Multiphase flow and transport in complex coastal wetland systems. Salt marshes play an essential role in maintaining Australia's coastal bio-diversity. They also function as barriers to fluxes of terrestrial pollutants to our coastal sea. Australia has a large number of salt marshes listed by the Ramsar Convention as coastal wetlands of international importance but many of them are subject to loss and degradation due to competing land uses. This project, examining in detail the flow and transpor ....Multiphase flow and transport in complex coastal wetland systems. Salt marshes play an essential role in maintaining Australia's coastal bio-diversity. They also function as barriers to fluxes of terrestrial pollutants to our coastal sea. Australia has a large number of salt marshes listed by the Ramsar Convention as coastal wetlands of international importance but many of them are subject to loss and degradation due to competing land uses. This project, examining in detail the flow and transport processes in marsh soils, will lead to (1) better understanding of the marsh's response to anthropogenic stress; and (2) improvement of strategies and methods for marsh wetland preservation and restoration.Read moreRead less
Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the ....Improved tools for comprehensive monitoring of water-clarity and light availability in coral reef ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage Area, home to over 1 million species and provides Australia with $6 billion in annual revenue. The capacity to monitor Australia’s natural resources and changes in condition are integral components of a sustainably and adaptively managed resource. By providing key synoptic tools to comprehensively monitor water quality and ecosystem status, the project will contribute directly to an Environmentally Sustainable Australia and improve national capacity for responding to climate change and variability in coral reef environments. It will enable Australian remote sensing scientists to contribute knowledge and tools to the international community for application to coral reef and coastal waters globally. Read moreRead less
The Effect of Fuel Type on Health and Environmental Risks Caused by Motor Vehicle Emissions. Motor vehicles constitute one of the most significant sources of air pollutants but the state of knowledge on the quantity of some of these does not permit for projection of the risk they create. This project aims at quantification of emissions of pollutants contributing to deterioration of health, ozone formation, global warming and acid rain as a function of fuel type, using a novel on-road sampling m ....The Effect of Fuel Type on Health and Environmental Risks Caused by Motor Vehicle Emissions. Motor vehicles constitute one of the most significant sources of air pollutants but the state of knowledge on the quantity of some of these does not permit for projection of the risk they create. This project aims at quantification of emissions of pollutants contributing to deterioration of health, ozone formation, global warming and acid rain as a function of fuel type, using a novel on-road sampling method. Resultantly, a holistic picture of integrated health and environmental risk will be developed that will build a scientific foundation for future fuel,transport and land use to protect the community and the environment.Read moreRead less
Darwin Harbour corals as environmental data archives and bio-monitors. The forecast rapid population growth and industrial development of the Darwin Harbour catchment necessitates research into novel environmental monitoring techniques to aid the sustainable management of the Harbours resources. This project will develop a powerful and cost-effective bio-monitoring system by using chemical data stored in yearly growth bands of coral skeletons stretching back at least two centuries. Such data wil ....Darwin Harbour corals as environmental data archives and bio-monitors. The forecast rapid population growth and industrial development of the Darwin Harbour catchment necessitates research into novel environmental monitoring techniques to aid the sustainable management of the Harbours resources. This project will develop a powerful and cost-effective bio-monitoring system by using chemical data stored in yearly growth bands of coral skeletons stretching back at least two centuries. Such data will form a comparative baseline against which present and future coral data on pollutants released by urban, industrial and other developments can be assessed.Read moreRead less
Quantifying the pathways and fluxes of iron to Moreton Bay. Recent investigations into the blooms of Lyngbya majuscula in Moreton Bay have identified dissolved iron, phosphorus and humic substances as important triggers of blooms. These chemicals are most likely sourced from land activities and transported by surface and ground water into the bay. Quantification of the groundwater discharge and associated chemical input to the bay has been identified by the Lyngbya Scientific Panel and the Lyng ....Quantifying the pathways and fluxes of iron to Moreton Bay. Recent investigations into the blooms of Lyngbya majuscula in Moreton Bay have identified dissolved iron, phosphorus and humic substances as important triggers of blooms. These chemicals are most likely sourced from land activities and transported by surface and ground water into the bay. Quantification of the groundwater discharge and associated chemical input to the bay has been identified by the Lyngbya Scientific Panel and the Lyngbya Management Steering Committee as a key issue for future Lyngbya scientific investigations. This project aims to investigate and quantify both surface and subsurface pathways and fluxes of iron to the bay.Read moreRead less
