Coral - physiology
  • Coral bleaching
  • Coral ecology
  • Coral reefs
  • Ecological assessments
  • Ecology - corals
  • Global warming and marine life
  • Great Barrier Reef
  • Marine botany
  • Molecular biology
  • Physiology of corals
  • Population genetics
  • Reproductive biology
  • Stress biology

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