Tropical Water & Ecosystems

Scott Morrissey

Scott Morrissey

Tim Smith

Tim Smith

Alejandro Navarro Otero

Alejandro Navarro Otero

Jack Koci

Jack Koci

Sarah McDonald

Sarah McDonald

Emily Webster

Emily Webster

Abbi Scott

Abbi Scott

Catherine Collier

Catherine Collier

Rob Coles

Rob Coles

Aaron Davis

Aaron Davis

Ravenswood Gold Environmental Research, Monitoring & Investigations. (Old ID 26949)
Sarah McDonald
30 Jun 2020 - 31 Aug 2025
Environmental monitoring, research and assessment to meet regularity assessment requirements for aquatic, riparian and terrestrial systems in the region of the Ravenswood Gold mine. In addition, there are investigations into site specific water quality and sediment quality objectives.
Cassowary Coast Green Nourishment (Seagrass) Program (Stage 1 – Feasibility)
Paul York
01 Aug 2024 - 30 Jun 2025
Working with Cassowary Coast Regional Council to study the feasibility of restoring coastal seagrass meadows to promote Green Beach Nourishment and coastal protection
Building capacity of GMY rangers to participate in the management of their Sea Country – 2.0
Skye McKenna
01 Sep 2024 - 31 Jan 2026
This collaborative project between GMY (Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Rangers) and JCU’s TropWATER team is a continuation and expansion of our GBRF Healing Country project and Queensland Indigenous Land and Sea Ranger GBR Program project. This project will continue to fill critical knowledge gaps by collecting baseline information or update old information for seagrass habitat, the current health and condition of coral habitats and dugong and turtle movement in GMY Sea Country. GMY rangers will work with JCU TropWATER scientists to up-skill in key areas: seagrass, dugong and coral reef surveys and monitoring methods; drones, mapping and GIS survey methods; habitat mapping; and data management. JCU TropWATER staff; Skye McKenna, Dr Katie Chartrand & Dr Chris Cleguer will provide the science (i.e., science around mapping benthic habitats, designing monitoring programs & aerial drone-based research & monitoring), technical (i.e., using spatial databases, data management systems, drone training), logistical (i.e., vessel and underwater camera equipment), reporting and training (i.e., species identification) support required to deliver the project.
Assessing seagrass distribution as habitat for dugong, turtle and fish on Mandubarra Sea Country
Paul York
01 May 2024 - 30 Nov 2025
The project will survey seagrass around the South Barnard Islands to complete habitat mapping within the coastal waters of Mandubarra's TUMRA. It will also look at the use of these seagrass meadows by the large herbivores, green turtles and dugong, that graze on them, using high intensity aerial surveys over key foraging grounds in the area. The project will also use Stereo Remote Underwater Video (RUVS) and Baited Underwater Videos (BRUVS) to identify, count and measure fish assemblages in seagrass and reef at Kurrimine Beach-King Reef and the Barnard Island to identify important nursery and adult fish habitats.
The Yunbenun Seagrass and Megafauna Monitoring Project
Skye McKenna
23 Sep 2024 - 30 Apr 2026
The Yunbenun Seagrass and Megafauna Monitoring Project will address knowledge gaps around seagrass and megafauna (i.e. dugong), in Wulgurukaba Sea Country which can be used to inform and drive on-ground action. The project will help build the capacity of Wulgurukaba People, Yunbenun Rangers and the community, to play an active role in protecting important island ecosystems and the animals that use them. At the end of this project, Wulgurukaba People and Yunbenun Rangers will have the foundation skills that will empower them to have an active and leading role in habitat and megafauna monitoring in Sea Country and potentially be involved in seagrass and megafauna activities that are already occurring in Sea Country such as such the Port of Townsville Long-Term Seagrass Monitoring Program and the MMP. The project will implement a multi-step strategy that starts with people and partners coming together to share knowledge, a synthesis of all the information we know about seagrasses and megafauna in Wulgurukaba Sea Country, training for skill and capacity building, on-ground assessments of benthic habitats and megafauna, and culminates with tangible outcomes such as maps of benthic habitats to fill knowledge gaps and a better understanding of the movement of megafauna around Yunbenun.
NQBP Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Program
Paula Cartwright
16 May 2022
I have been project manager of this program since 2022, managing the fieldwork, technical staff, data management, reporting, communications, and training.
Lower Herbert Fine Scale Monitoring
Aaron Davis
04 Sep 2024 - 31 Aug 2027
Fine scale monitoring program for water quality, developed in co-design with sugar industry
Lower Herbert Fine Scale Monitoring
Aaron Davis
04 Sep 2024 - 31 Aug 2027
Fine scale monitoring program for water quality, developed in co-design with sugar industry
Monitoring seagrass habitat of Yanyuwa Sea Country using Drones and Remote sensing
Alexandra Carter
01 May 2024 - 20 Dec 2024
The Yanyuwa people in the Gulf of Carpentaria are custodians of some of the most significant seagrass in the Northern Territory. This project will 1. provide training to li-Anthawirriyarra rangers for intertidal seagrass habitat mapping and monitoring of Yanyuwa Sea Country using drones and 2. Undertake intertidal seagrass monitoring using drones and remote sensing. and 3. Undertake drop camera surveys in subtidal habitats.
Townsville City Council Saltmarsh Restoration
Sigit Deni Sasmito
30 Oct 2024 - 31 Mar 2026
Undertake saltmarsh restoration trials with Townsville City Council within their estate.

Coral decline threatens fish biodiversity in marine reserves

Mid-late Holocene sea-level variability in eastern Australia

Recruitment in time and space: the dynamics and distributions of reef fish populations on a low latitude coral reef

  • 2006
  • Researchers:Maya Srinivasan

Patterns in tropical seagrass photosynthesis in relation to light, depth and habitat

Niche shifts and local competition between two coral reef fishes at their geographic boundary

A multi-trace element coral record of land-use changes in the Burdekin River catchment, NE Australia

Assessment of the water quality and ecosystem health of the Great Barrier Reef (Australia): conceptual models

Chlorophyll fluorescence measures of seagrasses Halophila ovalis and Zostera capricorni reveal differences in response to experimental shading

Sediment and nutrient exports for the Burdekin River catchment, north Queensland: a comparison of monitoring and modelling data

A review of load tools available for calculating pollutant exports to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon: a case study of varying catchment areas

Title: University Medal - Excellence for a doctoral research thesis
Reseracher: Zoe Bainbridge (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: Women in Research Citation Awards - Environmental science & management category
Reseracher: Zoe Bainbridge (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: Ian Potter Foundation Travel Award
Reseracher: Paul York (Principal Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: 2nd Australian and New Zealand Environmental DNA Conference Organising Committee
Reseracher: Scott Morrissey (Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
End Date: 01 Jan 2025
Title: 3rd Australian and New Zealand Environmental DNA Conference Organising Committee
Reseracher: Scott Morrissey (Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2026
Title: Southern eDNA Society
Reseracher: Scott Morrissey (Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Dean's Award for Higher Degree Research Excellence
Reseracher: Melanie Hamel (Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2016
Title: Burdekin Regional Working Group - NQ Dry Tropics (Landscape Repair Program)
Reseracher: Zoe Bainbridge (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Sediment Working Group - DCCEEW Reef Trust Landscape Repair Program
Reseracher: Zoe Bainbridge (Senior Research Fellow)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Bachelor of Science , James Cook University
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2001
End Date: 01 Jan 2005