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
Climate Smart Sugarcane Irrigation Partnerships (CSSIP) (Old ID 24754)
CSSIP will minimise nutrient runoff, improve soil health and increase wetlands water quality by facilitating the adoption of world-class irrigation practices in sugarcane farming systems. Currently, best practice irrigation is assisted by an Irrigation Decision Support Tool (IDST) that provides evidence-based advice. However, IDSTs have not reached their full potential. Firstly, they do not integrate short to medium term weather forecasts (e.g. weekly to multi-weekly forecasts). Secondly, IDSTs do not operate at a spatial scale relevant to farmers. CSSIP will incorporate the Bureau or Meteorology’s new high-resolution climate model into the Irrigation Decision Support Tool. Thirdly, IDSTs require substantial time in manual data entry, which can be alleviated using real-time monitoring via Internet of Things technologies. This will increase irrigation efficiency, reducing excessive runoff into river systems and onto the Reef, and, will help farmers save water and energy costs.
Integrating climate adaptation into rainforest restoration plantings (Old ID 26711)
This project aims to investigate the impact of within species adaptation to climate on reforestation success in the Australian Wet Tropics. For a suite of six species of tropical tree frequently employed in rainforest restoration plantings in northeast Queensland, we will test the hypothesis that collecting seed from populations in similar ecoclimatic settings to the planting site will result in superior seedling growth and survival. The results of the study will allow us to provide practical advice to reforestation practitioners about the importance of matching the provenance of seed source to planting sites, and opportunities for selecting provenances pre-adapted to predicted future climatic conditions at planting sites.
Investigating combined stressors in bees: insecticides and thermal stress (Old ID 27283)
Insecticide use poses a risk to non-target insects including bees. The effects of these compounds is all the more worrying given that honey bees prefer nectar containing traces of the naturally derived insecticide class – the neonicotinoids. This project will expand upon previous bodies of work to investigate the preference of stingless bee species Tetragonula hockingsi when provided with the choice between an insecticide laced food source and a sucrose solution. This project will also explore the combined effects of insecticide exposure and increasing temperature on bees.
Ant-plant-herbivore interactions across global tropical ecosystems (Old ID 30049)
My project aims to investigate the plant-insect interactions in a highly invasive tropical weed to assess the interactions that unfold during the spread of alien invasive species. Sicklepod (Fabaceae; Senna obtusifolia) is native to the neotropics but has become invasive in many tropical ecosystems including Australia’s tropics. My project aims to investigate to what extent the ant-plant interaction increases plant fitness for the invasive sicklepod, and whether sicklepod benefits from enemy release in Australia. I anticipate that the results from this study will form one chapter of my PhD thesis, a manuscript for publication and presentations at an international conference.
AI-Powered Precision Farming: Mapping, Detection, Planning, and Spot Spraying (Old ID 31107)
High-tech solutions in agriculture offer many benefits for improved crop and land management. However, current methods rely heavily on human experts for monitoring and planning. To address this, we propose a state-of-the-art AI-based spraying strategy software that: • takes aerial images of the farm/land vegetation (using drones, planes, satellites, etc.) and detects field requirements, • generates a pre-spray map on GIS systems, considering the existing terrain topographies, • optimally plans the detailed spraying strategy and suggests one or a combination of proper spraying methods such as blanket, vehicular spot, or aerial spraying, and • whenever possible, effectively commands and controls appropriate devices to spray, such as drones, vehicles, people, etc. It might also receive feedback and correspondingly optimize the process/plan. This AI-Powered system helps farmers and producers precisely spray, saving costs and the environment.
AI-Powered Precision Farming: Mapping, Detection, Planning, and Spot Spraying (Old ID 31107)
High-tech solutions in agriculture offer many benefits for improved crop and land management. However, current methods rely heavily on human experts for monitoring and planning. To address this, we propose a state-of-the-art AI-based spraying strategy software that: • takes aerial images of the farm/land vegetation (using drones, planes, satellites, etc.) and detects field requirements, • generates a pre-spray map on GIS systems, considering the existing terrain topographies, • optimally plans the detailed spraying strategy and suggests one or a combination of proper spraying methods such as blanket, vehicular spot, or aerial spraying, and • whenever possible, effectively commands and controls appropriate devices to spray, such as drones, vehicles, people, etc. It might also receive feedback and correspondingly optimize the process/plan. This AI-Powered system helps farmers and producers precisely spray, saving costs and the environment.
2022 Scientific Consensus Statement / Review of Water Quality Targets Projects (Old ID 27867)
Project Part A: Lead authors selected to deliver synthesis of evidence for assigned questions forming the 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement Project Part C: Review of the GBR end of catchment water quality (sediment and nutrient) targets.
