Testing metabolic theories in ecology. There are striking similarities in the way plants and animals take up and use energy (metabolism), despite enormous variation in size and life-style. This project will make the first experimental comparison of the predictions of the two major theories for these broad patterns. The results will significantly progress this controversial and exciting field.
Testing the importance of large-scale climate factors to plant community assembly following land-use change. This project will examine the native plant species and functional diversity of Australia's rain forest communities to create a predictive framework of how plant communities recover following deforestation. Such a framework is key to focusing conservation efforts in degraded and multi-use landscapes.
Why are complex habitats more diverse? This project aims to develop and test theory for the ubiquitous relationship between habitat complexity and biodiversity. Whether in forests, grasslands, kelp forests or coral reefs, habitat complexity is increasingly being flattened by natural and human-based processes. The project will integrate novel three-dimensional habitat models with established ecological theory, and then validate the theory on coral reefs that have undergone disturbances with diffe ....Why are complex habitats more diverse? This project aims to develop and test theory for the ubiquitous relationship between habitat complexity and biodiversity. Whether in forests, grasslands, kelp forests or coral reefs, habitat complexity is increasingly being flattened by natural and human-based processes. The project will integrate novel three-dimensional habitat models with established ecological theory, and then validate the theory on coral reefs that have undergone disturbances with different effects on complexity (cyclones and bleaching). This project will significantly advance the predictive capacity of biodiversity risk assessments of these threatened ecosystems and potentially others worldwide.Read moreRead less
Functional links between estuaries and their catchments: How does land use change affect estuarine ecological and bio-geochemical function? Estuaries are iconic recreational areas of high ecological and socio-economic value. Estuarine health is strongly linked to the catchments that feed them, yet we have no detailed understanding of these links. This project will use a number of state of the art approaches to better understand how land use affects estuarine health.
Ocean acidification and marine fish: an evolutionary perspective. The overarching aim of this project is to advance knowledge on the long-term impacts of ocean acidification on marine fish and fisheries. An interrelated set of projects will be developed that tests the capacity of marine fish to adapt to projected future rises in ocean carbon dioxide and will investigate the effects of ocean acidification on apex predators and key fisheries species. The research will address critical knowledge ga ....Ocean acidification and marine fish: an evolutionary perspective. The overarching aim of this project is to advance knowledge on the long-term impacts of ocean acidification on marine fish and fisheries. An interrelated set of projects will be developed that tests the capacity of marine fish to adapt to projected future rises in ocean carbon dioxide and will investigate the effects of ocean acidification on apex predators and key fisheries species. The research will address critical knowledge gaps in ocean acidification research and provide advice about the impacts of ocean acidification on marine biodiversity and fisheries productivity on time scales relevant to strategic management and policy decision-making in Australia and internationally.Read moreRead less
Phenotypic and adaptive responses to environmental change. This project aims to investigate how environmental change will effect coral reef fish by assessing adaptive responses in a model species. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the interplay between adaption and plasticity both within and across generations using novel experimental designs. Expected outcomes include improved models of fish acclimation and adaptation to environmental change and an enhanced evidence base to info ....Phenotypic and adaptive responses to environmental change. This project aims to investigate how environmental change will effect coral reef fish by assessing adaptive responses in a model species. This project expects to generate new knowledge on the interplay between adaption and plasticity both within and across generations using novel experimental designs. Expected outcomes include improved models of fish acclimation and adaptation to environmental change and an enhanced evidence base to inform the management of cumulative impacts. This will provide significant benefits to Australian and international communities that rely on fish for nutrition, economic and/or social value.Read moreRead less
Exotic and native plant coexistence in novel communities. The development of novel communities has become an inevitable outcome of global change. Despite this, we have a poor understanding of the mechanisms driving their assembly. Here, experimental and modelling approaches will be used to identify how competition among native and exotic plant species change across key environmental gradients, leading to: resilient native communities; stable novel communities - mixes of native and exotic species ....Exotic and native plant coexistence in novel communities. The development of novel communities has become an inevitable outcome of global change. Despite this, we have a poor understanding of the mechanisms driving their assembly. Here, experimental and modelling approaches will be used to identify how competition among native and exotic plant species change across key environmental gradients, leading to: resilient native communities; stable novel communities - mixes of native and exotic species; or, degraded communities dominated by exotic species. The annual plant communities of Western Australia's (WA) York Gum woodlands will be used as a model system. Outcomes will improve management of WA wildflower communities and provide a framework for predicting novel community formation worldwide.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100398
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$349,886.00
Summary
Advancing detection and understanding of anomalous ecological change. Human impacts are driving ecosystems into new, anomalous states. Reliably detecting these ecological anomalies is essential to better understand how ecosystems change over time, and effectively manage natural resources. This project aims to advance ecological anomaly detection using techniques from complex fields such as banking fraud, cybersecurity and video surveillance. Expected project outcomes will improve understanding o ....Advancing detection and understanding of anomalous ecological change. Human impacts are driving ecosystems into new, anomalous states. Reliably detecting these ecological anomalies is essential to better understand how ecosystems change over time, and effectively manage natural resources. This project aims to advance ecological anomaly detection using techniques from complex fields such as banking fraud, cybersecurity and video surveillance. Expected project outcomes will improve understanding of patterns and drivers of both biodiversity and ecosystem change. Tools to reliably detect anomalous changes in complex ecological systems will provide significant benefits to ecosystem management, conservation decision-making and environmental remediation.Read moreRead less
A changing climate for calcification on the Great Barrier Reef: past, present and future. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a national and international icon, recognised through its inscription as a World Heritage Area and economic and social value to Australians. Maintenance of the GBR as we know it is now compromised by a rapidly changing climate. Ocean acidification, warming water temperatures and increased freshwater will progressively be detrimental to the fundamental reef-building process ....A changing climate for calcification on the Great Barrier Reef: past, present and future. The Great Barrier Reef (GBR) is a national and international icon, recognised through its inscription as a World Heritage Area and economic and social value to Australians. Maintenance of the GBR as we know it is now compromised by a rapidly changing climate. Ocean acidification, warming water temperatures and increased freshwater will progressively be detrimental to the fundamental reef-building process of calcification. Informed policy and management strategies in a rapidly changing physical environment require determination, for short and long time frames, of the regional consequences and impacts of changing reef-building capacity.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL120100063
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,511,216.00
Summary
Science for management of coral reefs. This project will lead an international team to undertake a novel, multi-disciplinary program of research on coral reefs to better understand and avoid dangerous ecological tipping points. This research will cement Australia’s leading contribution to reef science, and will guide the management and sustainable use of ecosystems around the world.