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Strengthening coral reef monitoring and ocean equity for marine co-management in Tonga. (Old ID 30026)
The proposed project would aim to build off one of the most successfully implemented marine management programs in Tonga, the Special Management Area program (SMA). The SMA program is Tonga’s version of marine co-management and currently involves over 50 % of coastal communities (59 communities as of February 2023), with the aim to reach 100 % capacity by 2025. Implementation and scaling of the SMA program has been widely successful but is now struggling with issues in M&E, as well as community coordination. These issues have been expressed to us from the Ministry of Fisheries (MoF) and Civil Society of Tonga and are largely due to staff in these organisations being under-resourced and already working at full capacity. 1. Strengthen SMA Monitoring and Evaluation capacity in Tonga 2. Strengthen equity and resilience in the governance structure of Tonga’s Special Management Area program
Forever chemicals accidentally produced in a modern cleaner atmosphere
The world is reliant on chemicals -- but many have detrimental impacts on the ozone layer and climate. Replacements have been developed that have no ozone depletion or global warming potential. However, their atmospheric breakdown products may not be so safe. We will combine cutting-edge laboratory experiments and state-of-the-art global models to quantify how 'clean' these replacements truly are.
Protection of the Gulf Snapping Turtle in the Southern Gulf Region
Southern Gulf NRM seek to improve the protection of the Gulf Snapping Turtle through the control of feral pigs and better managing cattle movements. JCU will be supporting this project through applying environmental DNA, collected from soil and water, across the Southern Gulf region to help identify the locations where the Gulf Snapping Turtle and introduced Tilapia are present, along with a broader aquatic biodiversity screen, to help guide where protection efforts should be prioritised.
Protection of the Gulf Snapping Turtle in the Southern Gulf Region
Southern Gulf NRM seek to improve the protection of the Gulf Snapping Turtle through the control of feral pigs and better managing cattle movements. JCU will be supporting this project through applying environmental DNA, collected from soil and water, across the Southern Gulf region to help identify the locations where the Gulf Snapping Turtle and introduced Tilapia are present, along with a broader aquatic biodiversity screen, to help guide where protection efforts should be prioritised.
Reintroduction and monitoring of the Armoured Mistfrog, Litoria lorica (Old ID 31133)
I have a long-term research project on the monitoring and recovery of the Critically Endangered Armoured Mistfrog. I am collaborating on this with the Threatened Species Group (DES, Qld Government) to perform a reintroduction and subsequently monitor all populations for three years. This grant will fund that research.
Facing the feedback: Exploring students and staff assessment feedback preferences
1. Which feedback modalities (text-based, audio and video) do students and staff prefer and what are the key factors driving student and staff preferences for feedback delivery?
2. What is the effectiveness of the feedback modalities (text-based, audio and video) in promoting student engagement with and utilisation of feedback?
3. What are the benefits and challenges experienced by staff with using the different feedback modalities (text-based, audio and video)?
Causes of Multiple Sclerosis: a functional genomics approach (Old ID 20272)
The locations of genes causing Multiple Sclerosis (MS) have been recently identified. The remaining challenge is to determine how these genetic locations contribute to risk. We have adopted a strategy to identify candidate genes (protein coding units) based on their differential expression in relevant immunocyte subsets. This project tests the candidate genes RGS1, HHEX and THEMIS.
Alexandra Beauregard's Visit to JCUS
Professor Alexandra Beauregard, from the University of London, is intending to visit Singapore from 3rd to 10th May (Days in JCUS: 4th-8th May) to conduct a series of workshops and talks for our research faculty and post-graduate students. Her visit will coincide with Prof Eddy Ng and the PCC Cluster Research Soiree. Please see attached supporting document for proposed activities and workshops, intended audience, expected outcome, and budget
Feasibility of Vibration-Based Projectile Impact Localisation on Steel Targets
This project will investigate whether vibration signals measured directly on steel shooting targets can be used to reliably determine the two-dimensional impact location of projectiles. The work focuses on the sensing and signal-processing components of impact localisation, while the overall system design, wireless communications, and firearm testing will be handled separately by TACRDLABS.
The core idea is to attach a small array of vibration sensors to the rear of a steel target and analyse the resulting waveforms when an impact occurs. Different sensor technologies will be considered, such as piezoelectric sensors, contact microphones, and knock sensors. The project will study how sensor type, mounting method (for example, adhesive versus bolt-on), and placement on the target influence signal quality, especially the earliest part of the vibration response that is most informative for localisation.
High-sample-rate vibration data from live firearm tests on steel targets will be collected and supplied by TACRDLABS. James Cook University will complement this with controlled mechanical impact experiments, such as hammer or pendulum strikes at known locations on instrumented targets. These datasets will be curated with associated metadata (sensor type, mounting method, target size, impact location, and impact type) to enable systematic analysis.
Using these datasets, the project will develop proof-of-concept signal processing methods and Python scripts to detect impacts, extract the earliest identifiable arrivals across multiple sensors, and estimate impact coordinates using time-difference-of-arrival style approaches. The analysis will examine how localisation performance depends on sensor layout, target size, and mounting method, and will explore strategies to improve robustness, such as increasing sensor count or applying appropriate filtering.
Performance will be quantified in terms of localisation error, timing precision requirements, and detection reliability under a range of realistic conditions. The findings will be synthesised into practical design rules and guidelines for sensor selection, coupling, and placement on steel targets, along with recommendations on timing and sampling requirements for future embedded implementations.
Overall, the project will deliver a focused feasibility assessment of vibration-based projectile impact localisation on steel targets, along with example algorithms and configuration guidelines that TACRDLABS can use in the design of an integrated smart target system for defence, law enforcement, and recreational shooting applications.
Identifying sources of fine sediments to protect the Great Barrier Reef (Old ID 22667)
This fellowship builds on Bainbridge's PhD thesis which identified the sediment fractions preferentially transported from rivers via flood flumes to the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, and which have the greatest influence on photic depth/water clarity. The research will identify both the key properties and the primary sources of this material, enabling more effective prioritisation and direct targeting of control works to improve the quality of water discharged to the Great Barrier Reef. This research is cutting edge in the field of sediment tracing and will contribute locally by identifying specific catchment sources of ecologically-damaging fine sediment, and to the broader international field of sediment tracing.