College of Science & Engineering

Sophia Love

Sophia Love

Romain Vaucher

Romain Vaucher

Jenny Fisher

Jenny Fisher

Ambili Narayanan

Ambili Narayanan

Sarfaraz Ali

Sarfaraz Ali

Mikaeylah Davidson

Mikaeylah Davidson

Liuxin Chen

Liuxin Chen

Rafael Cabral Carvalho

Rafael Cabral Carvalho

Tom Lloyd

Tom Lloyd

Mohamadreza Chalak Qazani

Mohamadreza Chalak Qazani

Conservation genomics of the Critically endangered Kuranda Treefrog (Old ID 27603)
Conrad Hoskin
01 Aug 2022 - 31 Dec 2023
This project aims to assess the conservation status of the Critically Endangered Kuranda Treefrog using a population genomics approach. The last sampling for this declining and localised species took place more than 10 years ago, and continuing declines have been detected in the field. It is unclear whether the population is retaining genetic diversity despite the small and declining population size or whether it is rapidly losing genetic diversity. Resolving this will be crucial for the management of this species. In this project I aim to assess genetic diversity, connectivity and population size of this Critically Endangered species using population genomics.
Conservation genomics of the Critically endangered Kuranda Treefrog (Old ID 27603)
Megan Higgie
01 Aug 2022 - 31 Dec 2023
This project aims to assess the conservation status of the Critically Endangered Kuranda Treefrog using a population genomics approach. The last sampling for this declining and localised species took place more than 10 years ago, and continuing declines have been detected in the field. It is unclear whether the population is retaining genetic diversity despite the small and declining population size or whether it is rapidly losing genetic diversity. Resolving this will be crucial for the management of this species. In this project I aim to assess genetic diversity, connectivity and population size of this Critically Endangered species using population genomics.
Development of in situ Sr isotope analyses in shark vertebrae (Old ID 27633)
Alex McCoy-West
01 Jan 2022 - 31 Mar 2023
Accurately ageing sharks underpins sustainable harvest and population recovery. The conventional ageing technique consists of counting growth bands in vertebrae, however, this approach suffers errors associated with over- and under-counting due to misidentifying periodic features and in-complete. More recently, element-to-element ratios have been explored as complementary tools for determining age and migratory, and in this context Mn:Ca shows promise as an age-specific fingerprint, and Sr:Ca has shown promise as one of the most prominent indicators of fresh/estuarial vs. marine environment (along with Ba:Ca), because marine environments typically have significantly higher Sr (and lower Ba) concentrations. This means that Sr:Ca—alongside Mn:Ca and Ba:Ca—can potentially be used as an annual marker, in particular for female sharks that annually return to freshwater environments to pup. It is well-known from fish otoliths (a calcified part of the inner ear) that marine and freshwater environments display distinct Sr isotope signatures (87Sr/86Sr ratios), and that fresh vs marine signatures can be readily distinguished at requisite length-scales (e.g. 50 microns) using in situ (“in place”, i.e. non-destructively) laser ablation multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (or LA-MC-ICP-MS). Moreover, it is well-established that 87Sr/86Sr ratios can be determined in situ in bio-apatite (calcium phosphate or bone, such as that in fish vertebrae), and 87Sr/86Sr ratios in bio-apatite can be used to determine sub-annual mobility. And yet to date, Sr isotopes have never been investigated in shark vertebrae towards these ends. This study will combine in situ elemental compositions and 87Sr/86Sr ratios in the vertebrae of sharks to determine their ultimate viability as complementary ageing, environmental and migratory reconstruction tools.
Investigating the behavioural ecology of diving and feeding in a cryptic marine mammal: the Dugong (Old ID 27881)
Helene Marsh
01 Sep 2022 - 30 Jun 2026
As air-breathing, bottom-feeding marine mammals, dugongs must dive to survive and thrive. Quantifying the diving and feeding behaviours of dugongs in three dimensions is a missing link in the science basis for the conservation of this Vulnerable species. This project will use advanced sensing technology to understand how seagrass biomass and dugong activity and energetics influence their diving and feeding behaviors. The resultant improved fine-scale understanding of these behaviors will provide important new information about their risk from vessel strike and the potential energetic consequences of habitat loss associated with extreme weather events and human disturbance.
Expanding Traditional Owner led seagrass monitoring and restoration in the Girringun TUMRA
Nathan Waltham
14 Feb 2024 - 01 Aug 2025
Girringun elders and rangers have discussed the emerging Australian blue carbon market and are interested to learn more about what it means for Girringun clans and the health of their country. While progress has been made to include blue carbon in international and national policy and finance mechanisms, the full integration of coastal management activities as part of a climate mitigation strategy has not yet been realised. Estimates of organic carbon storage by seagrass meadows considering inter-habitat variability are essential to understand their potential to sequester carbon dioxide (CO2) and derive robust global and regional estimates of blue carbon storage. Girringun Aboriginal Corporation sees this project as an opportunity to investigate the potential to improve the health of our coast, trial new technology to map seagrass/ blue carbon habitat, estimate carbon value in sea country, increase ranger skills, and learn more about carbon storage in the TUMRA region and how emissions can be reduced in sea country. The project is designed to use a two-way knowledge approach, incorporating Indigenous knowledge (IK) and western science and technology in the Girringun TUMRA. Through this project GAC aims to continue their collaboration with JCU and CDU and form a new partnership with UQ. GAC have chosen these university partners due to their scientific expertise in seagrass and carbon research and experience working with Traditional Owners and Indigenous Ranger groups. This project includes Traditional Owners for six coastal clan groups in the Girringun TUMRA.
