Coral Nutrient Priming Research

Coral reefs are increasingly threatened by ocean warming and marine heatwaves, which disrupt the symbiosis between corals and their photosynthetic algae and can lead to bleaching and mortality. Identifying approaches that improve coral tolerance to thermal stress could support reef conservation and restoration efforts. Nutrient availability plays an important role in coral health, but its effects depend on nutrient concentration, balance, and environmental conditions. Short-term nutrient enrichment before heat exposure, known as nutrient priming, may help corals prepare for subsequent thermal stress. The goal of this project is to contribute to ongoing PhD research at KAUST investigating whether nutrient priming improves coral thermal resilience and exploring the physiological and biochemical mechanisms involved. The visiting student will contribute to controlled aquarium experiments, including coral husbandry, fragmentation and acclimation, experimental setup, and the application of nutrient and temperature treatments. Activities will also include water-quality monitoring, physiological measurements, sample collection for biochemical and lipid analyses, and supervised training in nutrient analysis and ICP-OES elemental analysis. Through experimental work, data management, and interpretation of results, the student will develop practical research skills while contributing to the evaluation of nutrient-based approaches to coral resilience.

1. Consistent aquarium logs documenting water quality, coral health, maintenance, treatments, and deviations. 2. An organised setup package with tank maps, treatment allocation, fragment identifiers, sampling schedules, stock calculations, equipment checks, and relevant procedures. 3. Documented, supervised contributions to coral preparation, acclimation, treatment application, monitoring, and sampling during the placement. 4. Quality-controlled water chemistry results, including sample identifiers, calibration records, standards, blanks, and analytical notes. 5. A documented, supervised analytical workflow from sample preparation to data export and initial quality assessment. 6. A concise final report and group presentation covering work completed, methods learned, observations, challenges, skills gained, and recommendations.