Coral scientist from Essex named as finalist in global alumni awards

An Essex PhD student who has become a globally renowned coral reef researcher has been nominated for a prestigious Study UK Alumni Award by the British Council.

Shortlisted from thousands of applications made by alumni of UK institutions across the world, Dr Emma Camp is one of 28 finalists in the running to win the 2024 Science and Sustainability Award.

Emma studied at Essex between 2012 and 2015 and graduated with a PhD in Marine Biology.

Since then, she’s built a successful career in coral science research and is currently the Future Reefs Team Leader at the University of Technology Sydney, leading a team of researchers working to conserve coral reefs under increasing threat from climate change.

Often asked why she studied coral reef science in the UK, where there are no tropical coral reefs, Emma always refers back to the quality of education.

“The lecturers, laboratories, aquarium facilities and cutting-edge technology attracted me to Essex to study for my PhD,” she said.

“It armed me with the skills to pursue a research career and look for new solutions to protect the world’s coral reefs.”

Whilst at Essex, Emma also played women’s basketball, now known as the Essex Rebels.

As well as representing Great Britain and England in the sport, she led the University’s team to a historic victory in the 2016 Basketball England National Cup.

After graduating from Essex, Emma secured an Endeavour Fellowship which saw her move to the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

Her career took off after she discovered super corals, those naturally resilient to the impacts of climate change, on the Great Barrier Reef, creating a new area of research and discovering new options for reef protection.

Emma is also the co-founder of the Coral Nurture Program (CNP), a world-first stewardship partnership between tourism and science which seeks new conservation strategies for the Great Barrier Reef.

Since its inception in 2018, over 100,000 corals have been returned to the reef, the program was also recognised as an official actor for the United Nations Decade of Restoration in 2022 and last year received an award from Ecological Society of Restoration for the restoration results achieved.

Over the last eight years, Emma has’s secured over $5.1 million AUD in funding, won over 13 international awards, including L'Oreal-UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship (2019) and, Time Magazine Next Generation Leader (2020) and was named a United Nations Young Leader for the Sustainable Development Goals where she was invited by the President of the UN General Assembly to speak to World world Leaders leaders about her research.

Emma said: “I am extremely honoured to be named a finalist and am thankful for the UK Education I received that has supported my career in coral science.”

Winners of the Study UK Alumni Awards will be announced towards the end of the summer .