An Advanced Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Facility in Queensland (Old ID 27154)
George Vamvounis
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2021
The project aims to establish a world-class ultrafast laser spectroscopy facility to investigate how molecules interact with visible or ultraviolet light. Light-matter interactions are key to energy generation in nature through photosynthesis as well as technologies we use on a daily basis including optical communications and displays. This project expects to generate new knowledge in on how light interacts with matter at the molecular level. Expected outcomes of the ultrafast spectroscopic measurements will be understanding the fate of light absorbed by or generated in different materials. Application of the knowledge gained will enable the design of materials for more efficient technologies such as solar cells, lighting, and sensors.
An Advanced Ultrafast Laser Spectroscopy Facility in Queensland (Old ID 27154)
Bronson Philippa
01 Jan 2021 - 31 Dec 2021
The project aims to establish a world-class ultrafast laser spectroscopy facility to investigate how molecules interact with visible or ultraviolet light. Light-matter interactions are key to energy generation in nature through photosynthesis as well as technologies we use on a daily basis including optical communications and displays. This project expects to generate new knowledge in on how light interacts with matter at the molecular level. Expected outcomes of the ultrafast spectroscopic measurements will be understanding the fate of light absorbed by or generated in different materials. Application of the knowledge gained will enable the design of materials for more efficient technologies such as solar cells, lighting, and sensors.
Using a two-way knowledge exchange to illuminate the population dynamics of the dugong in the Gulf of Carpentaria
Ira Cooke
01 Jul 2024 - 11 Nov 2027
Dugongs are marine mammals with immense ecological and cultural significance, occurring in 40 countries in the Indo-Pacific. They are gardeners of seagrass beds and a major component of Indigenous culture. Their reliance on shallow seagrass beds exposes them to anthropogenic threats, e.g. pollution and boat disturbance. Dugongs are in decline in most of their range and are classified as vulnerable to extinction, with the populations in Australia representing a stronghold with an estimated 165,000 animals. My PhD project will use next-generation sequencing methods to assess genetic diversity, connectivity and health of dugongs in Australia, with a special focus on the remote and little-studied dugong populations in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. Indigenous Traditional Owners in remote northern Australia, such as the Kimberley region, have recently listed the genetic health and connectivity of dugongs as a top priority in their wildlife management plans. Within the next year, I am planning to actively travel to remote locations to give in-person workshops on tissue sampling of dugongs, starting a collaboration with Indigenous communities and rangers. I will then return to the same communities with my results, fostering a two-way knowledge exchange that encourages effective dugong conservation management and collaboration between different sea countries in Australia. As my PhD projects rely heavily on the retrieval of high-quality DNA, this hands-on approach is necessary to ensure proper handling of samples. During the first year, I will focus on collecting as many dugong samples as possible to ensure that all populations are well-represented and we can determine fine-scale population structure in Australian dugongs. At the end of my PhD, I will be able to assess important conservation parameters such as level of inbreeding, population fragmentation and migration along the entire Australian coast.
Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (TNQ Hub)
John Cavalieri
16 Jun 2021 - 30 Jun 2027
This project will establish, implement and manage the TNQHub (“Hub”) activities including collaborative research, development, extension, adoption and commercialisation (RDEA&C). The Hub will help Australian farmers and communities become more prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of drought. The objective is to invest in RDEA&C activities, which involves: - Cross-sectoral innovative and transformative RDEA&C - Focus on the needs of end users, involving them in the co-design and adoption phases of research and development - Delivery of effective communication of new and existing knowledge and technologies - Co-investment in national drought resilience RDEA&C priorities with collaboration and co-design between governments, primary producers, community groups, research and training provider
Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience Adoption and Innovation Hub (TNQ Hub)
Nathan Waltham
16 Jun 2021 - 30 Jun 2027
This project will establish, implement and manage the TNQHub (“Hub”) activities including collaborative research, development, extension, adoption and commercialisation (RDEA&C). The Hub will help Australian farmers and communities become more prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of drought. The objective is to invest in RDEA&C activities, which involves: - Cross-sectoral innovative and transformative RDEA&C - Focus on the needs of end users, involving them in the co-design and adoption phases of research and development - Delivery of effective communication of new and existing knowledge and technologies - Co-investment in national drought resilience RDEA&C priorities with collaboration and co-design between governments, primary producers, community groups, research and training provider

