Research Projects
CSIRO - Reef Trust Technical Support (2023061315) (Old ID 30052)
Zoe Bainbridge
12 May 2023 - 30 Aug 2024
The Landscape Repair Program is designed to build on the outcomes of the Reef Trust Phase IV investment, focusing on reduction of sediments through remediation of streambank and gully erosion. JCU-TropWATER will provide technical support and review during the initial program design phase.
AI-Powered Precision Farming: Mapping, Detection, Planning, and Spot Spraying (Old ID 31107)
Mohammad Jahanbakht
01 Sep 2023 - 29 Nov 2024
High-tech solutions in agriculture offer many benefits for improved crop and land management. However, current methods rely heavily on human experts for monitoring and planning. To address this, we propose a state-of-the-art AI-based spraying strategy software that: • takes aerial images of the farm/land vegetation (using drones, planes, satellites, etc.) and detects field requirements, • generates a pre-spray map on GIS systems, considering the existing terrain topographies, • optimally plans the detailed spraying strategy and suggests one or a combination of proper spraying methods such as blanket, vehicular spot, or aerial spraying, and • whenever possible, effectively commands and controls appropriate devices to spray, such as drones, vehicles, people, etc. It might also receive feedback and correspondingly optimize the process/plan. This AI-Powered system helps farmers and producers precisely spray, saving costs and the environment.
Thermal stratification, overturning and mixing in riverine environments (Old ID 21650)
Wenxian Lin
16 Jan 2015 - 15 Jan 2018
Thermal stratification is common in Australia's rivers due to our hot, drought-prone climate and high human demands relative to available supply, which has led to a significant reduction in flows relative to natural levels. Thermal stratification inhibits mixing, creating stagnant conditions characterised by low oxygen levels and increased concentrations of contaminants, leading to algal blooms, fish kills and systemic damage to ecosystems. The aim of this project is to develop predictive models for the effects of physical processes such as night-time cooling, wind, turbulence and currents n riverine thermal stratification. This will enable a more accurate determination of the flow rates required to maintain the health of our river systems.
Handling Mortality in Redclaw Crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) from farms (Old ID 21741)
Leigh Owens
01 Aug 2014 - 30 Jun 2016
Crayfish have become stress-sensitive to handling with low grade mortalities continuing until the crayfish re-acclimate. It is suspected they are carrying so-called orphan viruses. This project will use two independent observational techniques, histopathology and rolling-cycle PCR to look for difficult-to-diagnose viruses. These results will be used to support chapters in the PhD theses of two doctoral students, Shaun Bochow and Kitikarn Sakuna.
Extending REDMAP to Queensland (Old ID 26980)
Jan Strugnell
30 Sep 2020 - 30 Sep 2022
REDMAP (Range Extension Database & Mapping project) is a citizen science initiative inviting fishers, divers and boater to submit photographs of unusual fish sightings to an interactive website (www.redmap.org.au). The project seeks to inform, engage and educate fishers, divers and boaters about fish that are shifting southwards in accordance with warming waters. This project will continue to roll out this initiative across Queensland through public talks at fishing and diving clubs in conjunction with the distribution of brochures, dive plans and stickers highlighting the fish species for citizen scientists to keep a look out for while they are on or in the water.
Analysis of sheet metals cladding anti rust coatings. (Old ID 27127)
Peter Junk
01 Mar 2021 - 30 Apr 2021
Glencore are looking at replacing their minerals concentrate storage sheds with new colorbond materials and require testing on several materials so we can advise them on the most optimal materials to use to minimise corrosion for the future.
2022 Scientific Consensus Statement / Review of Water Quality Targets Projects (Old ID 27867)
Zoe Bainbridge
06 Dec 2022 - 30 Jun 2026
Project Part A: Lead authors selected to deliver synthesis of evidence for assigned questions forming the 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement Project Part C: Review of the GBR end of catchment water quality (sediment and nutrient) targets.
AutoFish: Automatic Fish Phenotyping Tool for Sustainable Aquaculture and Smart Fisheries (Old ID 28947)
Mostafa Rahimi Azghadi
01 Mar 2023 - 30 Jun 2023
This project aims to advance an initial implementation of a new automatic fish phenotyping tool, named AutoFish, that will enhance aquaculture farming and post-harvest processing practices by accelerating the collection of data and automatically analysing and leveraging it using the latest advances in computer vision and machine learning technologies. We have already developed a ground-breaking solution for the aquaculture industry, and produced a Proof Of Concept (POC) device, which has been successfully tested. This POC is ready to get tailored, integrated and/or retrofitted into an available fish and aquaculture farm for grading, phenotypic collection and/or processing lines, due to its modular stand-alone nature. The AutoFish concept has been proven with Barramundi as a test species. However, it can be used to collect images of, and trained to predict features of other fish and/or aquaculture species. AutoFish can also be trained to detect and predict any customertailored features and traits of the fish/product, and/or be used to assess the health of fish/product, if th health issues are visually recognisable by an RGB camera and the background phenotypic data present for training. Hence this technology would be scalable and can be implemented for other aquaculture products worldwide. The main aim of this project is to unlock the potential of our initial AutoFish POC by applying it to, or altering it for, a partner Barramundi (or Prawn) farm, to solve a real end-users’ problem. This problem can be about any monitoring aspect, as long as cameras can capture it. We have narrowed down the scope of this project to Barramundi (and/or Prawn) due to our wider industry network in these two species.
Queensland Additional Node of the Commonwealth Data Storage Infrastructure (RDSI) Project Providing Critical Infrastructure for Very Large Scale Research Data to Queensland Research (Old ID 21122)
Ian Atkinson
01 Apr 2014 - 31 Dec 2017
QCIF will establish and operate an additional node at JCU for the national RDSI research infrastructure data storage program. This node will store massive volumes of medical, environmental and other research data produced by modern instruments, sensors and tools. Immediate priorities are tropical research into eradicating mosquito-borne diseases including malaria environmental monitoring and species distribution data and climate change impact modelling.
Seagrass Growth and Diversity: Attributes of a Resilient GBR (Old ID 21848)
Catherine Collier
01 Jul 2014 - 31 Aug 2016
The 'Growth' attribute will be carried into Phase II for pilot-scale testing and incorporation into the Reef Resilience Index, while the 'Diversity' attribute will continue as a feasibility study. "Growth' will be predicted using the photosynthesis to respiration ratio (P:R), which indicates energetic status and seagrass populations at risk. The predictive capacity of the model will be tested through pilot-studies into P:R and other growth indicators. Diversity, including genetic and species diversity, show preliminary evidence they respond in the ways relating to climate change. This proposal includes the design of a monitoring framework and leverages off existing data sources to maximise cost-effectiveness.