Catherine Lovelock

Associate Professor, Centre for Marine Studies and School of Integrative Biology, University of Queensland

Associate Professor Lovelock’s expertise is in the fields of plant ecology and global change biology.

As an investigator for NCGRT she will work collaboratively on groundwater interaction with estuarine rivers, lakes and wetlands.

Her research will examine how groundwater influences a range of ecological processes, focusing particularly on the stability of intertidal vegetation, such as mangrove and saltmarsh, with changing climate and rises in sea level.

Early in her career Associate Professor Lovelock made important contributions in understanding the role of light in structuring mangrove, tropical rainforest and coral reef algal communities. She also uncovered the importance of nutrient availability in determining species interactions in mangrove forests.

Through her research in global change biology, Associate Professor Lovelock discovered the remarkable tolerance of Antarctic mosses to fluctuating temperatures.

Her most recent contributions in this area are focused on improving understanding of carbon cycling in soils in both terrestrial and mangrove environments, and in assessing vulnerability of intertidal habitats to climate change and sea level rise.

NCGRT Investigator Program 3. Email Catherine Lovelock