Tropical Water & Ecosystems
Scott Morrissey
- Research Officer
- scott.morrissey@jcu.edu.au
Tim Smith
- Senior Research Officer
- tim.smith2@jcu.edu.au
Alejandro Navarro Otero
- Casual Research Worker
- alejandro.navarrootero@jcu.edu.au
Jack Koci
- Principal Research Officer
- jack.koci1@jcu.edu.au
Sarah McDonald
- Senior Research Officer
- sarah.mcdonald@jcu.edu.au
Emily Webster
- Research Officer
- emily.webster1@jcu.edu.au
Abbi Scott
- Senior Research Officer
- abbi.scott1@jcu.edu.au
Catherine Collier
- Principal Research Officer
- catherine.collier@jcu.edu.au
Rob Coles
- Principal Research Scientist
- rob.coles@jcu.edu.au
Aaron Davis
- Principal Research Officer
- aaron.davis@jcu.edu.au
NESP 4.11: Scaling-up long-term seagrass restoration in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands
There is an urgent community-driven need to develop appropriate seagrass restoration approaches at scale for the Cocos (Keeling) Islands (CKI). Fast-tracking larger-scale restoration research is required to prevent imminent collapse and functional extinction of seagrasses at CKI due to past disturbance and current green turtle grazing pressure. This project builds on pilot studies to design and establish a network of larger-scale turtle exclusion areas where locally appropriate restoration approaches can be refined. At the same time, this will provide “seagrass refuges” to initiate recovery, monitor ecological effects, and provide for future restoration efforts. The project has been co-developed with the CKI community and Parks Australia, addressing their highest research priority identified in the newly established Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park. The project will provide an action plan for ongoing interventions and strategies to future-proof local seagrasses and support seagrass-dependent species, such as
green turtles and fish, in the long term.
Development of mangrove indicators for the 2024 Gladstone Harbour Report Card
This 2024 program extends on those in 2018 & 2019 (Shultz et al. 2019, 2020). As before, a wide range of expertise will be used in this environmental management project in the PCPA TUMRA Indigenous Protected Area. The multiple threatened ecosystems of this Central Queensland region will be evaluated. The program will support GHHP efforts for the better management of shoreline environmental values. This will be achieved through the on-going implementation of an integrated monitoring and archiving program, bringing together the research, and remote sensing, gathered and compiled by expert mangrove tidal wetland scientists from James Cook University.
The integrated project will help identify environmental indicators and reporting options based on an updated thorough assessment of estuarine and coastal shorelines of their habitat condition, biodiversity conservation and landscape scale connectivity of shoreline ecosystems as described in the GHHP tender document. Ongoing consultation with the GHHP and other stakeholders will ensure a robust and lasting outcome.
Integrating Ecological, Social, and Cultural Values of the Coastal Waters of Roebuck Bay
Integrating Ecological, Social and Cultural Values of the Coastal Waters of Roebuck Bay. JCU researchers will lead the dugong component of this work, deploying telemetry tags on adult wild dugongs in collaboration with local indigenous Traditional Owners and dugong hunters to study the use of Roebuck Bay and greater region by the animals.
Tropical Seagrass Management Project (Stage 1)
This project will design Management Plans at three priority sites across the Wet Tropics, Dry Tropics, and West Cape York/Gulf of Carpentaria regions. These Management Plans will allow Queensland's Department of Environment, Science and Innovation to achieve a conservation outcome at a regional scale from financial offset payments for impacts to seagrass and benthic habitats.
Seagrass Restoration Opportunities in the Russell-Mulgrave Basin & Mutcharoo Inlet
Conduct seagrass assessments and identify restoration opportunities in the Russell Mulgrave / Wanjuru Yidinji Country, including training and workshops with Traditional Owners
Tiwi Islands seagrass surveys and development of ranger-led monitoring program
Tiwi People aspire for a healthy, managed Sea Country and to establish an integrated Marine IPA (MIPA). Tiwi Sea Country estate has high cultural and biodiversity significance, but this is poorly documented. The presence of important species such as dugong and turtle is known, but habitats important to these species has not been quantified.
