Fighting disease on farms: how do vaccinations drive evolution of new pathogen strains? Vaccinating against some types of infectious diseases can drive evolution of new variants of the pathogen. This project will show how bacterial populations evolve in response to vaccination in farms, leading to new vaccination strategies and improved vaccine formulations to better control diseases that are caused by highly variable bacteria.
Revealing the determinants of viral emergence and evolution in fish. Viral diseases pose an ongoing threat to Australian aquaculture. The devastating impact of emerging viruses makes it imperative to understand the factors that allow them to evolve and infect new hosts. We will address these key issues by revealing the diversity, abundance and evolution of viruses in fish sampled along the Australian east coast. The data generated will reveal the untapped biodiversity of fish viruses, the freque ....Revealing the determinants of viral emergence and evolution in fish. Viral diseases pose an ongoing threat to Australian aquaculture. The devastating impact of emerging viruses makes it imperative to understand the factors that allow them to evolve and infect new hosts. We will address these key issues by revealing the diversity, abundance and evolution of viruses in fish sampled along the Australian east coast. The data generated will reveal the untapped biodiversity of fish viruses, the frequency which they jump species boundaries and the determinants of this process, and how they are impacted by host ecology, including whether fish viruses follow a latitudinal gradient in diversity. The data generated will transform our understanding of fish viruses and identify those most likely to impact aquaculture.Read moreRead less
The mechanisms of settlement success in coral reef fishes. Most marine fishes, including commercial species, produce larvae that disperse in the open ocean. The short period during which these larval fishes leave the open water and take up residence on adult benthic habitat (settlement) is critical in determining the success of the population, but is poorly understood. Settling larvae differ in their physical attributes, including body size and physiological condition, both of which affect the ....The mechanisms of settlement success in coral reef fishes. Most marine fishes, including commercial species, produce larvae that disperse in the open ocean. The short period during which these larval fishes leave the open water and take up residence on adult benthic habitat (settlement) is critical in determining the success of the population, but is poorly understood. Settling larvae differ in their physical attributes, including body size and physiological condition, both of which affect their vulnerability to predators and their ability to compete for food and grow. By looking closely at this short life history stage, we hope to better understand how the supply of offshore larvae controls the production of marine fishes, including commercial fisheries.Read moreRead less
Specification and evolution of vertebrate appendicular muscle. Previously we have determined that two different developmental mechanisms are utilised to make the muscles present within the fins and limbs of distinct vertebrate species. This proposal is concerned with determining the morphogenetic, evolutionary and molecular basis for these two different developmental modes. To do this we will to extend our observations more widely to examine muscle formation in both the paired fins in a phyloge ....Specification and evolution of vertebrate appendicular muscle. Previously we have determined that two different developmental mechanisms are utilised to make the muscles present within the fins and limbs of distinct vertebrate species. This proposal is concerned with determining the morphogenetic, evolutionary and molecular basis for these two different developmental modes. To do this we will to extend our observations more widely to examine muscle formation in both the paired fins in a phylogenetically diverse context. We further hope to determine the underlying genetic basis for these different morphologies by developing techniques to examine their formation in a number of embryonic contexts.Read moreRead less
Testing a new explanation of cloud feedback on global climate. A new analysis suggests that the sensitivity of global climate to greenhouse gases is largely controlled by the upward transport of water vapour in the lower troposphere, but the analysis did not examine clouds, which must be involved for the mechanism to be valid. The aim of the proposed project is to determine whether variations in cloud implied by this new explanation are supported by observations and process models. If the explan ....Testing a new explanation of cloud feedback on global climate. A new analysis suggests that the sensitivity of global climate to greenhouse gases is largely controlled by the upward transport of water vapour in the lower troposphere, but the analysis did not examine clouds, which must be involved for the mechanism to be valid. The aim of the proposed project is to determine whether variations in cloud implied by this new explanation are supported by observations and process models. If the explanation is confirmed, then for the first time in over 30 years of intense research it will be possible to determine the long-term severity of global warming by examining the present-day atmosphere. The expected outcome of this research is to clarify how and why low clouds change in altered climates.Read moreRead less
