Tracy Ainsworth

Tracy Ainsworth
NationalityAustralian
EducationBachelor of Science James Cook University, Master of Science James Cook University, Doctor of Philosophy University of Queensland awarded with Deans List for Research Excellence.
OccupationScientist
EmployerUniversity of New South Wales
Known forMarine Science

Tracy Ainsworth is a marine biologist and Scientia Professor at the University of New South Wales, working on coral reefs, and the biology of the Great Barrier Reef. Her research covers the biology of stresses, cells, disease, immunity and symbiosis. She was awarded the Dorothy Hill Medal for science, from the Australian Academy of Science, for research on coral reef, stresses and impacts of temperature on coral health.[1]

Career

Ainsworth's career has examined impacts of environmental stress on corals, particularly reef-building corals, together with the interactions between hosts and microbe.[2] She also studies symbioses and disease outbreaks. Research around bacterial associates of corals opened up knowledge around the mechanisms of coral diseases, how these occur and what causes them to progress.[3]

Ainsworth has also identified a range of novel intracellular bacteria which may play a role in the success of corals. She has also examined the impacts of rising temperatures, and climate change, and how this will affect coral both at present, and in future climates. Ainsworth has published studies on the impacts of rising water temperatures on corals.[4]

Publications

Scholia has a profile for Tracy D. Ainsworth (Q42846584).

Selected peer-reviewed journal articles include the following:

  • Ainsworth, Tracy D., andGates, Ruth D. (2016) Corals’ microbial sentinels: the coral microbiome will be key to future reef health. Science, 352 (6293). pp. 1518–1519.[5]
  • Kelly, Lisa A.,Heintz, Tom, Lamb, Joleah B., Ainsworth, Tracy D., and Willis, Bette L. (2016) Ecology and pathology of novel plaque-like growth anomalies affecting a reef-building coral on the Great Barrier Reef. Frontiers in Marine Science, 3. pp. 1–12.[6]
  • Ainsworth, Tracy D.,Heron, Scott F., Ortiz, Juan Carlos, Mumby, Peter J., Grech, Alana, Ogawa, Daisie, Eakin, C. Mark, and Leggat, William (2016) Climate change disables coral bleaching protection on the Great Barrier Reef. Science, 352 (6283). pp. 338–342.[7]

She has also published a book:

  • Graham NAJ; Ainsworth TD; Baird AH; Ban NC; Bay LK; Cinner JE; De Freitas DM; Diaz-Pulido G; Dornelas M; Dunn SR; Fidelman PIJ; Foret S; Good TC; Kool J; Mallela J; Penin L; Pratchett MS; Williamson DH, 2011, From microbes to people: Tractable benefits of no-take areas for coral reefs.[8]

Media

Ainsworth has published on coral reefs and marine science within The Conversation,[9] where together with researchers from other Australian universities, she described the impacts of coral bleaching, in the Lord Howe Island Marine Park. She has also had her work described by the ABC.[10]

Awards

  • 2018 - Dorothy Hill Medal[11]
  • 2012 - ARC Super Science Fellow (2012-2015)[12]
  • 2011 - L'Oreal Women in Science Fellowship.[13]

References

  1. ^ "Aus Coral Reef Soc". 10 September 2018.
  2. ^ "Reef Matters Seminar Series: Prof. Tracy Ainsworth and Dr Coulson Lantz". Australian Coral Reef Society. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  3. ^ "Tracy Ainsworth". Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  4. ^ Leggat, William; Heron, Scott; Fordyce, Alexander; Suggett, David; Ainsworth, Tracy (1 January 2022). "Experiment Degree Heating Week (eDHW) as a novel metric to reconcile and validate past and future global coral bleaching studies". Journal of Environmental Management. 301: 113919. doi:10.1016/j.jenvman.2021.113919. PMID 34731944. S2CID 241822422.
  5. ^ "Science Magazine".
  6. ^ Kelly, Lisa A.; Heintz, Tom; Lamb, Joleah B.; Ainsworth, Tracy D.; Willis, Bette L. (2016). "Ecology and Pathology of Novel Plaque-Like Growth Anomalies Affecting a Reef-Building Coral on the Great Barrier Reef". Frontiers in Marine Science. 3. doi:10.3389/fmars.2016.00151. ISSN 2296-7745.
  7. ^ Ainsworth, Tracy D.; Heron, Scott F.; Ortiz, Juan Carlos; Mumby, Peter J.; Grech, Alana; Ogawa, Daisie; Eakin, C. Mark; Leggat, William (15 April 2016). "Climate change disables coral bleaching protection on the Great Barrier Reef". Science. 352 (6283): 338–342. Bibcode:2016Sci...352..338A. doi:10.1126/science.aac7125. ISSN 1095-9203. PMID 27081069. S2CID 36807821.
  8. ^ "From microbes to people: tractable benefits of no-take areas for coral reefs". risweb.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  9. ^ Moriarty, Tess; Leggat, University of Newcastle; Bill; Eakin, University of Newcastle; C. Mark; Oceanic, National; Steinberg, Atmospheric Administration; Rosie; Heron, UNSW Sydney; Scott F.; University, James Cook; Ainsworth, Tracy; Sydney, UNSW. "Tracy Ainsworth". The Conversation. Retrieved 14 April 2022.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  10. ^ Queensl, ABC North; Fernbach, Nathalie (7 February 2017). "Tracy Ainsworth". ABC News. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  11. ^ "2018 awardees | Australian Academy of Science". www.science.org.au. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  12. ^ "Tracy Ainsworth – ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies". www.coralcoe.org.au. Retrieved 14 April 2022.
  13. ^ "The complex life of coral | Stories of Australian Science, from Science in Public". stories.scienceinpublic.com.au. Retrieved 15 April 2022.