Ross Cunning, Ph.D.
Research Biologist
Education
Ph.D., Marine Biology and Ecology, University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science
B.Sc., Biology and Environmental Science, Duke University
Expertise
Corals, climate change, reef conservation and restoration
Ross Cunning is a research biologist focused on understanding and sustaining coral reef ecosystems in a rapidly changing climate. His work centers on the delicate partnership between corals and their symbiotic algae, the relationship that fuels coral growth and gives reefs their color. When ocean temperatures rise, this partnership can break down, causing coral bleaching, one of the leading drivers of global reef decline.
Through a combination of fieldwork aboard Shedd’s R/V Coral Reef II and genomic analyses in the aquarium’s Molecular Ecology Laboratory, Cunning investigates the genetic and ecological traits that allow some corals to better tolerate heat stress. His findings are helping reveal pathways for coral resilience and adaptation, with direct applications to reef restoration strategies.
Cunning’s research has earned awards from the International Coral Reef Society and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Previously, he was a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Miami and an NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hawaiʻi Institute of Marine Biology.