Research Projects
2016 MangroveWatch training for Queensland southern Gulf Rangers. (Old ID 23131)
Norm Duke
01 Nov 2016 - 01 Dec 2016
Traditional owners are concerned about the recent mangrove dieback in their area. They have sought the help of Tropwater scientists to train and equip two of their dedicated Ranger teams in Normanton and Burketown for the monitoring and assessment local shorelines. This project will raise capacity of two Ranger teams consisting of around 19 Rangers, to conduct boat-based MangroveWatch surveys in their respective areas of the southern Gulf region.
Ecotoxicology of pesticides on the Great Barrier Reef for guideline development and risk assessments (Old ID 23137)
Shelley Templeman
01 Jan 2017 - 10 Mar 2020
Over 50 land-sourced pesticides have been detected in waters of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and its catchments. Previous studies on the risks posed by pesticides have focused on five priority PSll herbicides. However, other pesticides are increasingly being used, for which there are few fate, persistence and toxicity data. In order to improve water quality guidelines and assessments of the potential risks posed by these ' alternate' pesticides to GBR and its catchments we will quantify their toxicity to freshwater and marine species.
Improving technical and institutional capacity to support development of mariculture based livelihoods and industry in New Ireland, Papua New Guinea (Old ID 23279)
Simon Foale
01 Jan 2016 - 31 Dec 2019
The overall aim of this project is to provide a sustainable basis for the further development of a mariculture sector in PNG and to further build capacity within country partner organisations and coastal communities to support this development. Specific research objectives are: * to further develop culture and husbandry protocols for target species; * to develop community-based sea cucumber culture methodology to a level potentially supporting income generation; and * to continue building long term institutional mariculture capacity in PNG. Given the significant community benefits expected from this project, detailed economic and socio-economic assessments will be undertaken to describe project impacts.
Improving the productivity of the Northern Australian livestock sector with the establishment of new legumes varieties (Old ID 23448)
Christopher Gardiner
17 Oct 2017 - 30 Nov 2020
Pasture legumes are quality feed and have benefits for livestock and the environment but few sown legumes are adapted to the vast clay soil regions of the north. JCU has 5 new varieties specifically developed for this region. The project aims is to: • Evaluate establishment techniques for these new legumes • Conduct grazing, pen, plot and soil trials evaluating new varieties • Demonstrate the benefits of legumes in terms of enhance livestock productivity • Undertake climate risk analysis • Engage students with a research focus on nutrition, soils and livestock productivity Uptake of legume technology will result in significant economic, environmental & social benefits
Australian ASEAN Food, Logistics and Technology Network (Old ID 24957)
Iain Gordon
01 Jun 2018 - 31 Dec 2019
The Australia ASEAN region is building trade and cultural relationships across many aspects of society and business. SME's are fundamental to both trade and cultural relationships. The Australia ASEAN Future Food, Logistics and Technology network will support SME's by driving the conversion of Australia and ASEAN's bioscience and technology. The aim is to develop a knowledge network of Australian and ASEAN universities, industry associations and businesses that enables research, cultural exchange and trade.
Independent evaluation of the Structured Operational Research and Training Initiative on Ebola conducted in Liberia and Sierra Leone (Old ID 26156)
Karen Carlisle
20 Mar 2018 - 20 Jun 2018
In 2016, TDR conducted SORT iT courses in Sierra Leone and Liberia, with the aim of strengthening research capacity following the Ebola outbreak. Funding was provided by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). The purpose of this evaluation is to (1) Evaluate the process of implementation, short and intermediate-term impact of SORT-iT work in Liberia and Sierra Leone. (2) To develop and pilot a framework for independent impact evaluations of SORT-iT. The findings will inform future rounds of SORT-iT in both countries. Furthermore the pilot framework will focus on low cost and easy-to-use tools to foster wider and continued application.
Mapping the future of Myanmar's human nutrition (Old ID 26719)
Bethany Smith
06 Jan 2020 - 24 Apr 2020
This project aims to utilise Geographical Information System (GIS) software to assist in the generation of maps to improve land use for nutritious food production (eg rice-fish systems (RFS)) in the Ayeyarwady Delta. Maps will be used to inform local governments of RFS suitability, supporting a broader understanding of different land use interactions in a multi-functional landscape setting. Additionally, outcomes will provide ecologically and socially tailored options for food production with an em0hasis on marginal land areas and groups. This will contribute to overarching policy goals of the government for poverty reduction, addressing under-nutrition and rural development.
Determining nitrogen removal from floodplain restoration with Melaleuca (Old ID 27462)
Adam Canning
08 Nov 2021 - 31 Dec 2022
Tree swamps, such as those with Melaleuca, have the potential to remove nitrogen from agricultural runoff. This project aims to: (i) assess the effectiveness of a Melaleuca planting integrated within a Wet Tropics cane-dominated catchment to remove nitrogen from floodwaters before it flows to the Great Barrier Reef; and (ii) scope locations for future tree swamp integration across the Great Barrier Reef catchment.
IMR Integrated Reef Fish Monitoring Program (Old ID 27812)
Maya Srinivasan
07 Sep 2022 - 30 Dec 2024
While critical knowledge of the abundance, diversity, and assemblage composition of Great Barrier Reef (GBR) fishes has been delivered by comprehensive and systematic monitoring programs across various spatial and temporal scales to date, significant knowledge gaps remain. These are being addressed through an Integrated Inshore Reef Fish Monitoring Program, funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) reef trust partnership and headed by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) This project is a major component of this program and aims to monitor fish communities and habitats on the fringing reefs of 8 inshore island groups in the GBR Marine Park. It will continue an existing monitoring program that has been monitoring 4 island groups since 1998, and will expand on this legacy monitoring program considerably by adding four additional island groups which have not been previously monitored. It is part of a large-scale collaborative program, the Integrated Monitoring and Reporting (IMR) Inshore Fish Monitoring Project, funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) reef trust partnership and headed by the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS).
Development of a T cell based vaccine against malaria from proteome-wide T cell screening (Old ID 27815)
Denise Doolan
01 Apr 2022 - 31 Mar 2027
This proposal is targeting the development of a malaria vaccine that induced robust and protective T cell responses against the liver stage of the Plasmodium parasite. From the complete P. falciparum pre-erythrocytic (sporozoite/liver) stage proteome, we will identify, characterize, and credential priority antigens discovered by proteome-based T cell screening; and will progress protective antigens through preclinical development to provide a vaccine candidate capable of inducing robust and sustained protective immunity against malaria.