COLLECTION MANAGER
Dr Paul Muir is the collection manager and coral researcher at the Museum of Tropical Queensland in Townsville and has research interests in deep reef corals, coral bleaching and marine microbiology. Read all about Dr Muir’s inspiration, studies and work in the first of our six-part Q&A series.
Q: What is your main area of research as part of the Natural Curiosity: Discovering the Secrets of Queensland’s Greatest Collections exhibition?
A: I manage the large coral collection of the Queensland Museum Network but also conduct research into corals, studying the deep-reef corals of the Great Barrier Reef.
These “mesophotic corals” grow deeper than most reef corals (30-130m depth) and their diversity is only just being discovered around the world.
I also work on coral bleaching, looking at which coral species are most vulnerable to rising sea temperatures and which ones are most vulnerable to extinction.
Q: What first sparked your interest this line of research/work?
A: When I was young I loved keeping tropical aquariums, going snorkelling and watching old Jacques Cousteau shows.
That got me into corals and all things marine.
Later, I started working on deep-reef corals somewhat by accident, going on a deep-reef expedition that my boss didn’t want to go on. After that diving deep and using remote operated vehicles (a kind of underwater drone) kind of sold me.
Q: What and where did you study to get to where you are now?
A: I studied marine biology at James Cook University, then did a year studying the reproduction of a very strange coral on Magnetic Island.
After that I switched to doing a PHD in marine microbiology and aquaculture, looking at causes of mortality in a large commercial hatchery.
This was really interesting – trying to grow prawn larvae in commercial quantities is really challenging as they are very sensitive to water quality and disease.
I eventually switched back to corals about 17 years ago, but I do still miss the hatchery and the micro lab.
Q: Why do you love your job?
A: Many reasons, but mainly that it is hands-on, I get to work in laboratories and go diving on interesting coral reefs, but also in a job that feels like part of the solution rather than part of the problem.
My research should make a difference by finding which coral species are most vulnerable to coral bleaching and which species may find some refuge in deeper reef waters.
There are about 450 species of corals on the Great Barrier Reef and they are “foundation species”, critical to the functioning of the reef.
Some are already quite rare and it is important to work out which ones need the most care and attention.
Q: Why do you think it’s important for kids to learn STEM at school?
A: I think it’s important for children to learn all sorts of things in school: music, arts, social issues, practical skills, but it’s also critical to try and spark an interest in science and technology as this is having such a huge impact on our lives.
We are also facing some really serious issues that can only be addressed by science and having a voting public that is science-savvy. Plus it’s great fun – I’ve had a great time working in science and technology and I can’t imagine life without it.
Natural Curiosity: Discovering the Secrets of Queensland’s Greatest Collections is open daily until November 10. Entry is free with Museum admission.