Multi-Scale Analysis of the Vulnerability of Coral Reefs to Ocean Acidification. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of Australia's biggest icons, and represents more than 10% of the world's coral reefs. It is a World Heritage Area and is home to more than 1 million species. The GBR provides Australia with more than $6 billion in annual national revenue. To help manage for sustained resilience of the GBR in an era of climate change, Australia needs to understand the major threats, in particular ....Multi-Scale Analysis of the Vulnerability of Coral Reefs to Ocean Acidification. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is one of Australia's biggest icons, and represents more than 10% of the world's coral reefs. It is a World Heritage Area and is home to more than 1 million species. The GBR provides Australia with more than $6 billion in annual national revenue. To help manage for sustained resilience of the GBR in an era of climate change, Australia needs to understand the major threats, in particular ocean acidification. By producing an innovative framework for assessing acidification risks, the project will help Australia demonstrate continued stewardship of one of the world's richest and most sensitive ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Changes of salt dynamics and distribution in coastal marshes. This project aims to determine and quantify key mechanisms underlying salt transport and distribution in coastal salt marshes. Combining field measurements, laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, the proposed research will tackle long-standing questions concerning accumulation of excessive salt in the marsh soil, which imposes significant stress on marsh plants. This project will examine how temporal and spatial salinity va ....Changes of salt dynamics and distribution in coastal marshes. This project aims to determine and quantify key mechanisms underlying salt transport and distribution in coastal salt marshes. Combining field measurements, laboratory experiments and numerical simulations, the proposed research will tackle long-standing questions concerning accumulation of excessive salt in the marsh soil, which imposes significant stress on marsh plants. This project will examine how temporal and spatial salinity variations lead to large density gradients that may trigger unstable pore-water flow and solute transport. The outcomes will advance our understanding of fundamental links between the marsh hydrology and ecology, and improve our scientific basis for evaluating the marsh ecosystem under different stress conditions.Read moreRead less
Physical and geochemical coupling in a subterranean estuary. This project aims to determine and quantify key mechanisms governing chemical transport and transformation in a tidally dominated subterranean estuary. The project will be the first attempt worldwide to measure simultaneously the temporal and spatial variability of coupled physical and geochemical processes in the intertidal zone of a subterranean estuary. The project will generate much-needed understanding of the role of subterranean ....Physical and geochemical coupling in a subterranean estuary. This project aims to determine and quantify key mechanisms governing chemical transport and transformation in a tidally dominated subterranean estuary. The project will be the first attempt worldwide to measure simultaneously the temporal and spatial variability of coupled physical and geochemical processes in the intertidal zone of a subterranean estuary. The project will generate much-needed understanding of the role of subterranean estuaries in controlling fluxes of land-derived chemicals to the ocean via submarine groundwater discharge. The outcomes will have important implications for assessing and minimising the impact of groundwater contamination on the coastal zone. It will provide better understanding of the pathway of land-derived nutrients and contaminants entering coastal waters, leading to improvement of strategies for sustainable coastal resources management and development, and integration of upland and lowland catchments management.Read moreRead less
Coupled physical and biogeochemical dynamics on the Australian North West Shelf. Information regarding the natural function of the Australian North West Shelf is urgently required to sustainably manage the often conflicting uses of the region. This project will study the role of ocean processes in driving ocean productivity on the North West Shelf and determine the impact of projected climate variability.
A paradigm shift for predictions of freshwater harmful cyanobacteria blooms. This project aims to advance model predictions to generate novel insights into the triggers of freshwater harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Current models are poorly adapted for this purpose because they fail to account for antecedent environmental forcing. The project is expected to create new knowledge of cyanobacteria dynamics from simulating the adaptive responses of individual cyanobacteria cells, colonies or filaments ....A paradigm shift for predictions of freshwater harmful cyanobacteria blooms. This project aims to advance model predictions to generate novel insights into the triggers of freshwater harmful cyanobacteria blooms. Current models are poorly adapted for this purpose because they fail to account for antecedent environmental forcing. The project is expected to create new knowledge of cyanobacteria dynamics from simulating the adaptive responses of individual cyanobacteria cells, colonies or filaments to temperature, light and nutrient history. Three field studies will be used to validate a new individual based model. The outcomes of this project will be valuable for managing freshwater ecosystems that are increasingly subject to blooms in a warming climate, and for testing suitable mitigation and control strategies.Read moreRead less