Collecting data efficiently and co-designing monitoring that rangers can maintain in their workplans is a priority of the Tiwi rangers. Subtidal seagrass needs to be mapped and monitoring of these habitats designed for rangers to implement. We will:
• Participate in On-country consultations and knowledge sharing sessions (timing to be determined)
• Co-design subtidal benthic habitat surveys with Tiwi Resources
• Undertake benthic habitat surveys using a drop camera in collaboration with Tiwi sea rangers
• Analyse drop camera images, create maps and prepare draft data report
• Co-design and undertake two years of monitoring in collaboration with Tiwi sea rangers
• Purchase underwater camera system for Tiwi sea rangers
• Contribute to progress reports from Tiwi Resources to the Northern Territory Government as needed
Exploring eDNA methods for an ornamental snake detection
This project aims to develop and validate an environmental DNA assay targeting the ornamental snake, Denisonia maculata. This includes in-silico and in-vitro assay development and validation on eDNA samples collected on the field from sites where the target species had been observed within < 5 m distance.
Queensland Smithsonian Fellowships Grant Program
This project, carried out in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), aims to create improved determination of ecosystem health through novel detection of indicator microbial species. It build-up on my work at TropWATER, focused on applying genomic tools for detection of species of management concern.
Delivery of science to support the implementation of a National Marine Park Management Effectiveness system
Parks Australia is implementing a management effectiveness framework for Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). This system will support the management of 48% of Australia's EEZ. The Marine and Coastal Hub has supported the development of Parks Australia's (PA) Management Effectiveness (ME) system. The ME system is designed to allow Parks Australia to test the effectiveness of the Australian Marine Park (AMP) system and ensure that AMPs are effectively and appropriately managed. PA have identified priorities for research to assist in the implementation of the ME system, to identify scientific outputs needed for network management and adapt to new issues in the marine environment through the Australian Marine Parks Science Plan. This project will deliver several of the key science needs identified in the plan and will draw on the combined expertise of the partners and scientists within the Marine and Coastal Hub to generate the outcomes which build onto extensive work previously delivered.
Protecting valuable shoreline mangroves of northern Australia
The mass death (~80 km2) and dieback of shoreline mangroves around the Gulf of Carpentaria (GOC) and across northern Australia in 1982 and 2015 was a wake-up call to the vulnerability and immense importance of marine coastal ecosystems like mangroves. It is essential that we better understand the circumstances surrounding such catastrophic events, the environmental triggers identified, and what we might do to restore the damage while also preventing future occurrences. In response to the 2015 mass dieback event (the world’s largest such recorded event), the NESP commissioned an Emerging Priority project that utilised aerial surveys to assess the extent of the dieback along the entire Gulf of Carpentaria coastline. It is proposed to resurvey GOC shorelines for their current condition whilst taking the opportunity further to devise a well-considered and fully costed rapid response plan that will include innovative preventative management outcomes for the longer-term sustainability of these threatened but highly valued coastal marine ecosystems of northern Australia.
Coral decline threatens fish biodiversity in marine reserves
- 2004
- National Academy of Sciences
- Researchers:Maya Srinivasan
Mid-late Holocene sea-level variability in eastern Australia
- 2008
- Wiley-Blackwell
- Researchers:Stephen Lewis
Start Date:
01 Jan 2005
End Date:
01 Jan 2011
Start Date:
01 Jan 2019
End Date:
01 Jan 2019
Start Date:
01 Jan 2017
End Date:
01 Jan 2017
Start Date:
01 Jan 2000
End Date:
01 Jan 2002
Start Date:
01 Jan 2024
End Date:
01 Jan 2024
Start Date:
01 Jan 2016
End Date:
01 Jan 2020
Start Date:
01 Jan 2007
End Date:
01 Jan 2011