Rory Mulloy

Rory grew up in London, but his interest in marine science began with a coral reef monitoring project in Tobago. This led him to Australia to work with great white sharks, and then to Antarctica and the Arctic, before he started a Master of Science at James Cook University. He completed his PhD in ecological engineering at CQUniversity’s Coastal Marine Ecosystems Research Centre (CMERC), in partnership with Gladstone Ports Corporation. His research focused on nature-based solutions for industrial port design, including trials of a “living seawall” in the Port of Gladstone to restore habitat for mangroves and benthic ecosystems.

His career includes NGO project management, science education on National Geographic expeditions, and leading restoration research projects, alongside monitoring of mangroves, seagrass, wetlands, water quality, and fisheries. His research centres on coastal and mangrove restoration, nature-based solutions for coastal protection and resilience, and the ecological engineering of marine infrastructure. He is particularly interested in connecting coastal habitats and enhancing biodiversity in modified and industrial environments, and in collaboration between researchers, industry, and other partners to deliver practical solutions that minimise the impacts of coastal development on marine ecosystems.