College of Science & Engineering
Sophia Love
- Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
- sophie.love@jcu.edu.au
Elle Robertson
- Doctor of Philosophy (Agriculture, Environmental and Related Studies)
- elle.robertson@jcu.edu.au
Romain Vaucher
- Senior Lecturer, Sedimentology
- romain.vaucher@jcu.edu.au
Jenny Fisher
- Associate Dean, Learning and Teaching
- jenny.fisher@jcu.edu.au
Ambili Narayanan
- Doctor of Philosophy (Natural and Physical Sciences)
- ambili.narayanan@my.jcu.edu.au
Sarfaraz Ali
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- sarfaraz.ali@jcu.edu.au
Mikaeylah Davidson
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow
- mikaeylah.davidson@jcu.edu.au
Liuxin Chen
- Lecturer
- liuxin.chen@jcu.edu.au
Rafael Cabral Carvalho
- Lecturer, Marine Geoscience
- rafael.cabralcarvalho@jcu.edu.au
Tom Lloyd
- Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Global Ecosystems
- tom.lloyd@jcu.edu.au
Improving the quality of water for release from land-based aquaculture in northern Australia (Old ID 26373)
Effluent from land-based aquaculture farms is problematic because of its nutrient content. This project will be the first in Australia and the tropics to assess the ability of 'denitrification bioreactors' (woodchip-filled trenches) to remove suspended solids and nitrogen from effluent leaving an aquaculture farm. It will be carried out on a barramundi farm the Great Barrier Reef catchment in North Queensland. Changes in quality of water flowing through bioreactors will be measured under a range of likely operating conditions, including differences in salinity and effluent retention rate. The results will be applicable to aquaculture farms throughout the tropics, enabling a reduction in negative environmental impacts, and facilitating intensification and expansion of fish production without increasing nutrient export.
Low-cost Sensing Methods and Hybrid Learning Approaches for Water Quality Monitoring (Old ID 27164)
This project aims to investigate innovative solutions for low-cost water quality monitoring by utilising state-of-the-art Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence technologies. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of artificial intelligent Internet of Things using interdisciplinary approaches. Expected outcomes of this project include novel low-cost alternative sensing methods and new hybrid learning network models for sensory data predictive analytics. This should provide significant national benefits, such as substantially reduced costs and improved accuracy for real-time monitoring of the Great Barrier Reef.
Threatened frog surveys Kuranda (Old ID 23141)
Perform frog surveys on the KUR-World site and provide a report on threatened stream-associated frogs to NRA Environmental Consultants. Surveys will target threatened stream-breeding frogs after wet weather. The report will outline frog presence and abundance and recommendations on required habitat, stream buffers and ways to minimise ecological impacts.
Detection of scalloped hammerhead sharks in Apra Harbor and adjacent waters, Guam using Environmental DNA (Old ID 23578)
Scalloped hammerhead sharks (Sphyrna lewini) are anecdotally reported in Apra Harbor, Guam, but their spatial and temporal patterns of occurrence are not well understood. Lack of knowledge of population abundance, distribution, and habitat use also extends across the geographic range of the Indo-West Pacific subpopulation. All S. lewini are nationally protected under the Endangered Species Act, and their occurrence within Apra Harbor is of concern to management and conservation strategies and mission-essential operations of the U.S. Department of Navy. This project will determine the temporal and spatial distribution and habitat use of the scalloped hammerhead shark within Apra Harbor and Orote Peninsula nearshore waters.
Irradiation of Polymer Thin Films to Develop Carbon Nano-Clusters (Old ID 22094)
Using a 2014 AINSE grant we have substantiated that polymer thin film material properties can be tailored using I+ ion irradiation. Significant modification of the atomic and electronic structure of polymer films will occur as a result of high energy (MeV) ion irradiation. This project aims to improve typical polymer properties, such as glass transition temperature, interfacial bonding and elastic modulus. These properties will be altered especially if nanotube or carbon clusters are formed as a result of the high energy ion irradiation. At high energy densities (fluences of 1x10^14 and 1x10^156 ions/cm^2) the irradiated polymer will change its structure to hydrogenated amorphous carbon and can also lead to the formation of graphitic clusters. This research will assist in understanding the material's electronic and physical structures and can lead to the development of novel environmentally friendly electronic products.
