Research Projects
Seismic Interpretation of NE QLD (Old ID 28938)
Ioan Sanislav
15 Mar 2023 - 15 Dec 2023
This project will update the interpretation of deep seismic lines across NE QLD, from Georgetown to Thomson and Hodkinson provinces. Work carried out at JCU with regard to tectonic models of the development of the eastern margin of the north Australian craton and new processing techniques should allow a better understanding of the fundamental geological and tectonic structure of NE Queensland. Understanding of the large scale distribution of geological provinces in 3 dimensions will underpin other works in the region such as geological mapping and lead to better understanding of mineral systems which include significant potential for critical minerals.
Building Teacher Capability Using STEM Partnership Models (Old ID 22736)
Tanya Doyle
22 Feb 2016 - 04 Nov 2016
We propose to establish and pilot two QSTEM Hubs - one metropolitan and one regional. Each hub will consist of three to four schools. Industry partners will be identified via our links with the Australian Industry Group (AIG) and in consultation with the school principals and Regional STEM Officers, and invited to participate. The AIG has a strong commitment to building STEM capital through industry partnerships with education, demonstrated through its STEM Skills project and STEM Program Index 2016, and has agreed to facilitate industry participation in our project. Other suitable partners such as museums, science centres, research institutes, community groups etc. will be identified through QUT connections as well as those of the schools and the department, and invited to participate.
Defining metrics of success for feral animal management in northern Australia (Old ID 23026)
Nathan Waltham
01 Jun 2016 - 31 Dec 2020
Feral animals cause significant damage to aquatic ecosystems across northern Australia, affecting biodiversity, ecosystem function and Indigenous cultural values. Funding for feral animal control often focuses on a particular species, ignoring the iterative and cumulative impact of the feral animals. This project will determine the impact of feral animals (pigs, horses, cattle) across aquatic ecosystems in the context of regional and local feral animal control, local aspirations and government priorities. The project will work closely with the Aak Puul Gnangtam and Kalan Aboriginal Development Groups as they continue implementing feral animal abatement strategies across the Archer River catchment.
Dugong aerial survey to assess recovery in Hervey Bay (Old ID 30033)
Christophe Cleguer
15 Jun 2023 - 30 Jun 2025
Early 2022 floods in the Hervey Bay region have had a severe impact on seagrass meadows. Dugong mortality records combined with our late 2022 dugong aerial survey suggest that while some dugongs perished as a result of food deprivation, other likely have moved away from the Hervey Bay-GSS area while those that remained in the area have concentrated around the middle of Hervey Bay, over remaining deep-water seagrasses. While the deep seagrasses appear to be on their way to recovery there is still uncertainty as to whether and how seagrasses would recover in the inshore intertidal areas, and whether dugongs are going to repopulate the region as a result (no dugongs were sighted across the entire Great Sandy Strait in late 2022). Here, we propose to resurvey the Hervey Bay-GSS region to document the recovery of dugongs and sea turtles in the area. The timing of the surveys will be discussed and aligned with seagrass monitoring research.
Using compost from aquatic weeds to improve soil health and reduce nutrient pollution (Old ID 31118)
Adam Canning
07 Sep 2023 - 31 Dec 2024
Excessive nutrient pollution can cause explosive aquatic weed growth, preventing fish migration, and causing mass fish kills. Weed management via herbicide spraying and removal is costly and detrimental to waterways. If the harvested weeds could be composted and used on crops, then aquatic weed management can shift from being a problem to an agricultural solution that reduces synthetic fertiliser use, while improving soil moisture, nutrient retention (reducing pollution), and soil microbial health (potentially reducing pathogens). This project examines the influence of aquatic-weed compost on the soil health and nutrient retention in tree crops near Rockhampton.
Assessing risks to coastal ecosystems with new earth observation models (Old ID 26560)
Nicholas Murray
02 Sep 2019 - 30 May 2022
This project aims to quantify and diagnose the causes of declines in the world's coastal wetland ecosystems. Unprecedented rates of loss have been reported in many coastal ecosystems, but there is a lack of knowledge regarding their distribution, status and trajectory at the global scale. The projuect will integrate earth observation, machine-learning and ecosystem risk assessment methods to deliver new high-resolution time-series data, quantitative knowledge on the influence of social, economic and environmental factors on ecosystem loss, and predictions of different future states of coastal ecosystems. Key benefits include an improved ability to monitor and manage coastal ecosystems in Australia and globally.
Advancing the science supporting New Zealand’s freshwater sports fisheries and game bird hunting. (Old ID 27723)
Adam Canning
22 Jun 2022 - 01 May 2023
This project provides a package of scientific works to support the management of freshwater sports fisheries and game bird hunting in New Zealand. Scientific works will aim to inform several areas including, the interactions between sports fish and native fish, the climatic influences on sports fish populations, the effectiveness of ecological monitoring, and the drivers of mallard/’greylard’ populations. The works will allow managers to better support and regulate freshwater fisheries and game birds to ensure populations remain healthy and available for fishers and hunters in the long term while reducing the impacts on native fauna.
Long term benthic dynamics following interventions on macroalgae dominated reefs (Old ID 28962)
Hillary Smith
15 Mar 2023 - 15 Mar 2024
Macroalgae flourish under conditions with high amounts of terrestrial runoff, increased sedimentation and nutrient loading; conditions characteristic of an increasing number of coral reefs globally. These conditions can prompt a shift from coral dominance to an altered, macroalgae-dominated community, with the return of coral dominance rare once fleshy macroalgae have established. By increasing space for growth of existing coral colonies and enhancing available space for coral recruitment, manual removal of macroalgae (“sea-weeding”) has been proposed as one measure to promote reef recovery on macroalgae dominated reefs. This project will monitor the long-term benthic impacts of removing macroalgae from experimental plots on a degraded inshore reef.
Queensland Coastline Capture Project. (Old ID 21130)
Rob Beaman
01 Sep 2013 - 30 Jun 2025
The objectives are: (1) Using panchromatic and multi-band digital imagery acquired using both aircraft and satellites to provide interpretation and capture of reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Specifically, identifying and capturing those reefs that expose at lowest astronomical tide (LAT). (2) to identify and capture other reef structures that are apparent from the imagery that will contribute to the knowledge of the extent and structure of the GBR. The Project will provide valuable data across Government of the GBR that will increase the general knowledge of reef location and will provide valuable data across Government of the GBR that will increase the general knowledge of reef location and structure, as well as maximising Australia's control of the GBR and realising the full extend of offshore jurisdiction.
Biodiversity, biogeography and molecular evolution on tropical reefs (Old ID 22591)
Peter Cowman
01 Jun 2017 - 14 Jun 2020
This project aims to uncover how biodiversity patterns are driven by evolutionary processes, biogeography and molecular change. Coral reefs support over 800,000 plant and animal species on <0.1% of the ocean. How was this biodiversity formed? This project aims to answer this question by generating genomic data for a group of reef building corals and reef associated fishes to reconstruct their evolutionary history. It plans to use new methods to compare models of speciation, extinction and range change among regions to determine how those processes contribute to the formation of biodiversity gradients and regional assemblage differences. The project intends to improve understanding of evolutionary dynamics to inform conservation priorities.