Recasting solutions to the Murray-Darling Basin crisis: recognising and valuing the role of Indigenous people. This project will investigate the significance of water to Indigenous people of the Murray-Darling Basin, examine the effect of changes in water governance and management on Indigenous communities and draw on international and local models to evaluate options for effective and equitable means of addressing Indigenous claims for water and recognition. It will test the feasibility of Indi ....Recasting solutions to the Murray-Darling Basin crisis: recognising and valuing the role of Indigenous people. This project will investigate the significance of water to Indigenous people of the Murray-Darling Basin, examine the effect of changes in water governance and management on Indigenous communities and draw on international and local models to evaluate options for effective and equitable means of addressing Indigenous claims for water and recognition. It will test the feasibility of Indigenous water plans to address Indigenous values and knowledge, give effect to Indigenous management objectives and articulate with statutory water plans. Results will contribute to geographical theory, transform water planning processes and enhance Indigenous capacity to influence allocation decisions, water policy and regional development solutions.Read moreRead less
Integrating the conservation and ecosystem-service value of Australia's catchments. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by explicitly linking the intrinsic value of biodiversity and supporting ecosystems with the services they provide to humanity (e.g. carbon storage and nutrient cycling). It will employ a comprehensive, innovative approach to integrating conservation, market and non-market values of land holdings in Australia's catchments using the concep ....Integrating the conservation and ecosystem-service value of Australia's catchments. This project addresses the Priority Goal of Sustainable Use of Biodiversity by explicitly linking the intrinsic value of biodiversity and supporting ecosystems with the services they provide to humanity (e.g. carbon storage and nutrient cycling). It will employ a comprehensive, innovative approach to integrating conservation, market and non-market values of land holdings in Australia's catchments using the concept of nature's services. Through extensive collaboration among leading scientists and land managers, the project will identify sites of high value requiring special attention, yield important theoretical advancements to how we value ecosystems, and provide practical and easily applied guidelines for land managers. Read moreRead less
Operationalizing marine reserve design for rebuilding tropical fisheries. Operationalizing marine reserve design for rebuilding tropical fisheries. This project intends to maximise the scope for rebuilding reef fisheries while ensuring short-term levels do not become too low. Like many developing countries, Indonesia wishes to rebuild its heavily over-exploited coral reef fisheries. Marine reserves allow fish populations to recover and replenish fished areas. However, because reserves remove fis ....Operationalizing marine reserve design for rebuilding tropical fisheries. Operationalizing marine reserve design for rebuilding tropical fisheries. This project intends to maximise the scope for rebuilding reef fisheries while ensuring short-term levels do not become too low. Like many developing countries, Indonesia wishes to rebuild its heavily over-exploited coral reef fisheries. Marine reserves allow fish populations to recover and replenish fished areas. However, because reserves remove fishing grounds, fish catches tend to decrease in the short-term while fish recover in reserves; a process that can take a decade. Loss of yield can be so burdensome that managers abandon fisheries. This research is intended to improve the economic security of fishers and food security, and inform World Bank and Australian aid programs.Read moreRead less
Tipping points and early warning signals in complex ecosystems. This project aims to create a theory of early warning that uses spatial data available on system state, connectivity and environmental stress, and to create tools to infer the risk of ecosystem collapse. Many ecosystems have irreversible tipping points. Since their locations are often unknown, metrics may provide an early warning of collapse but are difficult to apply because they need long time series which are usually lacking. Thi ....Tipping points and early warning signals in complex ecosystems. This project aims to create a theory of early warning that uses spatial data available on system state, connectivity and environmental stress, and to create tools to infer the risk of ecosystem collapse. Many ecosystems have irreversible tipping points. Since their locations are often unknown, metrics may provide an early warning of collapse but are difficult to apply because they need long time series which are usually lacking. This project will use the Great Barrier Reef as a testbed because it has both long time series (standard approach) and rich spatial data (new approach), and exhibits early warning signs. We will use these tools to gauge whether symptoms on the Great Barrier Reef predict local collapse and to develop intervention plans.Read moreRead less
Planning for the impacts of land-uses on coral reef fisheries. This projects aims to develop models that can determine the ecological and economic impacts of land-use changes (e.g. agriculture) on fisheries and assess alternative land-use plans that seek to maximise economic opportunity while protecting fisheries. Fisheries support the livelihoods of 12 per cent of the world’s population. Land-based activities are among the most significant threats to coral reef fisheries because sediments and n ....Planning for the impacts of land-uses on coral reef fisheries. This projects aims to develop models that can determine the ecological and economic impacts of land-use changes (e.g. agriculture) on fisheries and assess alternative land-use plans that seek to maximise economic opportunity while protecting fisheries. Fisheries support the livelihoods of 12 per cent of the world’s population. Land-based activities are among the most significant threats to coral reef fisheries because sediments and nutrients degrade reefs, yet they are often ignored in fisheries management. By improving the sustainability of coastal development, biodiversity conservation, and health of fisheries, the models developed by the project could deliver socio-economic and environmental benefits for millions of people reliant upon fisheries for their livelihoods.Read moreRead less