Improved productivity and efficiency of the culture based fishery for giant freshwater prawn in Sri Lankan reservoirs. (Old ID 26163)
Productivity of the fisheries resources of Sri Lankan reservoirs has been improved through application of culture based fishery (CFB) practices. In addition to a variety of finfish that serve to provide protein to local communities, the addition of stocked giant freshwater prawn (GFP)-Macrobrachium rosenbergii, has added significant value, due to high market price, 10 times higher than that of finfish. Currently, the GFP are captured as a bycatch to finfish and the stocking practices are ad-hoc, resulting in very low yield per seed prawn stocked. The fishery is managed as a single multi-species fishery, and although the project will focus on research of GFP, some aspects of the research will involve the entire fishery, particularly modelling of stocking and yields. This will provide benefits for production of all species, with an emphasis on enhancement of GFP production through specific research of stocking practices, production dynamics, harvest and socio-economic aspects 0of the fishery and the supply chain.
Mapping of tidal flats and salt marshes in the NOWPAP region. (Old ID 27039)
The main objective of this activity is to map the distribution of tidal flats/salt marshes in the NOWPAP region with their historical change in the past decades. To map tidal flats/salt marshes in the NOWPAP region, mapping tool developed by Murray et al. (2019), namely Global Intertidal Change (hereinafter referred to as “GIC”) is used. GIC is the only available tool for regional mapping of tidal flats. However, GIC is developed for the global mapping and there are some limitation for the detection of tidal flats when used at regional scale. Therefore, this project will develop a bespoke regional model of the distribution of tidal flats/salt marshes in the NOWPAP region.
Developing Deep Learning Applications for Smart Aquaculture (Old ID 27329)
This project proposes to use deep learning technology to extract various data in commercial environments in a non-intrusive and cost-effective way from fish farms. Currently, most of the fish data is analysed manually. The aim is to use deep learning to extract useful features and traits of fish and to analyse the collected data automatically and efficiently. The project will be in direct partnership with our industry collaborators across Australia and Asia.
The impact of conservation NGO interventions on small-scale fishers (Old ID 27518)
The objective of this post-doctoral position is to conduct a systematic review of NGO interventions to support Small-Scale Fisheries (SSF) and to apply these findings to WCS’ programs. The position will be co-hosted between James Cook University, WorldFish, and the WCS Global Marine Conservation division.
Optimising mill mud and ash applications for soil improvement and carbon sequestration (Old ID 27540)
Negative carbon dioxide emission technologies are urgently required to offset emissions from fossil fuel burning. Weathering of alkaline metal oxides such as those in ash is a promising technology as it consumes carbon dioxide. This project aims to determine carbon sequestration when sugar mill ash, either alone or mixed with mill mud, is applied to soil in sugarcane fields. The project expects to generate knowledge about the rates of carbon sequestration and the factors controlling it, employing field experiments and geochemical modelling. The main outcome expected is a carbon sequestration methodology that is permanent and unlimited (given continued application mill by-products), unlike soil organic carbon sequestration. Adoption will facilitate trade in carbon credits through the Emissions Reduction Fund and facilitate market access through increased ability of the sugar industry to meet consumer expectations regarding environmental responsibility.
Infrastructure expansion challenges sustainable development in Papua New Guinea
- 2019
- Public Library of Science
- Researchers:William Laurance
New road risks Pandora’s box of disruption in world’s most biodiverse national park
- 2019
- Researchers:William Laurance
Start Date:
01 Jan 2018
End Date:
01 Jan 2020
Title:
Central Desert Program
Start Date:
01 Jan 2020
End Date:
01 Jan 2020
Title:
West Daly Veterinary program
Start Date:
01 Jan 2018
End Date:
01 Jan 2018
Start Date:
01 Jan 2018
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
01 Jan 2023
End Date:
01 Jan 2023
Start Date:
01 Jan 2021
Start Date:
01 Jan 2021
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2026
Title:
NHMRC Ideas Grant Reviewer
Start Date:
01 Jan 2018
Start Date:
01 Jan 2023