Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change.
. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. Our understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited at this point. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidiscipli ....Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change.
. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. Our understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited at this point. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidisciplinary researchers and Super Science Fellows to explore the threats and challenges posed by rapidly rising sea levels. By building capacity and answering many urgent and difficult questions related to the legal, environmental and planning ramifications of sea level rise, this project will prepare communities and policymakers for the difficult times ahead.Read moreRead less
UPTAKE OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2 IN THE OCEANS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE: NEW PROXY DEVELOPMENTS. This project aims to quantify the response of the oceans to increasing atmospheric CO2 from anthropogenic production. This will be achieved by using newly developed paleoceanographic indicators in deep sea sediments, corals and coralline sponges. These will be used to evaluate changes in seawater acidity and the response of the oceans to past variations in atmospheric CO2. The capacity and role o ....UPTAKE OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2 IN THE OCEANS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE: NEW PROXY DEVELOPMENTS. This project aims to quantify the response of the oceans to increasing atmospheric CO2 from anthropogenic production. This will be achieved by using newly developed paleoceanographic indicators in deep sea sediments, corals and coralline sponges. These will be used to evaluate changes in seawater acidity and the response of the oceans to past variations in atmospheric CO2. The capacity and role of the oceans to buffer the rise of atmospheric of CO2 will be ascertained. This will provide constraints on the impact of increased seawater acidity on coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef.Read moreRead less
The key role of the Southern Ocean in atmospheric CO2 sequestration. The integrated approach proposed in this study aims to quantify past changes in marine productivity and its role in controlling past atmospheric CO2 variations. This will be achieved by studying deep sea sediments from the Southern Ocean, a key area with a fundamental importance in the global ocean biological pump. This research will enhance our understanding of the linkages connecting marine biota, the ocean carbon cycle and g ....The key role of the Southern Ocean in atmospheric CO2 sequestration. The integrated approach proposed in this study aims to quantify past changes in marine productivity and its role in controlling past atmospheric CO2 variations. This will be achieved by studying deep sea sediments from the Southern Ocean, a key area with a fundamental importance in the global ocean biological pump. This research will enhance our understanding of the linkages connecting marine biota, the ocean carbon cycle and global climate, providing the basis for more reliable predictions about the impacts of the recent rapid atmospheric CO2 increase. Possible remediation solutions involving marine phytoplankton to this CO2 excess will be thoroughly assessed.Read moreRead less
Monitoring and Predicting Near Real Time Ionospheric Activities with Multi-satellite Data. The ionosphere affects the transmission of electromagnetic waves, which can result in disturbance or intermission of radio signals being used for communication, navigation and other microwave systems. This project aims to monitor and predict near real-time ionospheric activities with multi-satellite data. The expected outcomes include: 1) an innovative algorithm to calculate the Total Electron Content from ....Monitoring and Predicting Near Real Time Ionospheric Activities with Multi-satellite Data. The ionosphere affects the transmission of electromagnetic waves, which can result in disturbance or intermission of radio signals being used for communication, navigation and other microwave systems. This project aims to monitor and predict near real-time ionospheric activities with multi-satellite data. The expected outcomes include: 1) an innovative algorithm to calculate the Total Electron Content from multi-satellite data; 2) an automated software package for mapping 3-dimensional ionospheric profile; and 3) an improved understanding of the detailed processes and causes of ionospheric events, that can enhance the space weather services for Australia and the world.Read moreRead less
Complexity in climate impact assessment: a methodology to address extremes. It is something of a truism that the events and states of the changing environment that affect society tend to fall in the extremes. My goal is to develop a model-based methodology to characterize the extremes that are not usually predicted by climate models. Key extremes of importance to stakeholders in Australia and around the world include coastal flooding and fire. These events, in the context of regional climate var ....Complexity in climate impact assessment: a methodology to address extremes. It is something of a truism that the events and states of the changing environment that affect society tend to fall in the extremes. My goal is to develop a model-based methodology to characterize the extremes that are not usually predicted by climate models. Key extremes of importance to stakeholders in Australia and around the world include coastal flooding and fire. These events, in the context of regional climate variation, will act as test cases for the methodology. From this work, the likelihood of policy-relevant events in the future can be evaluated, with a robust assessment of the uncertainty.Read moreRead less
