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Dr Christopher Doropoulos

Principal Research Scientist

https://people.csiro.au/d/c/christopher-doropoulos

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BIOSCIENCE PREC 306 CARMODY RD
ST. LUCIA QLD 4067 AUSTRALIA

Biography

Dr. Christopher Doropoulos is a Principal 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

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

  • Program Management Team Leader
    Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program

  • EcoRRAP Subprogram Co-PI
    Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program

  • Moving Corals Subprogram Co-PI
    Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program

  • Project Leader
    Whitsundays Larval Seedbox for Boats4Corals

  • 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

  • 2025-current

    Principal Research Scientist
    CSIRO

  • 2019-current

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

  • 2022-2025

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

  • 2020-2025

    Senior Research Scientist
    CSIRO

  • 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

Grants

  • 2025-2027

    Great Barrier Reef Foundation. Larval seedbox Whitsundays. PI – Christopher Doropoulos (CSIRO). Co-PI - Peter Harrison (SCU).

  • 2020-2026

    Reef Trust Partnership, Moving Corals. PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos (CSIRO), Peter Harrison (SCU). Co-PI: Matt Dunbabin (QUT).

  • 2020-2026

    Reef Trust Partnership, Ecological Intelligence for Reef Restoration (EcoRRAP). PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos (CSIRO), Katharina Fabricius (AIMS), Cynthia Riginos (UQ). Co-PI’s: Juan Carlos Ortiz (AIMS), Renata Ferrari (AIMS).

  • 2024-2026

    Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) Coral Accelerator Program. Empowering community-led coral reef restoration and prioritisation in the Maldives. PI – Peter Harrison (SCU). Co-PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos (CSIRO), Aya Naseem (MCI), Khadeeja Ali (MMRI), Nizam Ibrahim (Rathafandhoo Council), Cynthia Riginos (UQ), Mark Gibbs (AIMS), Mat Dunbabin (QUT).

  • 2024-2026

    Coral Research and Development Accelerator Platform (CORDAP) Coral Accelerator Program. ReefSeed – a portable aquaculture system for rapid and up-scaled production and deployment of corals for reef restoration. PI – Andrea Severati (AIMS). Co-PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos (CSIRO), Shakeel Hassan (MMRI).

  • 2021-2023

    DFAT. From larvae to livelihoods: restoration of coral reefs in the Maldives. PI's – Christopher Doropoulos, Mat Vanderklift (CSIRO). Partner – Maldives Marine Research Institute

  • 2018-2020

    Reef Trust Partnership, Reef Restoration and Adaptation Science. PI – Line Bay (AIMS). Co-PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos, Peter Harrison (SCU). Fast track coral propagation and spawning.

  • 2017-2020

    ARC Discovery. PI – Peter Mumby (UQ). Co-PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos, Alan Hastings (UC Davis), Russ Babcock (CSIRO). Tipping points and early warning signals in complex systems

  • 2018-2019

    QLD Government Advance Queensland SBIR. PI’s – Russ Babcock (CSIRO), Christopher Doropoulos. Partners – Van Oord and TU Delft. RECovery of Reefs Using Industrial Techniques

  • 2016-2018

    US Department of the Interior. PI’s Yimnang Golbuu (PICRC), Christopher Doropoulos. Managing the recovery of Palauan coral reefs

  • 2014-2016

    Great Barrier Reef Foundation. PI – Guillermo Diaz-Pulido (Griffith). Co-PI’s – Christopher Doropoulos, Emma Kennedy (Griffith), Merinda Nash (ANU). Crustose coralline algae as indicators of climate stress.

  • 2015-2015

    IRCP Postdoctoral Research Grant. Conduct research in Moorea, French Polynesia.

  • 2012-2012

    UQ Graduate School International Travel Award. Fieldwork on coral spawning project with Dr Nancy Knowlton, Smithsonian Institute, Panama.

  • 2010-2012

    Winnifred Violet Scott Foundation Research Award. Assistance with PhD field related costs.

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