Research Projects
Analysing the protein content of tree nut extracts used in skin prick testing
Ludwig Lopata
14 Jun 2025 - 31 Dec 2028
Determining the protein and allergen composition of nut skin prick test preparations by SDS PAGE and mass spectrometry.
NQBP & JCU Partnership - Integrated Monitoring, Research, Education and Outreach Partnership
Michael Rasheed
01 Sep 2025 - 31 Jan 2031
This partnership builds on our highly successful, nationally awarded industry and university 10-year collaboration, providing world-class monitoring, management, and research of the marine environment, and training the next generation of industry-ready graduates. While maintaining the core monitoring and science of the existing partnership: seagrass, coral, water quality, and our education and outreach components, the next 5 years sees an evolution and expansion of the program to incorporate new elements reflecting emerging issues and priorities, advancing credible science to support port operations and protect the marine environment, and keeping NQBP and JCU at the forefront of applied marine science and conservation.
NQBP & JCU Partnership - Integrated Monitoring, Research, Education and Outreach Partnership
Nathan Waltham
01 Sep 2025 - 31 Jan 2031
This partnership builds on our highly successful, nationally awarded industry and university 10-year collaboration, providing world-class monitoring, management, and research of the marine environment, and training the next generation of industry-ready graduates. While maintaining the core monitoring and science of the existing partnership: seagrass, coral, water quality, and our education and outreach components, the next 5 years sees an evolution and expansion of the program to incorporate new elements reflecting emerging issues and priorities, advancing credible science to support port operations and protect the marine environment, and keeping NQBP and JCU at the forefront of applied marine science and conservation.
JCU Library Text Book Affordability Grant
Frances Cochrane
01 Jun 2024 - 31 Dec 2024
Development of an OER for first year speech pathology students. https://jcu.pressbooks.pub/intro-speech-pathology-practice/
Mesophotic Reefs of Montserrat
Gemma Galbraith
01 Apr 2024 - 31 Mar 2025
This project will conduct mesophotic coral ecosystem surveys around Montserrat using Remotely Operated. Vehicles (ROVs) and data loggers to assess reef and water column biodiversity, species abundance, marine conditions and impacts. The analysed data gathered will: -greatly augment information on deep reefs habitats, information which is currently extremely limited; -create a broader understanding of Montserrat’s marine environment as a whole system; -provide information to reduce ghost fishing impacts and the economic costs and habitat damage from that lost fishing gear.
https://darwinplus.org.uk/project/DPL00092
The Coral Sea Frontier - NMF RV Investigator deep-sea biodiversity assessment of the Coral Sea Marine Park.
Deep-sea biodiversity assessment of the Coral Sea Marine Park.
RV Investigator will undertake a 36-day research voyage to the Coral Sea to investigate benthic (on or near the seafloor) marine life in the southern and eastern areas of the Coral Sea Marine Park.
The Coral Sea Marine Park is the largest marine park in Australian waters, covering 989,836 km2 and reaching depths of 6000 metres. The marine park is managed by Parks Australia and protects 34 vast reef areas, and 67 cays and islets.
Researchers will focus their surveys on two of the three key ecological features of the marine park: the reefs of the Marion Plateau and the Tasmantid Seamount Chain. This will be the first modern deep-water investigation of marine life found on the extinct volcanic peaks of the northern Tasmantid Seamount Chain, which rise over 3000 m from the seafloor, and the offshore Kenn Plateau. This research will be critical for understanding of regional biodiversity and natural values of the Coral Sea, helping to inform management of the marine park by Parks Australia.
The voyage has a strong focus on education, outreach and engagement with public audiences, and support for these activities is being provided by Bush Blitz and The Nippon Foundation-Nekton Ocean Census.
https://www.csiro.au/en/about/facilities-collections/mnf/voyages-schedules/voyages/2025/october/in2025_v06
Collaboration on TB vaccines with RMIT
Andreas Kupz
30 Sep 2025 - 30 Mar 2026
This project is a collaboration with Dr. Sampa Sarkar, a Research Fellow at RMIT University. She has developed a lipid-based delivery system that enhances the stability and targeted pulmonary delivery of subunit vaccine candidates. These lipid particles demonstrate excellent aerosol stability and have shown encouraging results in preclinical studies of tuberculosis. Access to TB animal models remains a significant limitation in progressing this research within Australia.
This collaboration will test their vaccine candidate in our established in vivo TB model at JCU.
Nesting climate refugia for marine turtles of the Sunshine Coast
Emily Webster
01 Feb 2025 - 30 Jun 2026
To develop a scalable spatial analysis to identify climate refugia for nesting turtles within the Sunshine Coast.
Refugia is defined as areas of current suitable nesting habitat whose exposure to threatening climactic variables is predicted to remain stable over time. the project will consider predicted sea level rise, erosion and temperature change at current and future scenarios. By comparing current and future levels of exposure to these climatic variables, maps that identify areas of imminent loss (exposure to climatic threats predicted to increase), novelty (exposure decreases) and refugia (exposure remains stable) can be developed. The project will also examine geomorphology of the coastline to map the current suitable nesting habitat and quantifying the vulnerability of that habitat to specific climatic and anthropogenic threats.
Small Pelagic fisheries in the Pacific – the future of nutritional security?
Simon Foale
10 Jun 2025 - 31 Dec 2028
The project aims to improve understanding of the role of terrestrial nutrient delivery in driving productivity of a hitherto neglected fishery sector: small pelagics (sardines, scads and small mackerels) in the Western Pacific. The high productivity, resilience to fishing pressure, and superior nutritional value of these fish warrant greater attention as population and market pressures increase. We will generate data correlating nutrient dynamics and fishery production, together with ethnographic data on local fishery knowledge, to better understand the relationship between small pelagic fisheries and the catchments that deliver the nutrients they depend on.
Small Pelagic fisheries in the Pacific – the future of nutritional security?
Simon Foale
10 Jun 2025 - 31 Dec 2028
The project aims to improve understanding of the role of terrestrial nutrient delivery in driving productivity of a hitherto neglected fishery sector: small pelagics (sardines, scads and small mackerels) in the Western Pacific. The high productivity, resilience to fishing pressure, and superior nutritional value of these fish warrant greater attention as population and market pressures increase. We will generate data correlating nutrient dynamics and fishery production, together with ethnographic data on local fishery knowledge, to better understand the relationship between small pelagic fisheries and the catchments that deliver the nutrients they depend on.