Maria Byrne

Professor Maria Byrne is a Professor of Marine Biology at the University of Sydney's School of Life and Environmental Sciences, and a member of the Sydney Environment Institute. Her research focuses on environmental stressors' impacts on marine species, particularly climate change effects on species resilience. She is a world expert on echinoderms, investigating their developmental biology and conservation challenges.

Her work spans molecular mechanisms of speciation, climate-driven range shifts, and management of species like crown-of-thorns starfish. Recent studies address marine heatwaves and coral bleaching impacts, collaborating with the National Coral Bleaching Taskforce.

Professor Byrne has secured grants including 'Determining key demographic parameters for a pervasive coral predator' (2024) and 'Post-graduate support to develop science for Red Sea Urchin fisheries' (2023). She leads research teams investigating coral reef resilience and marine heatwave effects, with findings published in journals like Endangered Species Research and Ecology and Evolution.