Measuring the flushing time of waters in the Great Barrier Reef. There are concerns both in the scientific community and in the general public about the possible implications of agricultural runoff to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Due to this, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has developed a "Reef Water Quality Protection Plan" (RWQPP) which may have significant economic implications to the grazing, sugar, and other primary industries. In order to protect the GBR, whilst also minimiz ....Measuring the flushing time of waters in the Great Barrier Reef. There are concerns both in the scientific community and in the general public about the possible implications of agricultural runoff to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Due to this, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority has developed a "Reef Water Quality Protection Plan" (RWQPP) which may have significant economic implications to the grazing, sugar, and other primary industries. In order to protect the GBR, whilst also minimizing the impacts on agricultural industries, it is important to understand the processes that affect the buildup and broad-scale dispersion of contaminants in the GBR. This project will facilitate that understanding.Read moreRead less
Conservation planning: incorporating patch dynamics and climate change to achieve better outcomes. This research will make significant contributions to planning for An Environmentally Sustainable Australia. Key outcomes will include guidelines for including, for the first time, the patch dynamics of coral bleaching and pelagic productivity in conservation planning. By using an Australian icon, the Great Barrier Reef, as the case study for this research, the findings will be directly applicable a ....Conservation planning: incorporating patch dynamics and climate change to achieve better outcomes. This research will make significant contributions to planning for An Environmentally Sustainable Australia. Key outcomes will include guidelines for including, for the first time, the patch dynamics of coral bleaching and pelagic productivity in conservation planning. By using an Australian icon, the Great Barrier Reef, as the case study for this research, the findings will be directly applicable and implementable. Furthermore, this study will result in an understanding of the potential effect of climate change on patch dynamics, and will provide guidelines and theory for planning for such changes. This research will enable Australia to effectively protect its biodiversity and to relate this knowledge to its neighbours.Read moreRead less
Theory for global biodiversity conservation. Australia's biological diversity underpins much of our economic wealth - for example the remarkable diversity of coral reefs fuels a multibillion dollar tourism industry. We will devise methods to make better decisions about where to invest conservation dollars amongst the biodiversity "hotspots" of the world and Australia to deliver environmental sustainability. We will solve the problem of how much of any environmental budget should be spent on mo ....Theory for global biodiversity conservation. Australia's biological diversity underpins much of our economic wealth - for example the remarkable diversity of coral reefs fuels a multibillion dollar tourism industry. We will devise methods to make better decisions about where to invest conservation dollars amongst the biodiversity "hotspots" of the world and Australia to deliver environmental sustainability. We will solve the problem of how much of any environmental budget should be spent on monitoring conservation actions to make better and more cost-effective decisions. We will create new theory and freely available tools for building systems of marine reserves that allow for threats like coral bleaching and hurricanes.Read moreRead less
LARVAL RETENTION AND CONNECTIVITY IN CORAL REEF FISH POPULATIONS: A MULTI-TECHNIQUE APPROACH. A key unanswered question in marine ecology and fisheries management is - are planktonic juveniles retained within or transported among populations? The only three techniques that can potentially quantify larval dispersal distances are genetic markers, natural chemical signatures and applied chemical marks. This project combines, for the first time, all three techniques to measure the scale of disper ....LARVAL RETENTION AND CONNECTIVITY IN CORAL REEF FISH POPULATIONS: A MULTI-TECHNIQUE APPROACH. A key unanswered question in marine ecology and fisheries management is - are planktonic juveniles retained within or transported among populations? The only three techniques that can potentially quantify larval dispersal distances are genetic markers, natural chemical signatures and applied chemical marks. This project combines, for the first time, all three techniques to measure the scale of dispersal in two coral reef fish species. The relative importance of retention and connectivity will be measured, from a large scale encompassing different regions (Great Barrier Reef and Papua New Guinea) to a small scale focussing on individual reefs.Read moreRead less
The quality of seagrass as a dugong food resource: the importance of the effects of season and water depth. Australia has international obligations to conserve dugongs (sea cows). Dugongs rely on seagrasses for food. Knowledge of the abundance and quality of seagrasses, and how these change in response to the environment, is vital if dugong conservation is to have the necessary scientific basis. Research has focussed on intertidal seagrass as food for dugongs. However, deepwater seagrasses ....The quality of seagrass as a dugong food resource: the importance of the effects of season and water depth. Australia has international obligations to conserve dugongs (sea cows). Dugongs rely on seagrasses for food. Knowledge of the abundance and quality of seagrasses, and how these change in response to the environment, is vital if dugong conservation is to have the necessary scientific basis. Research has focussed on intertidal seagrass as food for dugongs. However, deepwater seagrasses are a mainstay of most significant dugong populations, such as the population in Hervey Bay, Queensland. This research will provide information on the effect of season and water depth on the quality of seagrasses as dugong food.Read moreRead less
