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
Integrating Ecological, Social, and Cultural Values of the Coastal Waters of Roebuck Bay
Integrating Ecological, Social and Cultural Values of the Coastal Waters of Roebuck Bay. JCU researchers will lead the dugong component of this work, deploying telemetry tags on adult wild dugongs in collaboration with local indigenous Traditional Owners and dugong hunters to study the use of Roebuck Bay and greater region by the animals.
Tropical Seagrass Management Project (Stage 1)
This project will design Management Plans at three priority sites across the Wet Tropics, Dry Tropics, and West Cape York/Gulf of Carpentaria regions. These Management Plans will allow Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation to achieve a conservation outcome at a regional scale from financial offset payments for impacts to seagrass and benthic habitats.
Seagrass Restoration Opportunities in the Russell-Mulgrave Basin & Mutcharoo Inlet
Conduct seagrass assessments and identify restoration opportunities in the Russell Mulgrave / Wanjuru Yidinji Country, including training and workshops with Traditional Owners
Tiwi Islands seagrass surveys and development of ranger-led monitoring program
Tiwi People aspire for a healthy, managed Sea Country and to establish an integrated Marine IPA (MIPA). Tiwi Sea Country estate has high cultural and biodiversity significance, but this is poorly documented. The presence of important species such as dugong and turtle is known, but habitats important to these species has not been quantified.
Collecting data efficiently and co-designing monitoring that rangers can maintain in their workplans is a priority of the Tiwi rangers. Subtidal seagrass needs to be mapped and monitoring of these habitats designed for rangers to implement. We will:
• Participate in On-country consultations and knowledge sharing sessions (timing to be determined)
• Co-design subtidal benthic habitat surveys with Tiwi Resources
• Undertake benthic habitat surveys using a drop camera in collaboration with Tiwi sea rangers
• Analyse drop camera images, create maps and prepare draft data report
• Co-design and undertake two years of monitoring in collaboration with Tiwi sea rangers
• Purchase underwater camera system for Tiwi sea rangers
• Contribute to progress reports from Tiwi Resources to the Northern Territory Government as needed
Exploring eDNA methods for an ornamental snake detection
This project aims to develop and validate an environmental DNA assay targeting the ornamental snake, Denisonia maculata. This includes in-silico and in-vitro assay development and validation on eDNA samples collected on the field from sites where the target species had been observed within < 5 m distance.
Queensland Smithsonian Fellowships Grant Program
This project, carried out in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), aims to create improved determination of ecosystem health through novel detection of indicator microbial species. It build-up on my work at TropWATER, focused on applying genomic tools for detection of species of management concern.
Delivery of science to support the implementation of a National Marine Park Management Effectiveness system
Parks Australia is implementing a management effectiveness framework for Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). This system will support the management of 48% of Australia's EEZ. The Marine and Coastal Hub has supported the development of Parks Australia's (PA) Management Effectiveness (ME) system. The ME system is designed to allow Parks Australia to test the effectiveness of the Australian Marine Park (AMP) system and ensure that AMPs are effectively and appropriately managed. PA have identified priorities for research to assist in the implementation of the ME system, to identify scientific outputs needed for network management and adapt to new issues in the marine environment through the Australian Marine Parks Science Plan. This project will deliver several of the key science needs identified in the plan and will draw on the combined expertise of the partners and scientists within the Marine and Coastal Hub to generate the outcomes which build onto extensive work previously delivered.
Protecting valuable shoreline mangroves of northern Australia
The mass death (~80 km2) and dieback of shoreline mangroves around the Gulf of Carpentaria (GOC) and across northern Australia in 1982 and 2015 was a wake-up call to the vulnerability and immense importance of marine coastal ecosystems like mangroves. It is essential that we better understand the circumstances surrounding such catastrophic events, the environmental triggers identified, and what we might do to restore the damage while also preventing future occurrences. In response to the 2015 mass dieback event (the world’s largest such recorded event), the NESP commissioned an Emerging Priority project that utilised aerial surveys to assess the extent of the dieback along the entire Gulf of Carpentaria coastline. It is proposed to resurvey GOC shorelines for their current condition whilst taking the opportunity further to devise a well-considered and fully costed rapid response plan that will include innovative preventative management outcomes for the longer-term sustainability of these threatened but highly valued coastal marine ecosystems of northern Australia.
Small equipment grant for water quality monitoring multiparameter instrument
Purchase of a multiparameter water quality monitoring instrument to replace old and no longer fit-for-purpose instruments. The new instrument is required to fulfil the research outcomes of several current projects and will be necesssary for future projects. The projects' monitor and assess water quality across the Great Barrier Reef Lagoon and Gulf of Carpenataria and include CRC for Water Security for Northern Australia, NQBP Ambient Water Quality Monitoring Program, and Whitsundays Water Quality Blueprint for Tourism Operators. The projects are led by JCU and involve collaborations across JCU, other institutions, government, Traditional Owners, NGO's, citizen science.
Water Security Northern Australia - Persistence and extent of waterholes in the Gilbert River and tributaries, and groundwater contribution to permanency
2819 - CRC for developing northern Australia
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
Title:
Examination of PhD thesis
Start Date:
01 Jan 2019
End Date:
01 Jan 2019
Title:
Examination of PhD thesis
Start Date:
01 Jan 2022
End Date:
01 Jan 2022
Start Date:
01 Jan 2021
End Date:
01 Jan 2021
Start Date:
01 Aug 2025
Start Date:
01 Aug 2025
Title:
Organising Committee member
Start Date:
01 Jan 2021
End Date:
01 Jan 2021
Start Date:
17 Mar 2021
Start Date:
01 Apr 2023
Start Date:
18 Aug 2022
Start Date:
01 Jan 2016
End Date:
01 Jan 2016