Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the ....Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the project will contribute directly to an Environmentally Sustainable Australia and improve national capacity for responding to climate change and variability in coral reef environments. It will enable Australian remote sensing scientists to contribute knowledge and tools to the international community for application to coral reef and coastal waters globally. Read moreRead less
Towards operational monitoring of key climate parameters from synthetic aperture radar. Agricultural productivity is a major contributor to the Australian economy, but is experiencing significant stress in response to climate change. Moreover, soil moisture controls vegetation dynamics that contribute to carbon storage, atmospheric processes leading to severe weather, and runoff generation processes leading to floods and runoff yield from urban water storage catchments. Consequently, high reso ....Towards operational monitoring of key climate parameters from synthetic aperture radar. Agricultural productivity is a major contributor to the Australian economy, but is experiencing significant stress in response to climate change. Moreover, soil moisture controls vegetation dynamics that contribute to carbon storage, atmospheric processes leading to severe weather, and runoff generation processes leading to floods and runoff yield from urban water storage catchments. Consequently, high resolution time-series information on soil moisture and vegetation status from space represents a powerful tool for understanding climate change impacts on Australia. It is therefore imperative that products be developed specifically for the Australian environment to take full advantage of radar data from satellites.Read moreRead less