Research Projects
Protecting valuable shoreline mangroves of northern Australia
Norm Duke
01 Feb 2024 - 11 Dec 2026
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.
Enhancing Groundwater Discharge Detection for Improved Water Quality Research and Coastal Management
Mahmood Sadat Noori
01 Aug 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
The funds will be used to purchase equipment that will allow cutting-edge multidisciplinary research linking hydrology, soil sciences and water quality to support several academics at JCU.
Autoclave for the Northern Australia Plant Biosecurity Facility
Daniel Montesinos Torres
01 Jul 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
The ARC-LIEF funded Northern Australia Plant Biosecurity Facility is to be built during 2024, procurement process is ongoing. The effective approval as a federally recognised quarantine facility requires the purchase of an autoclave to be located within the quarantine glasshouse, as per BC2 quarantine regulations. The proposal's funding was reduced on approval and funding for this essential piece of equipment is lacking.
Small equipment grant for water quality monitoring multiparameter instrument
Paula Cartwright
15 Jul 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
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.
NESP 4.10 - Derisking Nature Repair
Nathan Waltham
01 Mar 2024 - 30 Sep 2026
Research with Australian Government, Universities, industry and NGO to map out a framework to derisk the nature repair market for Australia
Water Security Northern Australia - Persistence and extent of waterholes in the Gilbert River and tributaries, and groundwater contribution to permanency
Paula Cartwright
30 Jun 2023 - 30 Jun 2026
2819 - CRC for developing northern Australia
NESP 4.24 - Towards assessing the values of reefs in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria
Maya Srinivasan
01 Feb 2024 - 30 Sep 2025
In this project, existing data and knowledge on reefs in the Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park and surrounding waters will be compiled and anaysed with the aim of identifying knowledge gaps and providing recommendations for future research priorities. The Gulf of Carpentaria Marine Park, adjacent to the Wellesley Islands, was only recently declared, in 2013. The marine park has National Park and Special Purpose (Trawl) zones that support commercial prawn fisheries, and it is culturally important for the Lardil, Yangkaal, Kaiadlit, and Gangalidda people who have responsibilities for sea country there. The marine park is due for renewal by 2028. The coral reefs in this area were only recently discovered, in the early 2000s, and they remain poorly studies. Only a few reefs have been assessed ecologically, and even then, only briefly. The main source of ecological data is from a citizen science program, Reef Life Survey, where volunteer divers are trained to conduct visual surveys. Using this data, and through meetings/workshops with relevant scientific, management, industry and Indigenous authorities, we will examine what is known about the reefs in this area and their values.
Marine mega-fauna DNA testing in Cleveland Bay
Samantha Tol
07 Aug 2024 - 06 Aug 2025
The seagrass meadows in Townsville harbor are well established foraging grounds for a large herd of dugong and a high number of green sea turtles (marine mega-herbivores). These foraging grounds have maintained a healthy and resilient meadow after quickly bouncing back from large loss after tropical cyclone Yasi and have provided vital foraging grounds for the endangered and vulnerable marine mega-herbivores.
Healthy seagrass meadows are also home to many different benthic macro fauna (such as sea cucumbers, ascidians, sponges, etc). Previous port funded seagrass surveys have found the seagrass meadows in Townsville harbor contain a wide range of benthic macro fauna. When marine mega-herbivores forage in seagrass meadows, they are known to incidentally consume benthic macro fauna. However, it is unknown at what extent this incidental consumption occurs, and how important this fauna is to their diet.
This project will determine which benthic macro fauna are present in the faeces of marine mega-herbivores using two different DNA methods: eDNA water filtration and laboratory-based DNA extraction. The DNA results will be compared with results of the presence of marine benthic macro fauna from an already scheduled port funded ariel seagrass survey (May and November 2024). Determining which benthic macro fauna are present in dugong and green turtle diets in relation to what is present in the foraging meadow, will enable a greater understanding the role these benthic macro fauna play in the health and resilience of seagrass meadows.
This project will enable a greater understanding of the complex interactions marine mega-herbivores have with their main food source (seagrass), and the role macro benthic fauna play with the value seagrass meadows provide. This information can help to inform whether a seagrass meadow is functioning to its full potential, based on the importance of macro benthic fauna to the diet and health of marine mega-herbivores.
Understanding employees’ perspectives on the usage of Mandai Animal Care Application
Kim Lim Tan
01 Jan 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
In today’s work environment which is defined by digital transformation, the convergence of technology and productivity has brought about a paradigm shift in how employees manage their daily work responsibilities (Singh et al., 2020). Once synonymous with personal convenience, mobile applications have emerged as indispensable tools in the professional landscape. As organizations strive to adapt to an ever-evolving business environment, mobile application development for work has become a focal point of innovation and efficiency (Leong et al., 2020). Besides, the growing popularity of mobile technology has ushered in a new era where work knows no bounds. Besides, employees carry their work with them, securely and conveniently, within the confines of their smartphones and tablets (Pillai et al., 2021). This transformation is not about portability but signifies a fundamental shift in how work is organized, executed, and experienced. Within this context, our research examines the usage experience of mobile work applications and the critical factors that encourage mobile application adoption.
The purpose of this project is twofold.
First, we examine the intricacies of the usage experience of a work mobile application. We would target to answer questions like - What makes these apps effective tools for productivity? How do they influence the work-life balance of employees? Are there specific design features that contribute to a more seamless user experience?
Second, our project seeks to discover the factors driving the adoption of work mobile applications. Understanding what motivates individuals and organizations to embrace these tools is pivotal for developers, businesses, and policymakers. These factors could include usability, security, cost-effectiveness, and organizational culture.
Our project adopts a two-studies approach to accomplish these objectives, combining interviews and user surveys, as follows:
(a) Study 1 identifies the perspectives on employees’ usage experience and factors driving the adoption or non-adoption of the work mobile application.
(b) Study 2 involves the deployment of the survey to measure the usage experience and draw relationships with micro-, meso- and macro-outcomes
Biodiversity, biogeography and molecular evolution on tropical reefs
Peter Cowman
01 Jun 2017 - 01 May 2020
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