AOTY nominee Jennifer Matthews is striving to protect coral
It all started with a scuba diving trip to Thailand in 2009, when Jennifer Matthews saw the ‘fluorescent pink, bright yellow and neon blue’ coral for the first time. Mesmerised by the incredible underwater world, Jennifer was ‘devastated’ to learn from her instructor that the coral reefs were bleached as a result of abnormally high sea temperatures at the time and that, without help, may not survive this century.
Coral bleaching – the temporary loss of the essential algal symbionts that offer coral what it needs to survive – was happening on a global scale, Jennifer was told. This discovery set in motion a dedication to enhancing coral resilience and protecting ocean ecosystems, that has seen this chemical ecologist and marine biochemist nominated for one of Australia’s top honours for NSW.
Jennifer was always ‘fascinated’ by science and how the world worked, although she says science was ‘never my strongest subject in school.’ “I never had a specific career in mind. After my PhD, I worked in government and helped develop policies and manage marine resources,” she tells PL.
A thirst to create and develop ‘innovative solutions to environmental challenges,’ led to pioneering research involving unravelling life-saving nutrient interactions in corals to better inform care and management strategies.
Jennifer has also developed a coral ‘baby food’ that more than doubles young coral survival, which is being rolled out by aquaculture and reef restoration programs across the country. She has been at the forefront of designing ground-breaking microplastic removal technologies for wastewater and aquatic systems, as well as founding the Thailand-based Big Blue Conservation, which trains volunteers and local communities in reef protection and restoration.
Closer to home, she founded the Sydney Coral Project, a science and research program uncovering NSW’s unique coral ecosystems – the southernmost coral communities in the world. “Our next big goal with the Sydney Coral Project is to map where Sydney’s corals are to build a clear baseline for their protection and restoration,” Jennifer says.
“To do this, we’re combining citizen science, community snorkel days and underwater robots to explore the reefs of NSW. These corals are thriving in one of the most dynamic environments, right where temperate and subtropical waters meet.
“By studying how they survive and adapt, we hope to uncover clues that could help safeguard other reefs as oceans continue to change. Sydney’s coastline offers a living laboratory for understanding climate impacts in real time,” she adds.
Jennifer has secured over $3.4 million in research funding to help with this task – including the Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform, a G20 initiative launched in 2020 to speed up research and development for coral reef conservation and restoration.
Jennifer says that it was an ‘unexpected ‘honour’ to be nominated for the 2026 Australian of the Year award (she did not go through as a finalist). “I see it as an opportunity to shine a light on the incredible ocean research happening right here in Sydney,” she says. “Climate change isn’t only affecting the Great Barrier Reef, it’s also transforming marine ecosystems on our own doorstep. If this recognition helps bring more attention to those local challenges and the need to protect our coasts, that means a lot.”
Alongside research, Jennifer is committed to equity in science and supporting the next generation of marine scientists – especially now that she has her own baby daughter. She believes that everyone can make a difference when it comes to protecting our ocean ecosystems. “Every small action adds up,” she says. “Being conscious about the seafood we consume, reducing plastic pollution, choosing reef-safe sunscreen, and supporting ocean research and conservation initiatives all help.”
