The Role of Thermal Tolerance and Secondary Metabolites in the Increasing Dominance of Indo-Pacific Soft Corals

Project Code: REVERTER_PLYM_ARIES27

The Role of Thermal Tolerance and Secondary Metabolites in the Increasing Dominance of Indo-Pacific Soft Corals

Project Code: REVERTER_PLYM_ARIES27

Project Description

Supervisors

Dr Miriam Reverter, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth – contact me 

Dr Manuela Truebano, University of Plymouth

Dr Nicola Foster, University of Plymouth

Professor Peter Schupp, Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM), Carl Von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg

 

Scientific Background

Coral reefs are under imminent threat from climate change, with 99% expected to be lost within 50 years, with profound consequences for ecosystem functioning and the services they provide. Soft coral-dominated reefs are increasingly common across the Indo-Pacific, representing the most widespread reef state after hard coral-dominated reefs. Many soft coral species can outcompete hard corals, likely due to their greater resilience to increasing temperatures, as well as the production of bioactive metabolites that are thought to promote hard coral tissue damage and inhibit their recovery. Despite their importance, there is little understanding of either mechanism, and their combined influence on soft coral competitive success remains unexplored. This timely project aims to investigate how thermal tolerance and secondary metabolite dynamics jointly contribute to the increasing ecological dominance of Indo-Pacific soft corals under climate change, and associated deterioration of coral reefs.

 

Research Methodology

You will conduct field-based controlled thermal experiments on dominant Indo-Pacific soft coral species at Coral Eye, Bangka Island (North Sulawesi, Indonesia), and will quantify physiological performance and changes in metabolite production under acute and chronic heat stress. LC-MS/MS metabolomics will characterise changes in chemical defences, while bioactivity assays and experiments with hard coral adults/larvae, will evaluate the ecological functions of these chemical defences. This integrated approach will determine whether thermal stress enhances, reduces or alters the ecological function of soft coral chemical defences.

 

Training

You will join a collaborative, international team spanning the UK, Germany and Indonesia. Training will include:

1) Experimental design

2) LC-MS/MS metabolomics

3) Marine invertebrate ecophysiology

4) Data analysis, critical thinking and scientific writing

You will participate in at least one field campaign at Coral Eye to carry out field experiments and will be supported to secure funding for a second field season. Supervisors will support your professional development, including leading manuscripts, presenting at international conferences and engaging with stakeholders.

 

Person Specification

We seek an enthusiastic individual with a Marine Biology (or related) background, willing to work within an international team and to learn new field, laboratory, and quantitative skills. Previous experience in marine field ecology, omics, experimental biology and R software is desirable.

Acceptable first degree subject(s): BSc. Marine Biology, Marine Conservation, Biological Sciences, Environmental Sciences, Marine Sciences.

References

  • Reverter M, Jackson M, Rohde S, Moeller M, Bara R, Lasut MT, Segre Reinach M, Schupp PJ. 2021. High taxonomic resolution surveys and trait-based analyses reveal multiple benthic regimes in North Sulawesi (Indonesia). Scientific Reports 11, 16554. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-95905-8
  • Reverter M, Helber SB, Rohde S, de Goeij JM, Schupp PJ. 2022. Coral benthic community changes in the Anthropocene: Biogeographic heterogeneity, overlooked configurations and methodology. Global Change Biology 28, 1956-1971. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16034Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
  • Reverter M, Helber SB, Rohde S, de Goeij JM, Schupp PJ. 2024. Drivers of coral reef benthic changes and implications on ecosystem functioning and services. Oceanography and Marine Biology Annual Review 62, 215-247. Available at: 10.1201/9781003477518-5
  • Ompi M, Blyth M, Benayahu Y, McFadden CS, Schupp PJ, Rohde S, Bara R, Makapedua D, Segre M, Foster N, Reverter M. 2025. Physical contact interactions between five soft corals with the scleractinian coral Acropora cf. pulchra (Acroporidae) in North Sulawesi (Indonesia). SSRN, 5783353. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5783353
  • Abbas ASA, Collins M, Ellis R, Spicer JI, Truebano M. 2024. Heat hardening improves thermal tolerance in abalone, without the trade-offs associated with chronic exposure. Journal of Thermal Biology 124, 103963. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2024.103963

Key Information

  • This studentship has been shortlisted for funding under the UKRI NERC DLA funding scheme and will commence on 1 October 2027. The closing date for applications is 23:59 on 16 December 2026.
  • Successful candidates who meet UKRI’s eligibility criteria will be awarded a fully-funded studentship, which covers fees, maintenance stipend (£21,805 p.a. for 2026/27) and a research training and support grant (RTSG). A limited number of studentships are available for international applicants, with the difference between 'home' and 'international' fees being waived by the registering university. Please note, however, that ARIES funding does not cover additional costs associated with relocation to, and living in, the UK, such as visa costs or the health surcharge.
  • ARIES postgraduate researchers (PGRs) benefit from bespoke training and ARIES provides £2,500 to every student for access to external training, travel and conferences, on top of all Research Costs associated with the project. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses. Excellent applicants from quantitative disciplines with limited experience in environmental sciences may be considered for an additional 3-month stipend to take advanced-level courses.
  • ARIES is committed to equality, diversity, widening participation and inclusion in all areas of its operation. We encourage enquiries and applications from all sections of the community regardless of gender, ethnicity, disability, age, sexual orientation and transgender status. Academic qualifications are considered alongside non-academic experience, and our recruitment process considers potential with the same weighting as past experience.
  • All ARIES studentships may be undertaken on a part-time or full-time basis. International applicants should check whether there are any conditions of visa or immigration permission that preclude part-time study. All advertised project proposals have been developed with consideration of a safe, inclusive and appropriate research and fieldwork environment with respect to protected characteristics. If you have any concerns, please contact us.
  • For further information, please contact the supervisor. To apply for this Studentship, follow the instructions at the bottom of the page or click the 'apply now' link.
  • ARIES is required by our funders to collect Equality and Diversity Information from all of our applicants. The information you provide will be used solely for monitoring and statistical purposes; it will remain confidential and will be stored on the UEA SharePoint server. Data will not be shared with those involved in making decisions on the award of Studentships and will have no influence on the success of your application. It will only be shared outside of this group in an anonymised and aggregated form. You will be asked to complete the form by the University to which you apply.
  • ARIES studentships are subject to UKRI terms and conditions. Postgraduate Researchers are expected to live within reasonable distance of their host organisation for the duration of their studentship. Please see https://www.ukri.org/publications/terms-and-conditions-for-training-funding/ for more information.

Apply Now

For further information on the application process for this studentship, please visit the  University of Plymouth's Research Degrees webpage.