Innovative systematic conservation planning for Indigenous Land and Sea Country: Torres Strait as a case study. Australia’s Indigenous communities have responsibilities for managing their Land and Sea Country in partnership with governments. Much of Australia’s globally significant biodiversity occurs in Indigenous country. Effective management requires plans to be developed using both western science and Traditional Knowledge to enable local communities to protect both their culture and biodive ....Innovative systematic conservation planning for Indigenous Land and Sea Country: Torres Strait as a case study. Australia’s Indigenous communities have responsibilities for managing their Land and Sea Country in partnership with governments. Much of Australia’s globally significant biodiversity occurs in Indigenous country. Effective management requires plans to be developed using both western science and Traditional Knowledge to enable local communities to protect both their culture and biodiversity. This project will develop innovative scientific tools to assist Indigenous communities and governments to design and implement systematic conservation planning initiatives ‘on country’, using Torres Strait as a case study. The tools that are developed will have general relevance to Australian Indigenous communities and developing countries. Read moreRead less
Environmental management of coral reef resilience. The primary aim of this project is to provide the scientific evidence needed to effectively manage and protect reef resilience within the GBR Marine Park. We will develop and apply scientific tools for understanding the large-scale effect of multiple physical environmental stresses on coral populations. Furthermore, we will determine how fish communities influence the potential for coral reefs to remain healthy in the face of global change. Cent ....Environmental management of coral reef resilience. The primary aim of this project is to provide the scientific evidence needed to effectively manage and protect reef resilience within the GBR Marine Park. We will develop and apply scientific tools for understanding the large-scale effect of multiple physical environmental stresses on coral populations. Furthermore, we will determine how fish communities influence the potential for coral reefs to remain healthy in the face of global change. Central to this work will be an evaluation of the potential of No-Take Zones, a contemporary management tool, to promote resilience and the ability of coral reefs to cope with environmental change.Read moreRead less
Spatial ecology of inshore predators in tropical marine systems and implications of marine protection zones. Coastal development and threats of global climate change mean that coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressure. Developing an understanding of how coastal habitats are used by native fauna and how effective protected areas are in the preservation of these species is critical for future management and sustainable use of resources. This research will provide data for resource and fis ....Spatial ecology of inshore predators in tropical marine systems and implications of marine protection zones. Coastal development and threats of global climate change mean that coastal ecosystems are under increasing pressure. Developing an understanding of how coastal habitats are used by native fauna and how effective protected areas are in the preservation of these species is critical for future management and sustainable use of resources. This research will provide data for resource and fisheries managers that are valuable for maintenance of several sectors of the economy including tourism and commercial fishing (inshore fishing worth $23 m a year). The project is linked to a national telemetry network thus providing opportunity for national and international collaboration benefiting scientific, management and coastal communities.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354638
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$20,000.00
Summary
Innovative science for sustainable use of marine biodiversity goods and services. Development of new scientific tools and technologies provide expanded opportunities for marine biological research in Australia. An urgent need is to coordinate research scientists and institutions to ensure maximum benefits and to meet Australia's obligations under UNCLOS. The primary goal of this proposed Network is to develop research programs of international significance, through the establishment of new teams ....Innovative science for sustainable use of marine biodiversity goods and services. Development of new scientific tools and technologies provide expanded opportunities for marine biological research in Australia. An urgent need is to coordinate research scientists and institutions to ensure maximum benefits and to meet Australia's obligations under UNCLOS. The primary goal of this proposed Network is to develop research programs of international significance, through the establishment of new teams of Australia's leading marine scientists, mathematical modelers and economists that transcend traditional disciplinary, institutional and geographic boundaries. Our goal is to add focus, scale and scope to an enduring program of innovative research development, leading to world leadership in marine resource management.Read moreRead less
Solar radiation, coral bleaching and climate change. Corals reefs like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) underpin approximately $2 billion annually in sustainable tourism and fisheries. Warming of Australia's tropical seas, however, has increased mass coral bleaching/mortality and is placing reefs like the GBR at increasing risk. Solar radiation (PAR, UVR) plays an important influence on the biological outcome of thermal stress. Understanding the role of solar radiation is critical if we are to unde ....Solar radiation, coral bleaching and climate change. Corals reefs like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) underpin approximately $2 billion annually in sustainable tourism and fisheries. Warming of Australia's tropical seas, however, has increased mass coral bleaching/mortality and is placing reefs like the GBR at increasing risk. Solar radiation (PAR, UVR) plays an important influence on the biological outcome of thermal stress. Understanding the role of solar radiation is critical if we are to understand the changes that will occur on coral reefs as temperatures increase. This multidisciplinary international team will define and model the role of solar radiation on thermal stress at local, regional and global scales. Read moreRead less