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

Protection, Restoration and Management of Seagrass and Saltmarsh Ecosystems of India
Alexandra Carter
27 Jun 2025 - 30 Jun 2027
This project is about restoration, protection and management of seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems from the coast of Odisha, India. Within the project GIS based mapping, field work for collection of sediment and plant samples, data analysis and reporting writing would be included. Consequently, restoration activities are also planned for both seagrass and saltmarsh ecosystems in India.
How are stingray communities distributed across tropical intertidal sandflats and which environmental factors influence their habitat use? (Old ID 27358)
Jaelen Myers
01 Jul 2021 - 15 Mar 2025
Stingrays are important meso-predators in coastal habitats around the world that impact biotic communities and structure physical environments. However, broad spatial assessments of ray habitat use are lacking, resulting in poor understanding of their ecological value and how to implement effective management strategies. The project aims to assess how the composition of stingray communities varies across tropical intertidal sandflats and which environmental variables (including prey availability) influence their distribution patterns. This goal is divided into five research objectives whose outcomes will improve habitat use models for intertidal rays and investigate important aspects of ray foraging and movement behaviours.
Seagrass Mapping in West Cape York
Alexandra Carter
11 Jun 2025 - 30 Jun 2026
This project will address critical gaps in habitat information by supporting the mapping of intertidal seagrass in priority areas where up-to-date data is lacking, particularly around Prince of Wales Island and the Seven Rivers region of West Cape York. These areas are essential to the management of threatened species such as dugongs and marine turtles, yet they remain under-surveyed.
Seagrass Mapping in West Cape York
Alexandra Carter
11 Jun 2025 - 30 Jun 2026
This project will address critical gaps in habitat information by supporting the mapping of intertidal seagrass in priority areas where up-to-date data is lacking, particularly around Prince of Wales Island and the Seven Rivers region of West Cape York. These areas are essential to the management of threatened species such as dugongs and marine turtles, yet they remain under-surveyed.
Mandubarra Healing Country Seagrass Program (Old ID 27873)
Paul York
14 Sep 2022 - 31 Aug 2023
JCU will co-design and implement a habitat mapping program with Mandubarra Land and Sea Rangers on their sea country at Kurrimine Beach/King Reef. JCU will provide training for Mandubarra Rangers on benthic habitat mapping techniques and seagrass identification at a series of workshops and will work with a Mandubarra Project officer to produce maps and a report, present findings and liaise with Mandubarra Rangers, Traditional Owners and the community on recommendations for future collaborations through a series of workshops.
Using new technologies to assess the health, connectivity and movements of dugongs in northern Australia (Old ID 30031)
Christophe Cleguer
15 Jun 2023 - 30 Jun 2025
In this study we propose to: Activity 1. Dugong genomic work i.e., facilitate the collection of dugong samples in collaboration with Indigenous groups and create capacity to analyse samples from stranded dugongs. Activity 2. Dugong body condition work i.e., facilitate the collection of close-up aerial images of dugong in collaboration with Indigenous groups. Activity 3. Dugong tracking apparatus testing to enable the longer and safer tracking of dugongs to better understand the evolution in their inshore-offshore habitat use/large scale movements/movements as result of stress (including areas used at night).
Supporting Community Climate Action for Mangrove Resilience
Adam Canning
10 Sep 2025 - 30 Sep 2025
Earthwatch Australia wishes to engage TropWater staff at JCU to provide specialist remote sensing services and expert advice to complement community data to understand trends and conditions in identified saltmarsh and mangrove ecosystems over time. Earthwatch has been awarded funding by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation to deliver the project “Community Climate Action for the Reef Climate Resilience Champions”. The central aim of this project is to inspire and guide community action to protect and enhance tidal wetland ecosystem values and mitigate threats through grassroots action in the Townsville and Mackay regions using community-led MangroveWatch monitoring programs.
NESP Project 5.11 Water quality trends analysis at key GBR basins (sediment and DIN)
Zoe Bainbridge
01 Jul 2025 - 31 Dec 2025
Despite considerable government investment in Great Barrier Reef catchment area (GBRCA) water quality programs (>$2B) including on-ground works and regulation, this is the first comprehensive analysis of long-term trends in empirical water quality monitoring data to test and quantify any detectable changes. Building on the definitive compilation of four decades of historical water quality data for key river basins of the GBRCA (James at al., 2025), this project will examine long-term trends in Reef 2050 Plan priority constituents, dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and suspended sediment. To compliment this evaluation, this project will compile and evaluate changes in fertiliser application amounts across the river basins of the GBRCA over the same time period. This compilation of land use specific fertiliser application data also provides a foundational record of long-term changes in land management over annual timesteps. This project will inform current and future Reef policy and on-ground investment programs, as well as support on-going catchment modelling efforts.
Project 2016002 - Protecting our chemicals for the future through accelerated adoption of best management practice (Old ID 23149)
Aaron Davis
01 Nov 2016 - 01 Aug 2019
A collaborative project with Sugar Research Australia to identify appropriate management strategies for pesticides to maximise efficacy while minimising pesticide losses off-farm. Key JCU-TropWATER roles in project include: 1. Expert interpretation of water quality data sets generated through rainfall simulation and other water quality monitoring activities. 2. Advice on experimental design and planning 3. Assistance in running rainfall simulation and water quality monitoring activities as required. 4. Assistance in communication of results and water quality issues, including presentation and discussion with growers.
Testing and implementation of the water quality metric for the 2017 and 2018 reef report cards (Old ID 23409)
Stephen Lewis
01 Jan 2017 - 10 Dec 2017
Report cards are used at various levels to summarise and communicate complex information on GBR health. The effectiveness of Reef Plan is communicated through the annual Reef Report card. In the Reef Report Card, marine water quality is reported using a metric, developed in 2009, based on satellite remote sensing of near surface concentrations of chlorophyll and total suspended solids. This provides a wide spatial and temporal coverage of marine water quality. However, the current water quality metric has a number of issues such that the Independent Science Panel has recently expressed a lack of confidence in it and suggested that a new approach was needed. This proposal outlines a research program to deliver elements of this new approach.

