My research has focussed on how seaweeds interact with their environments, and how this may change in future oceans.
To effectively cultivate seaweed and to successfully restore degraded environments, a comprehensive knowledge of seaweed life cycles is necessary. I’m interested in techniques to improve resilience to ocean change in both early life history stages of seaweeds and their adult counterparts, and to integrate this with novel breeding techniques in an aquaculture context. I’m invested in making aquaculture practices for seaweed both sustainable and restorative.
Current projects
IBMC (BerkAlg): a project to advance seaweed in the global economy by addressing addressing the need for foundational knowledge, technological approaches, supply chain designs, policy frameworks, community engagement, and educational materials for businesses and consumers to build sustainable macroalgal-based bioeconomies. Funded by UKRI / NSF. 2025-2030.
BoostKelp: a project aiming to increase production in UK seaweed nurseries. Funded by Algae UK. 2024.
Peer reviewed publications
R.J. Veenhof, A.H. McGrath, C. Champion, S.A. Dworjanyn, E.M. Marzinelli, M.A. Coleman. 2025. The role of microbiota in kelp gametophyte development and resilience to thermal stress. Journal of Phycology in review.
A.G. Murray, L. Falconer, A. Kennerley and R.J. Veenhof . 2025. Climate change impacts on marine aquaculture relevant to the UK. MCCIP Science Review, 22pp.
R.J. Veenhof, M.T. Burrows, A.D. Hughes, K. Michalek, M.E. Ross, A.I. Thomson, J. Fedenko, M.S. Stanley. 2024. Sustainable seaweed aquaculture and climate change in the North Atlantic: challenges and opportunities. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11, 148330.
R.J. Veenhof, M.A. Coleman, C. Champion, S.A. Dworjanyn, R. Venhuizen, L. Kearns, E.M. Marzinelli, A.K. Pettersen. 2024. Novel high-throughput oxygen saturation measurements for quantifying the physiological performance of macroalgal early life stages. Journal of Phycology, 60(5), 1161-1172.
A.M. Eger, … R.J. Veenhof, T. Wernberg, G. Wood, J.A. Zepeda-Domínguez, A. Vergès. 2023. The Kelp Forest Challenge: A collaborative global movement to protect and restore 4 million hectares of kelp forests. Journal of Applied Phycology.
R.J. Veenhof, C. Champion, S.A. Dworjanyn, J. Schwoerbel, W. Visch, M.A. Coleman. 2023. Projecting kelp (Ecklonia radiata) gametophyte thermal adaptation and persistence under climate change. Annals of Botany, mcad132
R.J. Veenhof, M.A. Coleman, C. Champion, S.A. Dworjanyn. 2023. Urchin grazing of kelp gametophytes in warming oceans. Journal of Phycology, 00, 10-18. * Featured in an editorial in the same issue.
R.J. Veenhof, C. Champion, S.A. Dworjanyn, T.C. Shalders, M.A. Coleman. 2023 Reproductive phenology of the kelp Ecklonia radiata at its Australian warm range edge and the influence of environmental factors. Marine and Freshwater Research, 74, 928–940.
R.J. Veenhof, C. Champion, S.A. Dworjanyn, T.W. Wernberg, A.J.P. Minne, C. Layton, J.J. Bolton, D.C. Reed, M.A. Coleman. 2022. Kelp gametophytes in changing oceans. Oceanography and Marine Biology: An Annual Review, 60, 335-371
T.R. Davis, M.F. Larkin, A. Forbes, R.J. Veenhof, A. Scott, M.A. Coleman, 2022. Extreme flooding and reduced salinity causes mass mortality of nearshore kelp forests. Estuarine, coastal and shelf science, 275, 107960
R.J. Veenhof, S.A. Dworjanyn, C. Champion, M.A. Coleman. 2022. Grazing and recovery of kelp gametophytes under ocean warming. Frontiers in Marine Science, 9, 866136.
M.A. Coleman, R.J. Veenhof. 2021. Reproductive versatility of kelps in changing oceans. Journal of Phycology, 57(3), 708-710
R.J. Veenhof, Z.A. Popper, 2020. Localization, Extraction, and Quantification of Plant and Algal Arabinogalactan Proteins. In The Plant Cell Wall (pp. 429-441) Humana, New York, NY.
Other publications
Small ocean critters use their poo to help seaweeds have sex. 12th of July 2023. The Conversation.
Year 2 Marine Biology module: Lecturer and providing practicals
MSc Aquaculture, Environment and Society
Semester 1 Algae module: Lecturer
Professional memberships
Australian Marine Science Association: Member since 2020
British Phycological Society: Member since 2023
Prizes & awards
Awarded 1st place in ‘Oral presentation award; for outstanding research presented by a student’ at the International Seaweed Symposium, Hobart, Tasmania, 20-24th of February, 2023
Awarded ‘Best overall presentation’ and ‘Best full-length talk’ at SCU Rise, Lismore, 25-26th of October, 2022
Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment. Project title: ‘Resilience of Ecklonia radiata early life history stages to climate change’. 2020-2023. Contribution: Lead.
Media coverage
https://www.scu.edu.au/news/2023/urchin-grazing-of-kelp-seaweed-gametophytes-marine-science/
https://theconversation.com/small-ocean-critters-use-their-poo-to-help-seaweeds-have-sex-207905
Measures of esteem
Symposium convener at Australian Marine Science Association conference. Symposium title: ‘Discovering Australia’s seaweeds; physiology, ecology and applications’. Cairns, 7-11th of August, 2022.
Invited speaker at the International Temperate Reef Symposium in the special session ‘Macroalgae in a changing world’, Hobart, 8-12th of January, 2023. Fully funded and paper to be published in a special edition of Annals of Botany in 2023.
Employment history
Since 2023 PDRA at SAMS
2019 Research Assistant. National University Ireland, Galway
Education
PhD (2023) Southern Cross University. Kelp gametophytes in a changing ocean: Ecklonia radiata microscopic stages and their role in resilience to climate change.
MSc (2018) National University Ireland, Galway. Cell surface studies of the red algae (Rhodophyta).
BSc (2016) Biology. Utrecht University