I am a joint Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, and the Australian Institute of Marine Science; and holder of a prestigious Lizard Island Postdoctoral Fellowship. With a background in genetics, and behavioural, spatial and marine ecology, I worked extensively on the science-policy interface and in conservation management before completing a PhD at James Cook University in 2013. In my current research I use molecular techniques to study the pace and variability of genetic adaptation and transgenerational plasticity in coral species, and how these may translate into changes in assemblage composition with progressing climate change.

Interests

Professional

• R

Research

• coral reef ecology
• coral biology
• molecular ecology
• spatial analysis, GIS

Teaching

• coral reef ecology
• coral biology
• spatial analysis, GIS

Experience

• 2015 to 2018 - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Townsville, Australia)
• 2009 to 2015 - Research Officer (p/t), James Cook University (Townsville, Australia)
• 2006 to 2008 - Executive Manager / Research Officer, Institute of Ecology and Botany, Hungarian Academy of Sciences (Vacratot, Hungary)

Research Disciplines

• Ecology (0602)
• Ecological Applications (0501)
• Microbiology (0605)

Socio-Economic Objectives

• Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity (9608)
• Climate and Climate Change (9603)

Awards

• 2014 - Virginia Chadwick Award for Excellence in Scientific Publishing
• 2012 - Winner of the 3 Minute Thesis Competition at the Australian Institute of Marine Science
• 2012 - Best oral presentation – JCU School of Marine and Tropical Biology Symposium
• 2010 - Best Poster Award – JCU School of Marine and Tropical Biology Symposium
• 1999 - Prominent Student Award of the Hajdú Gusztáv Foundation

Fellowships

• 2017 - Lizard Island Postdoctoral Fellowship

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

• Hughes T, Kerry J, Álvarez-Noriega M, Alvarez-Romero J, Anderson K, Baird A, Babcock R, Beger M, Bellwood D, Berkelmans R, Bridge T, Butler I, Byrne M, Cantin N, Comeau S, Connolly S, Cumming G, Dalton S, Diaz-Pulido G, Eakin C, Figueira W, Gilmour J, Harrison H, Heron S, Hoey A, Hobbs J, Hoogenboom M, Kennedy E, Kuo C, Lough J, Lowe R, Liu G, McCulloch M, Malcolm H, McWilliam M, Pandolfi J, Pears R, Pratchett M, Schoepf V, Simpson T, Skirving W, Sommer B, Torda G, Wachenfeld D, Willis B and Wilson S (2017) Global warming and recurrent mass bleaching of corals. Nature, 543 (7645). pp. 373-377
• Pollock F, Wada N, Torda G, Willis B and Bourne D (2017) White syndrome-affected corals have a distinct microbiome at disease lesion fronts. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 83 (2). pp. 1-15
• van Oppen M, Gates R, Blackall L, Cantin N, Chakravarti L, Chan W, Cormick C, Crean A, Damjanovic K, Epstein H, Harrison P, Jones T, Miller M, Pears R, Peplow L, Raftos D, Schaffelke B, Stewart K, Torda G, Wachenfeld D, Weeks A and Putnam H (in press) Shifting paradigms in restoration of the world's coral reefs. Global Change Biology, pp. 1-12
• Moya A, Howes E, Lacoue-Labarthe T, Forêt S, Hanna B, Medina M, Munday P, Ong J, Teyssié J, Torda G, Watson S, Miller D, Bijma J and Gattuso J (2016) Near-future pH conditions severely impact calcification, metabolism and the nervous system in the pteropod Heliconoides inflatus. Global Change Biology, 22 (12). pp. 3888-3900
• Ainsworth T, Krause L, Bridge T, Torda G, Raina J, Zakrzewski M, Gates R, Padilla-Gamino J, Spalding H, Smith C, Woolsey E, Bourne D, Bongaerts P, Hoegh-Guldberg O and Leggat B (2015) The coral core microbiome identifies rare bacterial taxa as ubiquitous endosymbionts. ISME Journal: multidisciplinary journal of microbial ecology, 9. pp. 2261-2274
• Lukoschek V, Cross P, Torda G, Zimmerman R and Willis B (2013) The importance of coral larval recruitment for the recovery of reefs impacted by Cyclone Yasi in the central Great Barrier Reef. PLoS ONE, 8 (6). pp. 1-11
• Torda G, Lundgren P, Willis B and van Oppen M (2013) Genetic assignment of recruits reveals short- and long-distance larval dispersal in Pocillopora damicornis on the Great Barrier Reef. Molecular Ecology, 22 (23). pp. 5821-5834
• Torda G, Lundgren P, Willis B and van Oppen M (2013) Revisiting the connectivity puzzle of the common coral Pocillopora damicornis. Molecular Ecology, 22 (23). pp. 5805-5820
• Torda G, Schmidt-Roach S, Peplow L, Lundgren P and van Oppen M (2013) A rapid genetic assay for the identification of the most common Pocillopora damicornis genetic lineages on the Great Barrier Reef. PLoS One, 8 (3). pp. 1-5
• Hazevoet C, Monteiro V, López P, Varo N, Torda G, Berrow S and Gravanita B (2010) Recent data on whales and dolphins (Mammalia: Cetacea) from the Cape Verde Islands, including records of four taxa new to the archipelago. Zoologia Caboverdiana, 1 (2). pp. 75-99

Other research outputs

• Torda G, Suárez P and Jurado L (2010) First records of Fraser’s Dolphin Lagenodelphis hosei for the Cape Verde Islands. Zoologia Caboverdiana, 1 (1). pp. 71-73

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

• The Role of Microbes in Acclimatisation of Corals to Environmental Changes (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
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