Dr Laura Wicks

Dr Laura Wicks’ research interests centre on understanding the impact of environmental variability on the functional ecology and physiology of marine ecosystems, specifically those found in non-optimal environments. Current research focuses on the ecophysiology of cold-water corals, specifically providing estimates of carbon budgets under optimal and future climate change scenarios, which will provide vital baseline data in the on-going efforts to model carbon flux through cold-water coral habitats.

• Wicks LC, Hill R, Davy SK (2010) The influence of irradiance on tolerance to high and low temperature stress exhibited by Symbiodinium in the coral, Pocillopora damicornis, from the high-latitude reef of Lord Howe Island. Limnology and Oceanography 55(6): 2476-2486
• Wicks LC, Sampayo E, Gardner JPA, Davy SK (2010) Local endemicity and high diversity characterise high-latitude coral-Symbiodinium partnerships. Coral Reefs 29(4):989-1003
• Wicks LC, Gardner JPA, Davy SK (2010) Spatial patterns and regional affinities of coral communities at the Kermadec Islands Marine Reserve, New Zealand—a marginal high-latitude site. Marine Ecology Progress Series 400: 101-113
• Wicks, LC (2009) Persistence of Corals in Marginal Habitats: the Role of the Environment, and Symbiont Diversity and Ecophysiology. PhD thesis, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. http://researcharchive.vuw.ac.nz/handle/10063/1210

After graduating from the University of Southampton in 2004 with a BSc. Honours degree in Oceanography and Marine Biology, Dr Laura Wicks undertook an MSc. in Marine Environmental Protection at the University of Wales, Bangor. In 2009, she completed a Ph.D. at Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, which focused on the ecophysiology and symbiont diversity of marginal scleractinian corals, and their ability to tolerate changing environmental conditions. The research involved extensive fieldwork at Lord Howe Island, Australia, and Palmyra Atoll, USA.

Laura joined the School of Life Sciences at Heriot Watt University in January 2010, as part of the cold-water coral research group led by Dr Murray Roberts. Laura’s research primarily focuses on the impacts of climate change on cold-water corals and is simulating a range of future climate change scenarios to determine the likely impacts for these important species.

Grants & awards

• Australian Coral Reef Society Prize for best student presentation 2009
• Vctoria University Science Faculty Strategic Research Grant 2009
• British Ecological Society Travel Bursary for INTECOL 2009
• Victoria PhD Submission Scholarship 2009
• IMAREST Student Prize for NZMSS/AMSA Conference presentation 2008
• Australian Geographic Research Grant 2008
• Project Aware Research Grant 2008
• New Zealand Postgraduate Study Abroad Award 2007-2008
• Commonwealth PhD Scholarship 2006-2009
• Natural Environmental Research Council Masters Studentship 2005-2006.

Find out more about cold-water coral research and conservation on the Lophelia website.