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Seagrass Restoration Opportunities in the Russell-Mulgrave Basin & Mutcharoo Inlet
Conduct seagrass assessments and identify restoration opportunities in the Russell Mulgrave / Wanjuru Yidinji Country, including training and workshops with Traditional Owners
Tiwi Islands seagrass surveys and development of ranger-led monitoring program
Tiwi People aspire for a healthy, managed Sea Country and to establish an integrated Marine IPA (MIPA). Tiwi Sea Country estate has high cultural and biodiversity significance, but this is poorly documented. The presence of important species such as dugong and turtle is known, but habitats important to these species has not been quantified.
Collecting data efficiently and co-designing monitoring that rangers can maintain in their workplans is a priority of the Tiwi rangers. Subtidal seagrass needs to be mapped and monitoring of these habitats designed for rangers to implement. We will:
• Participate in On-country consultations and knowledge sharing sessions (timing to be determined)
• Co-design subtidal benthic habitat surveys with Tiwi Resources
• Undertake benthic habitat surveys using a drop camera in collaboration with Tiwi sea rangers
• Analyse drop camera images, create maps and prepare draft data report
• Co-design and undertake two years of monitoring in collaboration with Tiwi sea rangers
• Purchase underwater camera system for Tiwi sea rangers
• Contribute to progress reports from Tiwi Resources to the Northern Territory Government as needed
Optimising Transmission Grid Planning and Operations in North Queensland
The power sector is transitioning from fossil fuels to renewables, emphasizing decentralized systems. Meeting rising renewable energy demands necessitates enhanced operational flexibility. This project focuses on optimizing planning and operations for transmission grids, particularly in North Queensland. The goal is to boost overall power system efficiency by intelligently integrating renewables. Anticipated outcomes include cost-effective planning, flexible grid operations, advanced forecasting, renewables integration modeling, and improved Distributed Energy Resources (DER) visibility. These achievements align with Powerlink's contributions to the Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan and the transformative Copper String Project, aiming to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy for generations.
Leveraging NQ telehealth experience for contextually-informed process guidelines to optimise health service access, quality and safety in rural and remote Australia
Use of telehealth in north Queensland has evolved early and rapidly in response to the health service needs of a culturally diverse population spread over a large area. This project maps knowledge about existing telehealth usage, examines strategies for safe and high quality use, including cultural acceptability and co-develops guidelines for health care providers and consumers for the optimal usage of telehealth across north Queensland. This is likely to be applicable across other RRR areas.
Consultancy - Aquatic Animal Health & Biosecurity Bali 29 June - 01 July 2024
The purpose of this consultancy is to review the fish health management and biosecurity practices at 2 marine aquaculture facilities that farms mainly barramundi/ Asian seabass and groupers. The farms are interested in improving these practices, and better manage important common diseases in these two aquaculture species. Adisseo Asia Pacific will be paying for the consultancy fees and all travel expenses related to this trip, as part of their extension outreach to fish farms in the AP region.
Exploring eDNA methods for an ornamental snake detection
This project aims to develop and validate an environmental DNA assay targeting the ornamental snake, Denisonia maculata. This includes in-silico and in-vitro assay development and validation on eDNA samples collected on the field from sites where the target species had been observed within < 5 m distance.
An evaluation of the chemical composition and invitro methane production of novel legumes and a plant bi-product
Our proposed research aims to explore novel tropical plants, with a particular focus on legumes, and their in vitro fermentability, methane production, and chemical composition. Through the evaluation of various leguminous pasture plants and plant products, our goal is to pinpoint those with the potential to mitigate methane production in northern livestock. This preliminary investigation will position us favourably to pursue larger, more comprehensive grant opportunities through Australian Government and industry funding bodies. The project will produce impactful publications and scientific insights into in vitro research, and the nutritional profiles of investigated legumes and plant products. With global warming and greenhouse gas emissions at the forefront for both government and industry priorities, ongoing interest in research within these fields guarantees continued opportunities for larger project calls and the expansion of related research capacity at JCU.
Building Capacity for Frailty management in Regional Queensland Residential Aged Care Facilities
Virtually all older adults living within aged care are at risk of becoming or are currently frail, with increased risk of adverse health outcomes. The core treatments for frailty are good nutrition, medication optimisation, and robust exercise, which was recently evaluated in the novel Frailty Reduction via Implementation of Exercise, Nutrition and Deprescribing (FRIEND) trial. This trial developed comprehensive training resources for the aged care sector. This project aims to build capacity through dissemination of this training to aged care champions across regional Queensland facilities and support them to improve frailty care and client health within their facility.
The project has two main project aims:
1. Disseminate FRIEND in an online and in-person, train-the-trainer model to build capacity of aged care champions and key regional, healthcare professionals
2. Support aged care champions to develop local facility training, and an organisational strategy for improving frailty care
The study will involve two phases:
1. Pre/post evaluation of a train-the-trainer education intervention (FRIEND website modules and an intensive one-day course on frailty management). Five strategically located RACFs across North-West Queensland will nominate an aged care champion (i.e. senior staff member) by early September to complete website training and travel to Townsville for intensive training in Late October/Early November along with local healthcare professionals (e.g. nurses, physiotherapists, exercise physiologists, social workers) working within aged care.
2. Involves evaluation of the champion-led local training implementation development of an organisational strategy to improve frailty care over a six-month period. The champion will identify key implementation/leadership staff and training needs to develop a 1–2-hour training webinar and develop an organisational strategy to improve frailty management in their facility
Queensland Smithsonian Fellowships Grant Program
This project, carried out in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), aims to create improved determination of ecosystem health through novel detection of indicator microbial species. It build-up on my work at TropWATER, focused on applying genomic tools for detection of species of management concern.
Seed funding -improving stroke management by characterising the ischaemic penumrba proteome.
Current therapies for stroke work by restoring the blood supply to the brain to rescue oxygen-starved tissue at risk of dying (known as the ischaemic penumbra). Consumer groups highlight that therapies to slow the death of cells in the penumbra is a priority, however, surprisingly little is known about the biology of this tissue. This study will utilise laboratory models of stroke, and apply modern imaging, proteomic and bioinformatic approaches to characterise the major pathways driving penumbra phenotype. Generated data will provide a world's first perspective into penumbra biology as an important foundation for subsequent grants seeking to test potential therapuetic targets.