November Spawning 🪸 A team of > 50 worked to spawn eight coral species from four reefs. Over 10 million coral larvae are thriving in our facility, transforming into tiny coral polyps. Many will be delivered onto the Reef in coming weeks. Learn more >> bit.ly/3NvPcI1

🎄🎁 Wishing everyone a very Merry Christmas and a happy New Year from the SeaSim team! Please note our offices we will be closed from Tuesday, December 24th, returning Monday, January 6th.

Our thoughts are with those affected by flooding in N. Qld. A big shout out to the Australian Institute of Marine Science team at our #Townsville HQ who are monitoring our facilities, incl. our SeaSim staff who have been ensuring continuity of critical projects. Stay safe everyone. 📸 Kurt Pappalardo

Meet Stephanie Garra, our Water Quality Tech Officer & Lab Manager Family snorkeling trips ignited her passion for marine science. She loves that the work is varied, evolving, & interesting. Today, we celebrate all the incredible women in science! #WomenInSTEM #WomenInScience

We’ve just doubled our capacity to accelerate tropical marine research with this week’s opening of our $42.7 million SeaSim expansion by Tanya Plibersek. More: bit.ly/4hHlAoL

Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP joined us to announce the launch of our $42.7M expansion, backed by NCRIS, which nearly doubles our experimental space! A portion of the new facility will soon be open to researchers worldwide. Learn more >> bit.ly/418lFdQ #SeaSim #NCRIS

🔬 New research from Australian Institute of Marine Science & James Cook Uni shows rising temps disrupt coral-algae symbiosis. The study found: 🔹 Heat stress alters coral-algae nutritional status, affecting coral health 🔹 Gene expression changes appear before visible stress🔗Read more: bit.ly/4h7OwFh

Supporting education for future marine scientists! 🎉 SeaSim is donating urchins to James Cook Uni's Hatchery Techniques course. These urchins were used as part of RRAP research to boost the growth and survival of baby corals. Read more >> bit.ly/43wTqIA #MarineScience #SeaSim

🔬 At SeaSim, precision is key! Our advanced systems replicate complex ocean conditions to support world-leading marine research. Siemens PCS 7 helps us maintain accurate and stable experimental conditions. 🌊 Learn more 👉 bit.ly/4bXg0w9 #SeaSim #MarineScience

🚨 Announcing the National Sea Simulator Funded Access Program! Researchers can soon apply for merit-based access to our world-class facility, supported by NCRIS. To be the first to know about the program, sign up to our email list > bit.ly/4iNpSdO #SeaSim #NCRISImpact

At #SeaSim, our algae-eating urchins decided to give a Triton snail a full shell scrub using their 5-toothed jaws (Aristotle’s lantern). Helpful? Opportunistic? Marine life never fails to surprise — or amuse. 🐌

PhD candidates Ashtyn Isaak & Holly Koch are researching how ocean acidification & high light contribute to bleaching. The experiment includes: 🧪36 tanks, 4 species, 12 treatments, 400+ samples 🧬2 corals & 2 crustose coralline algae 🔬Drivers: light, temp, & 4 levels of PCO2

A study led by SCU researchers finds that feeding Acropora larvae significantly enhances settlement—up to 2.5× 🔬 Medium feeding (50 mL) yielded optimal outcomes 🧬Fed larvae were larger + more viable 🌱Feeding strategies can assist reef restoration 🔗bit.ly/4jKNGj4

🧫What do baby Crown-of-Thorns Sea stars (CoTS) eat? Before becoming aggressive coral eaters, CoTS spend ~5–6 months post-settlement grazing algae. Researchers at Australian Institute of Marine Science + James Cook Uni found they grow 38× faster on one CCA: Melyvonnea cf. madagascariensis🔗bit.ly/417JwLw

Need an advanced marine experimental research facility to conduct your research?! Soon, researchers will be able to apply for the SeaSim Access Program, which will provide merit-based, funded access to SeaSim at Australian Institute of Marine Science. Sign up to learn more > bit.ly/4iNpSdO

We’re proud to support Rana Elmesseri (JCU) in an international study on coral microbiomes. By comparing Heliofungia from Australia & Indonesia, researchers will explore how microbes respond to environmental shifts, revealing new insights into reef health & resilience. #SeaSim

Excited to announce our publication on controlled out-of-season coral spawning! Our team triggered spawning months ahead of the natural season by manipulating temperature, daylength, and moonlight. Nearly 2M larvae from 6 species produced! Paper: lnkd.in/gtPTCzyp

🦈Can the epaulette shark keep up with climate change? Researchers are testing how warming & low oxygen impact metabolism, energy use & survival. Studying 24 sharks from Heron Island, we hope to understand whether natural fluctuations protect or intensify stress in future oceans

It was a privilege to be involved in the Australian Coral Reef Society conference this year! 💡Our Director presented on the SeaSim Access Program 🔬We hosted a tour of SeaSim and visitors connected with our Tech Dev team. It was inspiring to engage with the science community.