Georgina Matthews

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Georgina Matthews is a dedicated marine biologist with a robust educational and professional background in coral reef research. She earned a Masters by Research degree in Marine Ecosystems and Governance from Newcastle University in 2021, where her independent project focused on the impact of thermal stress and seasonal variability on coral reefs. Her research aimed to document baseline microbial community compositions in coral hosts, shedding light on the resilience and health of these vital ecosystems. Previously, Georgina completed her Bachelor of Science in Applied Marine Biology at Bangor University. Her undergraduate studies included a significant industrial placement at the Australian Institute of Marine Science, where she worked extensively on coral heat stress experiments, scuba diving, field and laboratory work, and was published in Scientific Reports.

Matthews' professional experience includes a Research Assistant role at the University of Oxford, involving constructing high-quality sequencing libraries and managing large datasets, which supported various research projects, including analyzing coral data and creating DNA and RNA pipelines to produce data supporting conservation efforts for corals.

Currently, Georgina is a Research Assistant within the Burt Marine Biology Lab, where she focuses on experiments using the Coral Bleaching Automated Stress System (CBASS). This advanced system replicates shallow water temperature profiles to simulate acute heat stress responses in corals. Her work using CBASS is crucial for identifying thermotolerant Arabian Gulf corals and enhancing the understanding of adaptation mechanisms.