About

I am a Professor of Molecular Ecology and Marine Conservation at the University of Derby, specialising in nature-based solutions for ecosystems associated with coral reefs and seagrass meadows. 

Since completing my PhD at Newcastle University, I have published over 180 research articles in peer-reviewed journals over the past 20 years. Currently, in addition to my teaching responsibilities at the University of Derby, I am the Head of the Aquatic Research Facility and Head of the Nature Based Solutions Research Centre. 

I have worked for the United Nations and led on the World Ocean Assessment, which was published in 2026. This document has been translated to many languages and sent to governments around the world. 

To date, I have won numerous awards including the Charles Darwin Award Lecture from the British Science Association (2013), Outstanding Research Supervisor of the Year at the Times Higher Education Awards (2025) and Research Communications Award at the 2026 University Alliance Awards.

I am currently the director of studies for 11 PhD students and supervise numerous undergraduate research projects in their final year of study.

Research interests

My main research focus is on coral reefs and seagrass meadows. Myself and researchers at the University of Derby were the first in the world to spawn coral ex-situ, as well as induce seagrass to flower and seed. We were also the first to utilise coral probiotics and have now applied this methodology to seagrass as well. Our team regularly use eDNA to describe the distribution and spread of rare, endangered or invasive species and we were early pioneers in this field setting the foundation for many to follow. 

I often build genomics, metabolomics and epidemiology into our research and love to explore how microbes interact with their hosts; the roles pathogens play in disease causation; immune responses of hosts to specific diseases and ways to manage or mitigate the spread of disease (particularly probiotics). 

Current PhD Students

• Nicole Yeomans - 'AI platforms for monitoring reef health'
• Karina Weller - 'Post larvae capture, culture and release of reef fish towards a circular economy for aquarium husbandry' 
• David Terry - 'Microbial stewardship in seagrass ecosystems'
• Mackenzie Sargeant - 'Delivery mechanisms for probiotics and coral health'
• Kara Rising - 'Effect of probiotics on seagrass health'
• Leigh Peters - 'Circular economy and system design for improving aquaculture'
• Samuel Hickling - 'Habitat accessibility in the design of nature-inclusive void features in marine structures'
• Mandy Haywood - 'Evaluating the effect of relationship to nature on conservation behaviours'
• Olivia Gardner - 'Sea cucumbers and bioturbation' 
• Chris Brown - 'Seahorse conservation and population connectivity'
• Triona Barker - 'Towards the creation of a standardised reef safe label'

PhD positions available in our group

Please enquire - only self-funded PhDs are available at the moment.

Recent publications

Obura, D. O., Polidoro, B., Cabada-Blanco, F., Linardich, C., Carpenter, N., Gutierrez, L., Sweet, MJ ... & Wilson, B. (2026). Nearly half of reef-building corals face elevated relative risk of extinction. Nature, 1-3.

Gracie, R., Wiedenmann, J., Lam, P., Sweet, MJ, & D’Angelo, C. (2026). Breakdown of microbial networks links nutrient stress and reef coral disease. Nature Communications, 17(1), 3821.

Unsworth, R. K., Sweet, MJ, Govers, L. L., von der Heyden, S., Verges, A., Friess, D. A., ... & Paul, M. (2025). Rethinking marine restoration permitting to urgently advance efforts. Cell Reports Sustainability, 2(11).

Gutierrez, L., Sweet, MJ et al. “Half of Atlantic reef-building corals at elevated risk of extinction due to climate change and other threats.” PLoS ONE 19.11 (2024): e0309354.

Humanes, A., Sweet, MJ et al. “Selective breeding enhances coral heat tolerance to marine heatwaves.” Nature Communications 15.1 (2024): 8703-8703.

McKenna, V, Sweet, MJ et al. “The aquatic symbiosis genomics project: probing the evolution of symbiosis across the tree of life.” Welcome open research 6 (2024): 254.

Santoro, EP., Sweet, MJ et al. “Coral microbiome manipulation elicits metabolic and genetic restructuring to mitigate heat stress and evade mortality.” Science Advances 7.33 (2021): eabg3088.

Duarte, GAS, Sweet, MJ et al. “Heat waves are a major threat to turbid coral reefs in Brazil.” Frontiers in Marine Science 7 (2020): 179.

