Research Projects
Investigating the Effects of Seagrass productivity on pH at Local Scales (Old ID 20928)
Catherine Collier
01 Jul 2013 - 31 Jul 2016
During photosynthetic uptake of carbon, seagrasses modify seawater chemistry (reduce DIC and increase pH) and "buffer" against OA at local scales. Furthermore, seagrass meadows are likely to increase their productivity as DIC increases because they can be carbon limited. This project will be undertaken by a PhD candidate who will measure seagrass productivity and its effects on seawater chemistry in a range of
Australian Acoustic Observatory: A Network to Monitor Biodiversity (Old ID 22643)
Lin Schwarzkopf
17 May 2017 - 31 Dec 2024
Acoustic sensing is transforming environmental science by recording vocal species 24 x 7, providing data of unparalleled spatial and temporal resolution for ecosystem monitoring and research. This is particularly relevant to Australia's fragile and mega-diverse environment and Australia has leading research expertise in this emerging field. The proposed observatory will be the world's largest terrestrial acoustic sensor network comprising 450 listening stations deployed across Australia. Funds will purchase autonomous sound recorders and online storage and processing hardware. Data will be freely available to all online, enabling new science in understanding ecosystems, long-term environmental change, data visualisation and acoustic science.
Exploring the educational and program impact of strategies to increase high quality GP registrar supervision and training in underserved communities in north-western Queensland (Old ID 25073)
Richard Murray
01 Jul 2018 - 30 Jun 2019
This project builds on the previously funded ACRRM ERG - to develop a general practice workforce that is aligned with population health needs and optimising workforce sustainability and training in rural and remote areas. The first project identified underserved communities where GP registrar training capacity could be better targeted by strategically establishing registrar training posts in underserved communities. New training posts have been established or are in development in the underserved areas identified by the first project. This new project will evaluate these new training posts; measuring the educational impact of training in underserved areas and the impact of training posts on local communities.
Investigating trophic partitioning in planktivorous reef fishes (Old ID 26411)
Victor Huertas Martin
09 May 2019 - 08 May 2020
Plankton-feeding fishes are a major presence on coral reefs, and they are assumed to feed indiscriminately on plankton. Although research on herbivores and corallivores has revealed numerous distinct feeding behaviours and food p0references in these groups, planktivores continue to be perceived as generalists. This project will determine the breadth of planktivore diets using stable isotope analysis. This method can determine the abundance of carbon and nitrogen isotopes in fish tissues, allowing us to work out the origin of different types of plankton that each planktivorous fish eats. I expect this study will reveal a previously-undiscovered diet partitioning within planktivorous fishes.
NESP 7.1 - Continuity Proposal for ‘Project 25’ – Farmers, Water Quality and On-Farm Decision-Making (Old ID 27131)
Aaron Davis
01 Feb 2021 - 31 Mar 2021
Landholder concerns surrounding the credibility of broad-scale water quality monitoring and modelling initiatives in the GBR catchment area has emerged as one of the major cane industry engagement challenges for promoting significant farming practice change, and delivering water quality improvements. Based around small, sub-catchment scale water quality monitoring in a key cane growing region of the GBR catchment, Project 25 successfully utilised a bottom-up approach to integrated sub-catchment monitoring and intervention to identify ‘hot spot’ sub-catchments through localised water quality monitoring. In a collaborative programs between scientists from a range of organisations (JCU, CSIRO) and cane farming stakeholders, the Project emphasised industry ownership and control of monitoring design, and delivery of locally targeted water quality data and extension effort to provide confidence in on-farm decision making and facilitate practice change.
Stakeholder perceptions and co-benefits (Old ID 27503)
Stewart Lockie
01 Jul 2021 - 01 Jul 2024
This project will provide the first empirical examination of GBR stakeholder perspectives related to COTS and their management. It will leverage sociocultural research planned as part of RRAP, extending those stakeholder engagements and interviews to measure perceptions of acceptability, risks and benefits related to COTS control. It will also assess the regulatory and policy implications of selected novel control methods.
An Innovative approach to documenting the largest floods in the Wet Tropics catchments and determining their effects on pollutant fluxes to the Reef. (Old ID 27515)
HanShe Lim
16 Feb 2022 - 15 Jun 2022
The project examines the magnitude and impacts of past extreme floods in the Barron and Daintree Rivers using a wide range of information types that includes geomorphic evidence (slackwater deposits), historical documents and indigenous knowledge. This information will be used to estimate the impacts of these extreme floods on material fluxes that are of concern for reef health. It also extends our knowledge of flooding impacts on the environment and societies beyond the modern gauged record. The outcomes of the project form the basis of a larger DES grant application aimed at modelling the impact of extreme floods in the Wet Tropics.
High-value horticulture and global production networks in coastal Australia (Old ID 27799)
Zoe Wang
01 Jan 2023 - 31 Dec 2026
High-value horticulture is booming in Australia’s north-eastern coastal strip, where a multifunctional landscape also provides various recreational, cultural and environmental services. This project aims analyses how incorporation within agricultural global production networks interacts with diverse drivers of landscape change to shape regional development outcomes. This will contribute to global production network theory by developing the territorial nexus of these networks. Expected outcomes include improved policy formulations capable of orchestrating a sustainable and equitable future for rural regions and livelihoods within Australia, with broader contributions to understanding rural development pathway elsewhere in the world.
Project 3.7 Managing and monitoring resilience in Australia’s national parks (Old ID 27892)
Lin Schwarzkopf
01 Feb 2023 - 30 Dec 2024
This project will build on existing research in acoustic monitoring by Roe and Schwarzkopf, and on survey design analysis by Southwell et al (in review).1 The results will directly inform decisions about future avian monitoring on Christmas Island and provide lessons that can be applied in other places.
Carbon sequestration via enhanced weathering of basalt applied to dry tropical rangeland
Paul Nelson
03 Jun 2024 - 02 Jun 2028
To meet climate targets carbon dioxide must be removed from the atmosphere in addition to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A promising ‘negative emission technology’ is enhanced weathering of crushed basalt applied to land. Under suitable conditions, weathering reactions convert carbon dioxide gas to dissolved bicarbonate, which accumulates as bicarbonate or carbonate in soil or the sea. Grazed dry tropical rangelands provide a vast area where enhanced weathering might be deployed. In this project we will measure the amount of carbon sequestered in a dry tropical rangeland soil to which crushed basalt has been applied.