Sophie Dove

Research Interests
Photobiology of isolated reefs and their ability to withstand a range of future climate scenarios

Research interests:
Photobiology of corals - How do host and symbiont interact to provide a highly efficient autotrophic organism that is able to export energy and thereby maintain Coral Reef growth despite high rate of erosion and minimal energy importation? Are some symbionts hosted by corals more parasitic than others - translocating less energy to their hosts? Do some corals cannibalize asexually produced polyps in the interest of promoting genet survival? 2) Effects of elevated temperature and acidification on coral physiology – What alterations do corals undergo on a seasonal basis under elevated temperatures that fall within their Q10 coping range? How do these alterations differ from the effects of temperature above this range? When does bleaching shift from a controlled response that is beneficial for holobiont performance to a detrimental uncontrolled response that leads to “genet” mortality? What are the interactive effects of elevated temperature and atmospheric CO2 on coral physiology? 3) How does climate change affect the productivity of coral reefs? It has been argued that future reefs will be dominated by algae, yet the responses of many algae to a range of projected future climate scenarios has not been fully evaluated. Who will be the winners in the future and will they be able to sustain the large biomass of primary and secondary consumers that currently exist on Reefs? 4) Carbon flow within the coral-dinoflagellate symbiosis and its role in maintaining cellular homeostasis. Estimating rates of carbon fixation and translocation; identifying resultant metabolites; and relating these to cellular processes and cell fates. 5) To what extent are reef-building corals heterotrophic? Are clade D corals more dependent on heterotrophy than other corals? Can symbionts fed on corals taking up organic carbon in addition to inorganic nutrients? 6) How is the balance between reef accretion and erosion affected by the various temperature and acidification scenarios proposed for the end of the century?