About MSEL

The Marine Spatial Ecology Lab was established by Peter Mumby at the University of Exeter (UK) in 2002. In 2010, the lab moved to the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Queensland. MSEL currently comprises twenty researchers working on various projects in coral reef ecology. Our research focuses on delivering science to improve the management of coral reefs. We carry out empirical ecological studies at scales ranging from millimetres (algal patch dynamics) to thousands of kilometres (gene flow in Caribbean corals) in an effort to plug gaps in our understanding of reef processes. Empirical data are then used to develop ecosystem models from which we can investigate the effectiveness of conservation measures in mitigating disturbance on reefs including climate change. Lastly, we combine the ecological models with remotely-sensed data to allow spatial conservation planning such as marine reserve design.