U/Th dating of coral mortality and recovery rates in the Great Barrier Reef (2018-2023)

This project aims to use high-efficiency U-Th geochronology (±1 to 5-year precision) and palaeoecology to identify past coral mortality events and community changes in the inshore Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and quantify subsequent recovery rates across a water quality gradient. These records will then be linked to natural and human impacts, especially since European settlement. Such linkages are critical for reliable assessments of the current status and future status of the GBR that is facing severe mortality and degradation recently. The project outcomes will improve our understanding of past disturbances and recovery rates in the GBR ecosystem and help focus management in the face of increased human pressure and environmental changes.