Fingerprints of global climate change and forest management on rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling. Using a series of innovative techniques, this project seeks to capture the excellent, exciting opportunities for studying impacts of global climate change (GCC) and forest management on plant-soil-microbe interactions in rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling, with two of the world's best GCC forest experiments in Sweden and USA and three long-term forest management experiments in Australia. ....Fingerprints of global climate change and forest management on rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling. Using a series of innovative techniques, this project seeks to capture the excellent, exciting opportunities for studying impacts of global climate change (GCC) and forest management on plant-soil-microbe interactions in rhizosphere carbon and nutrient cycling, with two of the world's best GCC forest experiments in Sweden and USA and three long-term forest management experiments in Australia. The successful conduct of this multidisciplinary collaborative research will result in: improved understanding and management of forest ecosystems in response to GCC and effective biodiversity conservation in managed forests; and enhanced international reputation and expertise of the Australian scientists in the relevant research fields.Read moreRead less
Accounting for Sustainability: Developing an Integrated Approach for Sustainability Assessments. In today's challenging world, we need to find new ways to sustain our cities, communities and organisations. In the past decade, various bodies have developed highly sophisticated indicators for monitoring and measuring sustainability. However these indicators often become detached from practical tasks at hand - managing businesses, preserving the environment, or promoting social and cultural well-be ....Accounting for Sustainability: Developing an Integrated Approach for Sustainability Assessments. In today's challenging world, we need to find new ways to sustain our cities, communities and organisations. In the past decade, various bodies have developed highly sophisticated indicators for monitoring and measuring sustainability. However these indicators often become detached from practical tasks at hand - managing businesses, preserving the environment, or promoting social and cultural well-being. This project will develop a framework and software system for evaluating and applying indicators in common planning and reporting situations. The project will benefit Australian organisations by a) developing clear, practical sustainability goals; b) lowering cost of reporting compliance and c) improving sustainability practices.Read moreRead less
Adaptation to carbon-tax-induced changes in energy demand in rural and regional Australia. The Clean Energy Bills will create a more sustainable environment but have a large impact on energy sectors. This project models the impact of the carbon tax and the responses of energy sectors.
Environmental Genomics: Mining, climate change, water, crime and health. The new Environmental Genomics approach will employ high-powered genome sequencing systems to perform some of the first detailed genetic studies of Australian environments. The resulting high-resolution data will comprise a genetic audit, providing essential information for the accurate measurement of climate and environmental change. This method will dramatically improve the speed, and power of environmental impact assessm ....Environmental Genomics: Mining, climate change, water, crime and health. The new Environmental Genomics approach will employ high-powered genome sequencing systems to perform some of the first detailed genetic studies of Australian environments. The resulting high-resolution data will comprise a genetic audit, providing essential information for the accurate measurement of climate and environmental change. This method will dramatically improve the speed, and power of environmental impact assessments, permitting responsible resource development with major benefits to industry and the economy. It will also create new tools to improve water management and quality, biosecurity, forensics/policing and human health, as reflected by the diverse range of industry partners supporting this project.Read moreRead less
From Biodiversity to Health: Performing the first genetic audits of Australia. This project will establish a new technology for the rapid measurement of environmental biodiversity, whether that be in natural resources such as forests, or pathogens in water supplies or hospitals. The method is fast, low-cost and will provide much higher resolution than current methods. It will provide some of the first ever comprehensive environmental impact assessments, permitting responsible resource developmen ....From Biodiversity to Health: Performing the first genetic audits of Australia. This project will establish a new technology for the rapid measurement of environmental biodiversity, whether that be in natural resources such as forests, or pathogens in water supplies or hospitals. The method is fast, low-cost and will provide much higher resolution than current methods. It will provide some of the first ever comprehensive environmental impact assessments, permitting responsible resource development with major benefits to industry and the economy. It also provides a common platform for government agencies, from Department of Environment and Heritage to the Federal Police, and will create new tools to improve water management, biosecurity, forensics/policing and human health, as reflected by the wide range of industry partners supporting the project.Read moreRead less