Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101470
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Using social network models to understand the factors driving parasite transmission in bettong populations. Parasitic diseases pose a significant threat to Australia's biodiversity. This project will apply the use of social networks models to understanding how different parasites are spread through endangered bettong populations.
The evolution of land-dwelling fish: contemporary analogues of a critical step in vertebrate evolution. One of the most important ecological transitions in the history of life was the colonization of land by fish in the Devonian. What made these fish move onto land is unknown and impossible to determine entirely from fossils. This project will test several hypotheses using living examples of fish that have made a similar transition to land.
Climate change: bridging the gap between environmental induced phenotypic change, population dynamics, and long-term evolution. It is becoming impossible to ignore the impact of global climate change on organisms around the world from changes in migration, distribution to extinction events - yet there is much to understand. This project examines the role of a changing environment during developmental and its effects on ecological and evolutionary outcomes.
Movement patterns and behavioural strategies of Estuarine Crocodiles: A long-term remote monitoring study using an underwater acoustic array. The on-going recovery of the estuarine crocodile population is creating a paradox for Australians. Although a salient species, an iconic animal, and a firm tourist attraction, estuarine crocodiles pose a significant risk to the public. Knowledge of where crocodiles go, what they do when they get there, and why they select particular habitats at certain tim ....Movement patterns and behavioural strategies of Estuarine Crocodiles: A long-term remote monitoring study using an underwater acoustic array. The on-going recovery of the estuarine crocodile population is creating a paradox for Australians. Although a salient species, an iconic animal, and a firm tourist attraction, estuarine crocodiles pose a significant risk to the public. Knowledge of where crocodiles go, what they do when they get there, and why they select particular habitats at certain times is critical for sustaining the Australian crocodile population, whilst ensuring public safety. This long term study will utilise the latest advancement in underwater acoustic technology to monitor the behavioural and physiological strategies used by estuarine crocodiles in occupying critical habitats, providing vital information for resource managers and policy makers. Read moreRead less
Understanding individual differences in social behaviour: the role of personality. This project will investigate how behavioural differences, between individuals, influence key ecological decisions in social animals. The results will shed light on fundamental biological processes, with implications for such diverse applied areas as wildlife management, animal welfare and husbandry, pharmacology, disease risk and job satisfaction.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100949
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Did colour vision evolve in the dark? This project aims to investigate the ability of fishes to perceive colour in dim-light conditions by studying representatives from two delicate and endangered ecosystems, coral reefs (nocturnal fish) and the deep-sea. Through a multidisciplinary approach to understanding colour vision and animal behaviour, this study expects to fill a knowledge gap in visual neuroscience and ecology while adding to the understanding of how marine creatures see and interact. ....Did colour vision evolve in the dark? This project aims to investigate the ability of fishes to perceive colour in dim-light conditions by studying representatives from two delicate and endangered ecosystems, coral reefs (nocturnal fish) and the deep-sea. Through a multidisciplinary approach to understanding colour vision and animal behaviour, this study expects to fill a knowledge gap in visual neuroscience and ecology while adding to the understanding of how marine creatures see and interact. This should provide benefits in conservation and management strategies and may also inspire the development of new sensor technologies.Read moreRead less
Unravelling reef fish vision through gene-editing and behavioural ecology. This project aims to enhance understanding of visual neuroscience, genetic control of vision and environmental ecology on The Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Using the anemonefish as a model, together with new genetic, photographic and behavioural approaches, the project aims to reveal novel aspects of colour vision on the reef. Outcomes beyond multiple scientific disciplines include enhanced international collaboration and bui ....Unravelling reef fish vision through gene-editing and behavioural ecology. This project aims to enhance understanding of visual neuroscience, genetic control of vision and environmental ecology on The Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Using the anemonefish as a model, together with new genetic, photographic and behavioural approaches, the project aims to reveal novel aspects of colour vision on the reef. Outcomes beyond multiple scientific disciplines include enhanced international collaboration and building capacity for improved reef guardianship. The benefits are scientific discovery in multiple areas, providing greater community understanding of complex science and a desire to preserve the GBR for future generations.Read moreRead less
The sparrows in the mining towns: a century of adaptation to contamination. Our research will characterise how contamination from the extraction of precious metals can spread through the environment and how it effects a highly urbanised bird – the house sparrow. In many cases, populations of these birds have been intimately associated with mining operations for over a century, and our recent work has provided evidence of adaptation over time. House sparrows provide a great natural system to unde ....The sparrows in the mining towns: a century of adaptation to contamination. Our research will characterise how contamination from the extraction of precious metals can spread through the environment and how it effects a highly urbanised bird – the house sparrow. In many cases, populations of these birds have been intimately associated with mining operations for over a century, and our recent work has provided evidence of adaptation over time. House sparrows provide a great natural system to understand the genetic potential of organisms to adapt to anthropomorphic change in the environment connected with the resources industry. Our work, will bring new insight into the future management of environmental contamination, and the mitigation of adverse effects arising from resource extraction.Read moreRead less
Testing new theoretical models of sperm allocation: does competition for mates compromise male fertility? In order to reproduce, males must invest resources into competing for females at a cost to their investment in fertility. The project will develop and test new evolutionary theory that explores how male reproductive biology evolves in the face of this unappreciated constraint, research that will provide general insight into male fertility and infertility.
Manipulating foraging by mammalian herbivores with plant odours. This project aims to reveal how mammalian herbivores exploit leaf odour to detect plants while foraging. Insects track plant odour to find host plants, yet how mammalian herbivores use olfaction to forage and how this can be harnessed is unknown. This project will provide new perspectives on foraging ecology, and will pioneer novel ways to help protect plants using chemical camouflage, and to help protect animals from road collisio ....Manipulating foraging by mammalian herbivores with plant odours. This project aims to reveal how mammalian herbivores exploit leaf odour to detect plants while foraging. Insects track plant odour to find host plants, yet how mammalian herbivores use olfaction to forage and how this can be harnessed is unknown. This project will provide new perspectives on foraging ecology, and will pioneer novel ways to help protect plants using chemical camouflage, and to help protect animals from road collisions by attracting them to safety.Read moreRead less