Long-term seagrass monitoring in the Port of Thursday Island: March 2014

Critical marine habitats in high risk areas, South Warden Reef to Howick Group region: 2013 atlas

Port of Weipa long term seagrass monitoring: September 2009

Critical marine habitats in high risk areas: Bathurst Bay region: 2012 atlas

Critical marine habitats in high risk areas, Torres Strait: Seo Reef to Kai-Wareg Reef: 2013 atlas

Torres Strait dugong sanctuary: deepwater seagrass monitoring 2010-2014

Torres Strait mapping: seagrass consolidation: 2002-2014

Seagrass productivity, resilience to climate change and capacity for recovery in the Torres Strait: 2011-2012 report

Seagrasses in Port Curtis and Rodds Bay 2014: annual long-term monitoring, biannual western basin, and updated baseline survey

Port of Abbot Point: initial light thresholds for modelling impacts to seagrass from the Abbot Point Growth Gateway Project

Title: Ports North, Ports North supports an annual monitoring program conducted by James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns Harbour and Trinity Inlet, as well as at our other ports, such as Karumba, Mourilyan and Thursday Island. By using helicopters and underwater cameras on boats, the seagrass meadows are mapped and assessed for any changes.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2009
End Date: 01 Jan 2026
Title: Gladstone Ports Corporation, The purpose of the Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plan (LMDMP) is to address operational needs, environmental risks, monitoring and adaptive management actions specific to the Port of Gladstone whilst ensuring the ongoing sustainability of maintenance dredging within the port.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2009
End Date: 01 Jan 2030
Title: North Queensland Bulk Ports, Partnering with scientists at James Cook University (JCU), NQBP has been collecting data on seagrass growth around our port sites for more than 20 years. In addition to informing our own environmental activities and port operations, our data has contributed to advances in an international body of seagrass knowledge through JCU's academic research and regional report cards developed to help monitor the health of our waterways.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2014
End Date: 01 Jan 2030
Title: Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service contracted James Cook University to conduct surveys and research on the impacts to and resilience of seagrass in Great Sandy Marine Park. This important surveying and research help government understand the impacts to seagrass from the 2022 flooding events and its ability to recovery.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
End Date: 01 Jan 2025
Title: Master of Science - Botany, James Cook University
Reseracher: Norm Duke (Senior Research Scientist)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1981
End Date: 01 Jan 1984
Title: Doctor of Philosophy, James Cook University
Reseracher: Norm Duke (Senior Research Scientist)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1986
End Date: 01 Jan 1988
Title: Bachelor of Science with Honours, James Cook University
Reseracher: Norm Duke (Senior Research Scientist)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1973
End Date: 01 Jan 1973
Title: Editor of the SeDNAS PeerJ Hub
Reseracher: Cecilia Villacorta Rath (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Higher Degree By Research Committee
Reseracher: Jack Koci (Principal Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2022
End Date: 01 Jan 2023
Title: Conference co-chair
Reseracher: Sarah McDonald (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2023
End Date: 01 Jan 2023