Biodiversity in high rainfall mediterranean-climate ecosystems: Integrating fields of ecological enquiry to achieve improved conservation outcomes. This project targets research priority 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia' through the management and protection of Australia's terrestrial biodiversity, and by increasing understanding of the impact of climate change and variability at the local to regional level. By linking disparate data sets across similar climatic regions, and through dir ....Biodiversity in high rainfall mediterranean-climate ecosystems: Integrating fields of ecological enquiry to achieve improved conservation outcomes. This project targets research priority 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia' through the management and protection of Australia's terrestrial biodiversity, and by increasing understanding of the impact of climate change and variability at the local to regional level. By linking disparate data sets across similar climatic regions, and through direct links to management agencies, this project will enable development of a landscape conservation culture for improved conservation outcomes, and more direct information use through science-based adaptive management. Efficient use of existing data and the 'promotion of an innovation culture and economy' by linking global perspectives to local conservation needs, are hallmarks of this project.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101182
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,500.00
Summary
Navigating the complexity of conservation's illegal wildlife trade crisis. This project seeks to investigate the conditions under which policies that prohibit or regulate trade in wildlife products are more likely to lead to conservation outcomes. Illegal trade in wildlife is a pressing conservation issue, threatening numerous species with extinction. The crisis has attracted over US$350 million in donor and government funding since 2012, primarily for enforcement of trade bans. Fierce debates r ....Navigating the complexity of conservation's illegal wildlife trade crisis. This project seeks to investigate the conditions under which policies that prohibit or regulate trade in wildlife products are more likely to lead to conservation outcomes. Illegal trade in wildlife is a pressing conservation issue, threatening numerous species with extinction. The crisis has attracted over US$350 million in donor and government funding since 2012, primarily for enforcement of trade bans. Fierce debates rage in the academic literature about the conditions under which regulated markets may yield better outcomes. Policy options are also constrained by opinions about whether pro-use policies for wildlife are morally appropriate. The project aims to investigate this issue and assess the impact of stakeholder values and preferences on policy decisions.Read moreRead less
Conservation of tropical forests for their carbon and biodiversity values. International efforts to save tropical forests for the carbon they store could help mitigate climate change and biodiversity loss. This project will aid these efforts by developing methods to model future deforestation and extending decision theory for the new challenges presented by international carbon-payment schemes.
Utilising innovative fishing technology to address key questions on the biology of Antarctic krill. Antarctic krill are an important species in the Southern Ocean supporting most of the Antarctic birds and mammals. A sustainable krill fishery is developing with krill products used in aquaculture and increasingly for human consumption. A new omega 3 krill oil industry has emerged and is rapidly expanding. The aim of the project is to predict the factors governing oil levels and the biochemical co ....Utilising innovative fishing technology to address key questions on the biology of Antarctic krill. Antarctic krill are an important species in the Southern Ocean supporting most of the Antarctic birds and mammals. A sustainable krill fishery is developing with krill products used in aquaculture and increasingly for human consumption. A new omega 3 krill oil industry has emerged and is rapidly expanding. The aim of the project is to predict the factors governing oil levels and the biochemical composition in krill which will help us understand growth, reproduction and recruitment. The research aims to also assess the possible effects of climate change on krill. Outcomes of this research aim to be used to manage the expanding krill fishery.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0560920
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$129,800.00
Summary
Field spectroradiometer and associated equipment for quantitative measurement and characterization of biophysical features and calibration of remotely sensed imagery. This set of equipment will improve and extend existing research capabilities in the field of in-situ remote sensing research and applications, for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. It will contribute to knowledge regarding terrestrial, coastal and estuarine vegetation and linkages to environmental change and will assist in ....Field spectroradiometer and associated equipment for quantitative measurement and characterization of biophysical features and calibration of remotely sensed imagery. This set of equipment will improve and extend existing research capabilities in the field of in-situ remote sensing research and applications, for both aquatic and terrestrial environments. It will contribute to knowledge regarding terrestrial, coastal and estuarine vegetation and linkages to environmental change and will assist in the development of new algorithms, indices and techniques of vegetation discrimination from remotely sensed imagery. It will help in the understanding of reflectance in plants under stress or pest damage. The spectroradiometer will enable the group to expand applications in the field of urban fire hazard mapping, precision agriculture, crop physiology, species mapping, viticulture and canopy modelling.Read moreRead less