Kathryn Markey

Kathryn Markey is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow/Research Officer at the School of the Environment, Faculty of Science, The University of Queensland, with additional affiliations at The Remote Sensing Research Centre and Earth Observation Research Centre. Her work focuses on global coral reef mapping and monitoring through advanced remote sensing techniques and field data collection.

Markey's research spans coral reef ecology, coral ecotoxicology, larval dispersal, reef monitoring, and fisheries management. She has extensive international field experience working on the Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Taiwan as part of the XL Catlin Seaview Survey team. Currently, she is a key contributor to the Allen Coral Atlas project and the Great Barrier Reef Mapping Project, where she arranges logistics, collects field data, and utilizes her reef ecology expertise to train automated image annotation systems that identify benthos on geo-referenced photos collected worldwide.

Her publication record demonstrates a strong evolution from early work on coral ecotoxicology to current leadership in applying remote sensing and artificial intelligence to coral reef conservation. The articles collectively reveal a research trajectory focused on developing global-scale mapping frameworks that integrate satellite imagery, field data, and cloud processing to create comprehensive coral reef habitat assessments that support conservation efforts worldwide.

Markey is actively involved in several significant research projects including 'Delivery of a 3D live habitat map for the full extent of the Great Barrier Reef (Phase Two)' funded by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (2023-2025) and 'Locating Unidentified Reef and Habitat Features in the Northern Australian Seascape' with the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited (2023-2025). She is available for supervision of graduate students interested in marine ecology, remote sensing, and coral reef conservation.

Within the Remote Sensing Research Centre, Markey works as part of a multidisciplinary team developing innovative approaches to monitor and map coral reef ecosystems globally. Her current work on the Allen Coral Atlas aims to create the first consistent geomorphic and benthic map of the world's coral reefs, utilizing satellite imagery, field knowledge, geo-referenced benthic photos, and cloud processing on Google Earth Engine to support global conservation efforts and improve reef management planning.