Series solutions for seepage in three dimensional aquifers

Urban crime analysis through areal categorized multivariate association mining

Family by environment interactions in shell size of 43-day old silver-lip pearl oyster (Pinctada maxima), five families reared under different nursery conditions

Low genetic variability within and among populations of the brooding sponge Rhopaloeides odorabile on the central Great Barrier Reef

Movement and distribution of young bull sharks Carcharhinus leucas in a variable estuarine environment

A spatial assessment of the risk to a mobile marine mammal from bycatch

The Indo-Pacific Humpback Dolphin, Sousa chinensis (Osbeck, 1765), in Australian Waters: a Summary of current knowledge

No behavioural compensation for fitness costs of autotomy in a lizard

An efficient iterative scheme for series solutions to Laplacian free boundary problems

Role of building codes and construction standards in windstorm disaster mitigation

Title: JCU reef scientist goes global after plumbing the depths, Townsville Bulletin
Reseracher: Gemma Galbraith (AIMS@JCU Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Reef Connectivity)
Start Date: 10 Nov 2024
Title: Deep dive: How I use robots to survey coral reefs, Nature
Reseracher: Gemma Galbraith (AIMS@JCU Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Reef Connectivity)
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))
Title: Wet Tropics Management Authority - Scientific Advisory Committee
Reseracher: Nathan Waltham (Associate Professor, Blue Carbon)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Aquaculture without Frontiers (AwF), Australia
Reseracher: Simon Das (Research Fellow - Grouper Nutrition)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
End Date: 01 Jan 2027
Title: ARC Future Fellow ($680,000), Global Change: Rainforest responses to experimental drought
Reseracher: Susan Laurance (Professor, Personal Chair)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2014
Title: American Society of Naturalists
Reseracher: Megan Higgie (Associate Professor)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2003
Title: PhD, James Cook University
Reseracher: Alana Grech (Professor)
End Date: 01 Jan 2010
Title: Bachelor of Environmental Science (Honours), The University of Adelaide
Reseracher: Alana Grech (Professor)
End Date: 01 Jan 2003