Craggs, J., Sweet, MJ et al. (2017) “Inducing broadcast coral spawning ex situ: Closed system mesocosm design and husbandry protocol”, Ecology and Evolution 7(24), 11066-11078. DOI:10.1002/ece3.3538. (Landmark research that, for the first time, allowed the breaking of the code for coral spawning in laboratory settings).

Membership of professional bodies

I am a member of the Coral Aquarist Research Network (CARN), the Society of General Microbiology, the Society of Invertebrate Pathology and the International Society of Reef Studies.

Professional interests

Current Roles, Responsibilities & Skills

2026 Director and Founder of the Aquatic Research Facility, a global leader and centre of excellence at the University of Derby

2025 Founded BlueBiome Company No; 16840634 (BlueBiome — Precision Microbiome Medicine for Coral Reefs)

2025 Founded Ocean Guard Company No; 16181141 (Ocean Guard)

2025 Established CoralCare^TM, the world’s first sunscreen to actively nourish coral reefs (Reef Safe Sunscreen SPF 30 | Coral Reef Friendly – Stream2Sea)

2025 Scientific Advisor, Wildflow (Wildflow)

2025 Nature-based Solutions Advisor ARC Marine (ARC marine | Nature-Inclusive Design for Marine Infrastructure)

2024 Professor L5 in Molecular Ecology at the University of Derby

2022 Head of the Nature-based Solutions Research Centre, University of Derby

Qualifications

Education

• 2007-2011 - PhD - ‘Factors controlling the microbial community associated with reef-building corals’ at Newcastle University. PI: Prof John Bythell
• 2001-2004 - BSc in Zoology at Newcastle University 2.1 (with Hons)

Post-Doctorate Experience

• 2011 - 2013 - NERC funded: ‘Re-evaluation of the emergence of reef coral diseases based on the importance of ciliate infections’ at Newcastle University. PI: Prof John Bythell

Experience in industry

Our team of researchers helped to establish a commercial eDNA arm for SureScreen Scientifics in 2014.

I am currently the Nature-based Solutions Advisor for ARC Marine, BlueBiome and Wildflow.

Our team at the University of Derby also co-created Coral Care, the world's first sunscreen to actually nourish coral reefs. Our pioneering accreditation factor linked to Coral Care, named the Reef Protection Factor, was designed to set an industry gold standard, addressing the issues around chemical pollution globally impacting our oceans and aiding in the decline of vital ecosystems such as tropical coral reefs.

RPF and Coral Care have won eight international awards, including at Canne Lyons, LIA, and Challenge Big. It is currently being ratified by the French government and has three accredited laboratories which now use the methodology and test products across the UK, Germany and France. 

In the media

I am regularly featured in the media commenting on coral reef restoration and have been featured in titles including the Guardian and the Times. 

I have also been featured on national broadcast channels including on the BBC's 'Our Changing Planet', for our work on ex-situ coral spawning and urchin co-culturing. 

Canon became the official imaging partners of the coral spawning work in 2023 and I undertook various workshops with them including ‘From commuter town to coral reefs’. The spawning work was also recognised by the MSC Foundation and awarded their inaugural SeAct Award for Innovations to Scale up Coral Reef Restoration.

I, along with colleagues at the University of Derby, co-authored a children’s book, ‘Coral Rescue – A mission to save our seas’ (published 2025), which was noted by the International Coral Reef Initiative as being “the best on the market”. It has been distributed to over 60 schools across the UK with an interactive session led by myself. It has also been translated into Indonesian and Malagasy and distributed to a further 30 schools in both countries.

International experience

My work has taken me all over the world to conduct field-based research, present lectures and host or attend workshops and conferences alike.

Our coral spawning systems have supported over 30 projects across 18 locations around the world from Saudi Arabia to the Seychelles. 

I helped establish the Olive Ridley Project, an international charity that works throughout the Indian Ocean and beyond. I am also a scientific advisor for the Tanzanian charity, The Ropes of Hope.

Teaching responsibilities

I teach a wide range of modules throughout years four, five, six and seven, including; Evolution of Life, Molecular Biology, Invertebrates, Rainforests, Deserts and Oceans, Habitat Management, Tropical Marine Biology, and Independent Studies. I also supervise students on their 3rd year Independent Research projects, Masters projects and PhDs.