Tropical Water & Ecosystems
Scott Morrissey
- Research Officer
- scott.morrissey@jcu.edu.au
Tim Smith
- Senior Research Officer
- tim.smith2@jcu.edu.au
Alejandro Navarro Otero
- Casual Research Worker
- alejandro.navarrootero@jcu.edu.au
Jack Koci
- Principal Research Officer
- jack.koci1@jcu.edu.au
Sarah McDonald
- Senior Research Officer
- sarah.mcdonald@jcu.edu.au
Emily Webster
- Research Officer
- emily.webster1@jcu.edu.au
Abbi Scott
- Senior Research Officer
- abbi.scott1@jcu.edu.au
Catherine Collier
- Principal Research Officer
- catherine.collier@jcu.edu.au
Rob Coles
- Principal Research Scientist
- rob.coles@jcu.edu.au
Aaron Davis
- Principal Research Officer
- aaron.davis@jcu.edu.au
James Maternity Funding (Old ID 23503)
This funding is to provide support for during and when I return from maternity leave and will allow me to concentrate on my research efforts, delegate non-specialist tasks and utilize my research skills to their best advantage. The funding will be used to support a research assistant working on a project investigating how historical and contemporary disturbances from livestock, military usage and fire history impact upon ambient water quality and biotic indices against a backdrop of high inter and intra annual variation in rainfall and associated stream flows.
Distributions and behaviours of stingrays (Old ID 27582)
Stingrays are abundant intermediate predators in shallow coastal waters that impact biotic communities and structure physical environments. However, assessments of ray communities and their habitat use are sparse, resulting in poor understanding of their ecological value and management. For this project, I will evaluate ray populations in diverse intertidal habitats around Orpheus Island and examine how spatio-temporal factors influence community composition, distribution and behaviours. This goal is divided into research objectives with outcomes that will improve our ability to identify valuable areas for rays and understand how behaviours are linked to habitat choice, functional roles, and ecological impacts.
2023 Southern GBR Coastal Wetland Feasibility Assessment (Old ID 28939)
To identify locations and activities between Cairns and Gladstone where coastal protection and restoration could occur to increase carbon sequestration and storage. Climate change is threatening the health of all ecosystems globally, including Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The restoration of coastal ecosystems presents a substantial opportunity to not only sequester carbon, necessary for reducing climate change, with mangrove forests estimated to store approximately five times more carbon per hectare than tropical rainforests. In addition, carbon sequestration, coastal ecosystems can protect from storm surges and erosion, provide habitat for fisheries, improve water quality from runoff, and support immense biodiversity. This project aims to survey the health of the coastal ecosystems between Cairns and Gladstone and identify opportunities for the restoration of mangroves and salt marsh.
Reef lagoon benthic habitat mapping in the Coral Sea Marine Park (Old ID 27466)
This project will undertake reef lagoon benthic habitat mapping within the Coral Sea Marine Park. Sites to be surveyed are the western lagoon of Holmes Reef, all of Herald Cays, the lagoon between the Diamond Islets in Tregrosse Reef, and the eastern corner of the lagoon in Lihou Reef. This project will produce the first extensive reef lagoon benthic maps of the selected regions in the Coral Sea Marine Park and will be the first seagrass survey in the Coral Sea.
HPCT Berth 1 Upgrade – Marine Benthic Habitat Assessment. (Old ID 27895)
Advisian have engaged TropWATER to undertake a survey to determine the presence/absence of marine plants within and adjacent to the extension proposed at HPCT Berth 1, located at the Port of Hay Point. Specifically, the survey requires assessment of marine plant distribution in the area proposed for expanded dredging.
Investigating fine-scale habitat use of rays in high-value intertidal nurseries. (Old ID 28989)
Project aims to understand fine-scale habitat use of stingrays on intertidal sandflats. Data on abundances, species composition, and habitat use are being collected via drone assessments, and hands-on capture is being conducted to study diet and assess how foraging shapes habitat use.
Investigating the Effects of Seagrass productivity on pH at Local Scales (Old ID 20928)
During photosynthetic uptake of carbon, seagrasses modify seawater chemistry (reduce DIC and increase pH) and "buffer" against OA at local scales. Furthermore, seagrass meadows are likely to increase their productivity as DIC increases because they can be carbon limited. This project will be undertaken by a PhD candidate who will measure seagrass productivity and its effects on seawater chemistry in a range of
NESP 7.1 - Continuity Proposal for ‘Project 25’ – Farmers, Water Quality and On-Farm Decision-Making (Old ID 27131)
Landholder concerns surrounding the credibility of broad-scale water quality monitoring and modelling initiatives in the GBR catchment area has emerged as one of the major cane industry engagement challenges for promoting significant farming practice change, and delivering water quality improvements. Based around small, sub-catchment scale water quality monitoring in a key cane growing region of the GBR catchment, Project 25 successfully utilised a bottom-up approach to integrated sub-catchment monitoring and intervention to identify ‘hot spot’ sub-catchments through localised water quality monitoring. In a collaborative programs between scientists from a range of organisations (JCU, CSIRO) and cane farming stakeholders, the Project emphasised industry ownership and control of monitoring design, and delivery of locally targeted water quality data and extension effort to provide confidence in on-farm decision making and facilitate practice change.
Mapping Yanyuwa Sea Country - Intertidal (Old ID 27848)
This sub-project is a collaboration of specialists from James Cook University and Charles Darwin University. The team will survey the intertidal marine benthic habitats within Yanyuwa sea country. A baseline seagrass survey and ongoing monitoring will provide an opportunity for Traditional Owners to engage in the developing blue carbon economy and empower Yanyuwa people in decision-making in local resource use.
International Travel Support - INQUA 2019 (Old ID 26424)
Funding to support international travel to attend and present at the 20th International Quaternary Association Congress in Dublin, Ireland. Oral presentation of PhD results in palaeoenvironmental science.
Coral decline threatens fish biodiversity in marine reserves
- 2004
- National Academy of Sciences
- Researchers:Maya Srinivasan
Mid-late Holocene sea-level variability in eastern Australia
- 2008
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:Stephen Lewis
Start Date:
01 Jan 2023
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
01 Jan 2022
Start Date:
01 Jan 2022
Title:
Editorial Board Chemosphere
Start Date:
01 Jan 2022
Start Date:
01 Jan 2026
End Date:
01 Jan 2026
Title:
PhD, James Cook University
Start Date:
01 Jan 2011
End Date:
01 Jan 2015
Start Date:
01 Jan 2005
End Date:
01 Jan 2007
Start Date:
01 Jan 2021
End Date:
01 Jan 2022
Start Date:
01 Jan 2022
End Date:
01 Jan 2022
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2024