Taronga Zoo Reef Recovery Program

Presenter: Dr Jonathan Daly

Dr Jonathan Daly is a Conservation Biologist at Taronga Conservation Society Australia and a Senior Research Associate at the University of New South Wales. He has worked on cryopreservation in aquatic species for over 20 years and leads biorepository development for corals on the Great Barrier Reef as part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program. His research is on the development, upscaling, and implementation of cryopreservation technologies for biobanking and the establishment of biorepository systems and processes in Australia and internationally.

Jonathan will be joined in conversation with Jane Adcroft

In her role as RRAP Communications and Engagement Lead and Science Communicator at the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program, Jane guides and facilitates communication activities for the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program. She has over ten years’ experience within the broadcast and content creation industry, with a focus on factual and natural history production, both in Australia and internationally. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology with Honours from the University of Western Australia, and a Masters in Science Communication from the University of Otago, New Zealand.

As reefs experience increasing loss of coral cover due to a variety of environmental events and stressors, genetic diversity in those affected populations continues to be lost. For coral species to be able to adapt to environmental stressors like climate change, genetic diversity is the key.

Strategic cryopreservation and biobanking of living coral cells to secure genetic diversity represent one approach that can mitigate some of the genetic loss that is occurring on the Great Barrier Reef. Cryopreservation can also facilitate the selective breeding of individuals of known genotypes and support scientific discovery in coral reproductive biology.

When: 12 August 2025

Time: 7:30 - 8:30 pm AEST

Location: Zoom Only

Please note: The ZOOM link for this event is included in the confirmation email which you will receive once you have registered. You will find it at the bottom of the notice. Please keep this in a place where you can find it when needed. A reminder email will be sent with the link on the day of the event close to Close of Business hours.

This event may be recorded. If you have any questions, please email us at info@rgsq.org.au.