Pim Bongaerts

Pim Bongaerts is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow at the University of Queensland (UQ), currently leading the Deep Reef component of the Catlin Seaview Survey and contributing to the DSITIA Accelerate Partnership Grant on coral genomes. His research focuses on mesophotic coral ecosystems, coral symbionts, and reef resilience under climate change. He holds a PhD from UQ (2011) and completed post-doctoral work at the School of Biological Sciences (2011-2012) and the Global Change Institute (2012-2017).

He investigates biodiversity, connectivity, and adaptation of corals in deep reef environments using next-generation sequencing. Key projects include studies on the Great Barrier Reef, Coral Sea, and Caribbean mesophotic zones. His work highlights the role of mesophotic reefs as potential refugia against climate impacts.

Publications emphasize symbiont dynamics, microbiome variation, and coral physiological adaptations. He collaborates across disciplines, integrating genomics, ecology, and oceanography to address global reef challenges.