Paige Strudwick

Restoring a reef is a lot like renovating a house—you need a skilled team and the right tools. @PaigeStrudwick , a dedicated member of #TeamCoral and a researcher at the @CoralNurture Program on the Great Barrier Reef, explains the essential tools needed for successful coral restoration. Just as you wouldn’t use a hammer to paint a wall, restoring a coral reef requires a variety of techniques and tools tailored to different challenges. (Keep in mind that not all tools are covered here—a comprehensive "unboxing" would take at least an hour. Techniques like assisted evolution and the use of probiotics, for example, are also crucial and should be on the list.) Before we start planting corals with the hope of restoring the reef, we need to ask ourselves: Can we restore *that* reef? What are the right techniques and tools to do so? Understanding when, where, and how to implement coral restoration methods is essential—no single technique works everywhere. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aims to protect and restore at least 30% of the ocean, a goal that can't be achieved without including corals and coral reefs. Protecting these ecosystems is vital to safeguarding marine life and ensuring the well-being of over half a billion people who rely on them. Visit cordap.org and coralnurtureprogram.org to learn how we are working to secure a safe future for corals.

We share Paige’s enthusiasm: corals are incredible organisms, known to exhibit fascinating traits. Their multiple reproductive strategies are but an example. This August, CORDAP teams up with #TeamCoral member @PaigeStrudwick and the @CoralNurture Program at the Great Barrier Reef to bring you a short series on coral reproduction and restoration. Scientists have only studied the seasonality, fecundity, and overall reproductive strategy of a very small amount of coral species. Despite the immense lack of information, one thing is clear: corals can reproduce both sexually and asexually. In less than 90 seconds, we'll explain you how corals reproduce. Stay tuned until the end for a special surprise: a glimpse of Paige cloning herself! Understanding how corals reproduce is crucial for designing effective restoration and conservation programs, as it maximizes restoration efforts, maintains genetic diversity, informs targeted techniques, enhances adaptive potential, predicts population dynamics, and builds reef resilience. The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) aims to protect and restore at least 30% of the ocean. These targets can’t be achieved without including corals and coral reefs in the plan. By protecting coral ecosystems, we ensure that at least half a billion people around the world are positively impacted by them. Visit cordap.org and coralnurtureprogram.org to learn how we are working to secure a safe future for corals.

All around the world, July 20 is celebrated as International Moon Day. This day marks the anniversary of the first humans landing on the Moon as part of the Apollo 11 lunar mission. We would like to propose another significant reason to set a special day on our calendar just for our natural satellite. @PaigeStrudwick , a #TeamCoral member and a researcher at the @CoralNurture Program at the Great Barrier Reef dedicated to ensuring a better future for corals, explains how the moon influences coral reefs worldwide. In ways that scientists still do not fully understand, the moon is responsible for triggering mass coral spawning in many parts of the planet. Once a year, based on cues from water temperature and the lunar cycle, massive coral spawning events occur as entire colonies of mature corals simultaneously release their gametes (eggs and sperm) into the water. Underwater, this phenomenon looks like a blizzard made of billions of colorful flakes. This synchrony is crucial to guarantee fertilization success, as the gametes of most coral species are viable for only a few hours. Tonight, if you look up and gaze at the moon, remember this: even from hundreds of thousands of kilometers away, the moon influences corals. In turn, corals play a crucial role in shaping life on Earth. Let's ensure we do our best to protect them so they can flourish for generations to come. Visit cordap.org and coralnurtureprogram.org to learn how we are working to secure a safe future for corals.

Around the world series: discover the Southwestern Pacific Dive into the tiny world of Ecsenius stictus (Springer, 1988), also known as the Striped Blenny or Great Barrier Reef Blenny. With its camouflaged yellow body, distinctive black markings, and googly eyes, this species is a joy to behold. Known for their curious nature and playful antics, they can be found surveying their coral reef kingdoms atop boulder corals, sandy crevices, and within branching corals. 🔎 Hide and Seek: The Great Barrier Reef Blenny will often observe you from a distance and zip away just at the moment you pull your camera out. ‌🌏 Distribution & Habitat: Reef flats and lagoons to 11 meters depth on the Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea. ⚠️Status: Least Concern ‌👫Population Trend: Stable 📸 &✏️By #TeamCoral @PaigeStrudwick Ready to explore the vibrant underwater world of the Southwestern Pacific? Keep your eyes peeled for these charismatic Striped Blennies as you dive into the Great Barrier Reef and beyond! #coralreefs #blenny #greatbarrierreef #forcoral #marinebiology #oceanconservation #corals #pacificocean

Around the world series: discover the Southwestern Pacific Meet Paguritta harmsi (Gordon, 1935), the ultimate tiny tenant of the sea – it can be the size of two grains of rice! This unique hermit crab calls the discarded tubes of polychaete worms home, showcasing nature's creativity in recycling and adaptation. Don’t expect to find them walking around the neighborhood; they prefer to remain in their cozy homes, filtering nutrients from the water using their feathered antennae. 🌏 Distribution & Habitat: You can find them hiding in hard corals or worm holes within corals in the Indo-Pacific Ocean 📸 &✏️By #TeamCoral @PaigeStrudwick Do you want to find this hermit crab on your next dive? Make sure to stop by a Porites and spend a little longer looking over all the bumps and holes! #coralreefs #hermitcrab #greatbarrierreef #forcoral #marinebiology #oceanconservation #corals #pacificocean #porites

Around the World series: discover the Southwestern Pacific Introducing Coralliocaris viridis (Bruce, 1974), the stunning green-colored shrimp that shimmer in the shallows when caught glimpses within a branching Acropora coral. As a symbiotic cleaner, it not only adds a splash of color but also plays a crucial role in reef health by cleaning and maintaining the well-being of its coral hosts. 💙 The love show: For the romantics among us, these shrimp engage in pre-mating courtship rituals involving scents and tactile cues! 🌏 Distribution & Habitat: You can find them in coral reefs of the Indo-Pacific, particularly on Acropora species, at depths of 0-17 meters. 📸 &✏️By #TeamCoral @pstrud123 Make sure to take a closer look inside an Acropora next time you're out diving and see if you can spot one of these fabulous little green shrimps! #coralreefs #shrimps #greatbarrierreef #forcoral #marinebiology #oceanconservation #corals #pacificocean #acropora

Meet @PaigeStrudwick, a proud #TeamCoral member! Paige is a postdoctoral researcher with the Coral Nurture Program (CNP) and Future Reefs research group at the University of Technology Sydney, based in Far North Queensland (Australia). During her PhD, Paige investigated coral-associated bacterial communities and their role in facilitating propagation and out-planting corals on the Great Barrier Reef. Currently, she coordinates with local reef stakeholders to implement coral propagation and out-planting at high-value reef sites. Additionally, she is focused on increasing the sustainability of reef restoration approaches and the resilience of coral reefs by developing methods to select more naturally tolerant coral "parents". Paige is an enthusiastic science communicator, tasked with conveying and sharing CNP research and activities via social media channels. During April, Paige is taking over our weekly #AroundTheWorld series to showcase the incredible marine life awaiting those who dive in the Great Barrier Reef. Paige is challenging you to be part of #TeamCoral! Are you in?