Research Overview

Dr. Rummer's research combines ecological and conservation physiology with an emphasis on issues affecting marine, estuarine, and freshwater fish populations. Her work focuses on understanding how fish respond to environmental change and the implications for conservation.

Research Statement

My research aims to understand the physiological mechanisms that fishes use to acclimate and adapt to climate-related stressors and to make predictions as to which species and populations may be most at risk from climate change and other anthropogenic stressors.

My approach consists of an innovative combination of field- and laboratory-based experimentation, including harnessing geographic gradients and local extreme environments as analogues for future change, investigating the extreme performers within aquatic environments, and integrating conventional and state-of-the-art physiological, biochemical, and molecular techniques.

Research Areas

Ecological & Conservation Physiology

Understanding physiological and biochemical mechanisms fish use to respond to natural and anthropogenic environmental change.

  • Temperature adaptation and acclimation
  • CO2 and ocean acidification impacts
  • Swimming performance and exercise
  • Larval fish biology and development

Climate Change Adaptation

Investigating how marine species acclimate and adapt to climate-related stressors.

  • Geographic gradient studies
  • Local extreme environment research
  • Population-level adaptations
  • Future climate scenario modeling

Shark & Ray Research

Studying the physiological tolerance of sharks and rays in changing environments.

  • Nursery habitat research
  • Temperature and pH tolerance
  • Oxygen regulation studies
  • Movement and behavior patterns

Major Research Grants

Dr. Rummer's research has been supported by prestigious grants and fellowships, enabling groundbreaking work in marine biology and conservation.

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology CRG4

2016-2019$1,800,000 AUD

Genomic evidence for adaptation of marine fishes to ocean acidification

Australian Research Council Discovery Fellowship

2015-2017$358,536 AUD

Physiological performance of reef fishes under ocean acidification

L'Oréal-UNESCO Women in Science Fellowship

2015-2016$25,000 AUD

Growing up strong in a changing climate: Maintaining physiological performance in juvenile reef sharks

Australian Research Council Super Science Fellowship

2011-2015$835,200 AUD

Resilience of Coral Reef Ecosystems to Climate Change

Interested in our research?

Learn more about our findings and their implications for marine conservation.