Blog icon

Dr Christopher Doropoulos

Senior Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/D/C/Christopher-Doropoulos

Contact

Please enter a valid first name

Please enter a valid last name

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter your message to send to the contact

Contact details:

BIOSCIENCE PREC 306 CARMODY RD
ST. LUCIA QLD 4067 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Dr. Christopher Doropoulos is a Senior Research Scientist in the Sustainable Marine Futures Program at CSIRO Environment, based in Brisbane, Queensland. With over 15 years of experience in temperate and tropical marine ecosystems, he specialises in recruitment and population ecology, focussing on how environmental interactions and demographic processes influence the recovery trajectories of coral reefs following disturbance. Leveraging his expertise, Christopher leads the development of scalable and effective strategies for coral reef restoration. His work is multidisciplinary, bringing together ecologists, biological and physical oceanographers, marine engineers, and community stakeholders to design and implement innovative restoration solutions. His contributions to research, science communication, and policy engagement are recognised nationally through a Queensland Young Tall Poppy Science Award, internationally as a Coral Reef Hero, and within CSIRO through his Julius Career Award.

In Australia, Christopher is leading and collaborating on several large-scale, multi-institutional projects. These include EcoRRAP, which advances ecological intelligence for reef restoration; RRAP Moving Corals, which focuses on scaling larval-based coral restoration techniques; and RECRUIT, which applies industrial-scale methods to support reef recovery. Internationally, he is engaged in a number of impactful projects, including From Larvae to Livelihoods, a program that trains stakeholders in coral reef restoration in the Maldives; CORDAP Empowering Community-led Coral Reef Restoration and Prioritisation, which supports local restoration capacity in the Maldives; and CORDAP ReefSeed, which is developing a portable aquaculture system to enable rapid, large-scale coral production and deployment for reef restoration.

Christopher has worked extensively in Australia (Great Barrier Reef, Ningaloo Reef), Palau and the Maldives. He has served as a mentor at the Palau International Coral Reef Center and an advisor to Maldives Marine Research Institute’s coral restoration program. He has supervised nine PhD students and three Master’s students to completion and is committed to transferring knowledge from research and development to operational application. This includes working closely with industry, as well as Indigenous stakeholders in Australia and community groups in Palau and the Maldives to build local capacity and ensure long-term restoration success.

Achievements and Awards

  • 2020-2024

    Julius Career Award
    CSIRO

  • 2021-2021

    Coral Reef Hero
    Environment Coastal & Offshore Magazine Special Edition with ICRS 2021

  • 2017-2017

    Queensland Young Tall Poppy Award
    Australian Institute of Policy and Science

  • 2013-2013

    Australian Endeavour Award. Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct research in Palau.
    Australian Government

  • 2013-2013

    Virginia Chadwick Award. Best student paper.
    ARC Centre of Excellence Coral Reef Studies

  • 2010 -2010

    Danielle Simmons Award. PhD field work related costs.
    Australian Coral Reef Society

  • 2009-2012

    PhD Top-up Scholarship
    QLD State Government Smart Futures

Professional Areas

Current Roles

  • Senior Research Scientist
    Impacts, Processes and Management of Coastal Biodiversity

  • EcoRRAP Subprogram Co-lead
    Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program

  • RRAP Moving Corals Subprogram Co-lead
    Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program

  • Dive Advisory Committee QLD Research Scientist Representative
    CSIRO

Academic Qualifications

  • 2009-12

    PhD (Marine Ecology)
    The University of Queensland

  • 2004-07

    BSc (Biology) Honours (1st Class)
    Edith Cowan University

Professional Experiences

  • 2022-current

    Domain Co-Lead: Nature-based Solutions and Restoration
    CSIRO

  • 2020-current

    Senior Research Scientist
    CSIRO

  • 2019-current

    Subprogram Co-Lead (EcoRRAP, Moving Corals)
    Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program

  • 2022-2023

    Committee Member
    O&A EMCR Committee

  • 2018-2020

    Research Scientist
    CSIRO Oceans & Atmosphere

  • 2015-2018

    OCE Postdoctoral Fellow
    CSIRO Oceans and Atmoshpere

  • 2018-2018

    Co-Chair
    CSIRO National Postdoctoral Fellow Committee

  • 2013-2015

    Postdoctoral Fellow
    Marine Spatial Ecology Lab, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland

  • 2009-2012

    Teaching Assistant and Student Project Supervisor
    School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland

  • 2008-2008

    Research Assistant
    Edith Cowan University

Community and Corporate Citizenship

  • 2019-present

    Advising Maldives Marine Research Institute for 5-year Coral Restoration Program

  • 2018-2019

    Contributing Author. IPBES Global Assessment on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Chapter 2.1 Status and trends-Drivers of Change

  • 2013-2015

    Mentoring researchers and conducting workshops in data analysis at the Palau International Coral Reef Center

Related links

Publications

We have publications by Dr Christopher Doropoulos

    Published data & software

    We have published items by Dr Christopher Doropoulos