New insights into abrupt climate change using isotope model-data fusion. There have been several episodes in the past 60,000 years during which carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere causing significant and rapid warming. This project aims to determine the source of the carbon responsible for these warming events. This project is significant because it will increase our understanding of the processes underlying abrupt past, and potential future changes. These processes are currently und ....New insights into abrupt climate change using isotope model-data fusion. There have been several episodes in the past 60,000 years during which carbon dioxide was released into the atmosphere causing significant and rapid warming. This project aims to determine the source of the carbon responsible for these warming events. This project is significant because it will increase our understanding of the processes underlying abrupt past, and potential future changes. These processes are currently underestimated or missing in climate models. The expected outcomes include a better understanding of the non-linear responses in the climate system. This should provide significant benefits, such as an assessment of whether the smooth climate changes currently projected through to year 2100 are misleading.Read moreRead less
Evaluation of targeting rules for implementing monetary policy. Monetary policy plays a primary role in stabilising business cycle fluctuations and in mitigating the effects of large economic shocks. This research deals with key issues in the operation of monetary policy. Our econometric analysis will provide new evidence on the short term goals pursed by central banks and improve our understanding their trade-offs. One application of our results will be an improvement in the ability to measure ....Evaluation of targeting rules for implementing monetary policy. Monetary policy plays a primary role in stabilising business cycle fluctuations and in mitigating the effects of large economic shocks. This research deals with key issues in the operation of monetary policy. Our econometric analysis will provide new evidence on the short term goals pursed by central banks and improve our understanding their trade-offs. One application of our results will be an improvement in the ability to measure and evaluate the performance of central banks. Greater evidence on the objectives and constraints of central banks will increase public knowledge and understanding of monetary policy, leading to more effective policy. Read moreRead less
Living on the edge: settlement dynamics of reef fishes across their ranges. Settlement and early establishment (recruitment) are major determinants of population viability of marine organisms, and can vary greatly among oceans and latitudes. We will compare the recruitment dynamics of populations of reef fishes across their range, including at range boundaries where populations may be more vulnerable to environmental impact. We will test the hypothesis that a combination of highly erratic sett ....Living on the edge: settlement dynamics of reef fishes across their ranges. Settlement and early establishment (recruitment) are major determinants of population viability of marine organisms, and can vary greatly among oceans and latitudes. We will compare the recruitment dynamics of populations of reef fishes across their range, including at range boundaries where populations may be more vulnerable to environmental impact. We will test the hypothesis that a combination of highly erratic settlement, poor physiological condition of incoming larvae, and poor recruit growth and survivorship will occur at range boundaries. Outcomes of the study will help in prediction of the viability of fish populations which will improve their management and protection.Read moreRead less
Local climate changes caused by large bushfire burnt areas. This project aims to quantify the impact on local climate produced by large burnt areas after extreme bushfires. This project expects to generate new knowledge on these previously unexplored fire-scar induced changes to local climate. It will extend an innovative approach that combines satellite based earth observation with very high resolution regional climate modelling to quantify the impacts on land-atmosphere feedbacks and local cli ....Local climate changes caused by large bushfire burnt areas. This project aims to quantify the impact on local climate produced by large burnt areas after extreme bushfires. This project expects to generate new knowledge on these previously unexplored fire-scar induced changes to local climate. It will extend an innovative approach that combines satellite based earth observation with very high resolution regional climate modelling to quantify the impacts on land-atmosphere feedbacks and local climate. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced methods to quantify local climate changes after extreme fires and their effect on vegetation recovery. This should provide significant benefits to the planning for, and management of, vegetation recovery after extreme fires.Read moreRead less
Trust-Oriented Data Analytics in Online Social Networks. Trust-oriented data analytics is essential in online social networks for reducing deceitful interactions and enhancing trust between users. This project aims to systematically devise innovative solutions by considering rich social contextual information as an important source of trust. The expected outcomes of this project include innovative solutions from a fundamental perspective to the challenges of context-aware trust propagation, trus ....Trust-Oriented Data Analytics in Online Social Networks. Trust-oriented data analytics is essential in online social networks for reducing deceitful interactions and enhancing trust between users. This project aims to systematically devise innovative solutions by considering rich social contextual information as an important source of trust. The expected outcomes of this project include innovative solutions from a fundamental perspective to the challenges of context-aware trust propagation, trust network searching/matching, and trustworthy/malicious user prediction in online social networks. This project is significant as it will advance the knowledge base for enabling a trustworthy social networking environment, benefiting billions of Australian and worldwide online social network users.Read moreRead less