AutoFish: Automatic Fish Phenotyping Tool for Sustainable Aquaculture and Smart Fisheries (Old ID 28947)
This project aims to advance an initial implementation of a new automatic fish phenotyping tool, named AutoFish, that will enhance aquaculture farming and post-harvest processing practices by accelerating the collection of data and automatically analysing and leveraging it using the latest advances in computer vision and machine learning technologies. We have already developed a ground-breaking solution for the aquaculture industry, and produced a Proof Of Concept (POC) device, which has been successfully tested. This POC is ready to get tailored, integrated and/or retrofitted into an available fish and aquaculture farm for grading, phenotypic collection and/or processing lines, due to its modular stand-alone nature. The AutoFish concept has been proven with Barramundi as a test species. However, it can be used to collect images of, and trained to predict features of other fish and/or aquaculture species. AutoFish can also be trained to detect and predict any customertailored features and traits of the fish/product, and/or be used to assess the health of fish/product, if th health issues are visually recognisable by an RGB camera and the background phenotypic data present for training. Hence this technology would be scalable and can be implemented for other aquaculture products worldwide. The main aim of this project is to unlock the potential of our initial AutoFish POC by applying it to, or altering it for, a partner Barramundi (or Prawn) farm, to solve a real end-users’ problem. This problem can be about any monitoring aspect, as long as cameras can capture it. We have narrowed down the scope of this project to Barramundi (and/or Prawn) due to our wider industry network in these two species.
Investigating differences in the behavioural syndromes of Melomys cerninipes from different habitat types (Old ID 22195)
Behavioural syndromes or personalities are a series of correlated behaviours that are consistently displayed within an environment by an individual. I aim to study whether the fawn-footed melomys, Melomys cervinipes, in the Wet Tropics has distinct behavioural syndromes and whether these behavioural syndromes are associated with habitat disturbance. I hypothesise that individual M. cervinipes will show distinct behavioural syndromes depending on their habitat. This study will provide a greater understanding of the relationship between behavioural syndromes and habitat disturbance in a poorly studied Australian rodent. This knowledge will provide an insight into how individual and population fitness could be affected in degraded environments and how animals may cope with environmental change.
Investigating the effects of insecticide exposure, pathogens, and heat stress on bee diversity, abundance, and health (Old ID 28974)
Bees are threatened by multiple stressors including insecticide exposure, disease, loss of habitat, and climate change. Studies investigating stressors facing Australian bees are becoming more common, but many knowledge gaps still exist and while some studies document the effects of stressors in isolation, they stop short of investigating the effects of stressors in combination. My project will investigate how the stressors of insecticide exposure, pathogens and heat stress affect native bee diversity, abundance, and health, as well as investigate whether bee hotels cause increased pathogen and parasitism prevalence, and predation rates in native bees.
The consequences of paradigm change and poorly validated science: the example of the value of mangroves to fisheries
- 2020
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:Alison SheavesNathan WalthamMichael Bradley
Drinking water quality in regional Hunter New England, New South Wales, Australia, 2001-2015
- 2020
- Taylor & Francis
- Researchers:Michael Oelgemoeller
Can environmental DNA be used to detect first arrivals of the cane toad, Rhinella marina, into novel locations?
- 2020
- John Wiley & Sons Ltd
- Researchers:Cecilia Villacorta RathAdeshina AdekunleJan StrugnellLin Schwarzkopf
Enhancing tropical conservation and ecology research with aquatic environmental DNA methods: an introduction for non-environmental DNA specialists
- 2020
- Zoological Society of London
- Researchers:Cecilia Villacorta RathHeather RobsonJan StrugnellDean Jerry
Human exploitation shapes productivity–biomass relationships on coral reefs
- 2020
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:David Bellwood
Severe coral loss shifts energetic dynamics on a coral reef
- 2020
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:Victor Huertas MartinDavid Bellwood
Denitrification bioreactor trial in the Russell River catchment of the Wet Tropics: final report
- 2020
- James Cook University
- Researchers:Alex CheesmanHanShe LimColin MacGregorBithin Datta
Mucilage in Portuguese Lamiaceae
- 2020
- Taylor & Francis
- Researchers:Daniel Montesinos Torres
Start Date:
10 Nov 2024
Start Date:
31 Mar 2025
Title:
Bengali
Reseracher:
Khandakar Faisal Ibn Murad
(Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering and Related Technologies))
Title:
English
Reseracher:
Khandakar Faisal Ibn Murad
(Doctor of Philosophy (Engineering and Related Technologies))
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
01 Jan 2014
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2027
Start Date:
01 Jan 2003
Title:
PhD, James Cook University
End Date:
01 Jan 2010
End Date:
01 Jan 2003