Tropical Water & Ecosystems

Scott Morrissey

Scott Morrissey

Tim Smith

Tim Smith

Alejandro Navarro Otero

Alejandro Navarro Otero

Jack Koci

Jack Koci

Sarah McDonald

Sarah McDonald

Emily Webster

Emily Webster

Abbi Scott

Abbi Scott

Catherine Collier

Catherine Collier

Rob Coles

Rob Coles

Aaron Davis

Aaron Davis

Seagrass surveys in the Southern Gulf 2023-2024
Alexandra Carter
01 Oct 2023 - 15 Mar 2025
This project is a collaboration of specialists including the Yanyuwa and Marra Traditional Owners and li-Anthawirriyarra Sea Rangers, scientists from James Cook University and Charles Darwin University, and Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife. The team will survey the subtidal marine benthic habitats within Yanyuwa and Marra sea country. Using data from the survey and other available information, rangers and scientists will work together to determine priority management areas and identify areas and opportunities for broader community engagement in the management of sea country.
Ports North Seagrass Monitoring (Old ID 20701)
Skye McKenna
01 Dec 2012 - 31 Dec 2016
The aim of this research is to monitor seagrass habitats in areas around Mourilyan, Karumba, Cairns and Thursday Island. The objectives include comparing results of previous monitoring and baseline surveys and assessing any changes in seagrass distribution and abundance in relation to natural events or human induced activities, and establishing the capacity for recovery of key seagrass meadows types likely to be affected by proposed developments.
NQBP & JCU Research & Monitoring Partnership - Seagrass and Coral Studies (Old ID 24716)
Alexandra Carter
23 Oct 2017 - 27 Dec 2020
This project conducts long term assessments of seagrass and coral in the Ports of Mackay, Hay Point, Weipa and Abbot Point. The work forms part of a research and monitoring partnership between JCU and NQBP to monitor and assess marine environmental health within ports as well as support related research and education opportunities.
NQBP & JCU Research & Monitoring Partnership - Seagrass and Coral Studies (Old ID 24716)
Skye McKenna
23 Oct 2017 - 27 Dec 2020
This project conducts long term assessments of seagrass and coral in the Ports of Mackay, Hay Point, Weipa and Abbot Point. The work forms part of a research and monitoring partnership between JCU and NQBP to monitor and assess marine environmental health within ports as well as support related research and education opportunities.
LDC Community Water Quality Monitoring Program (LME#17-004). (Old ID 25147)
Stephen Lewis
13 Aug 2018 - 30 Jun 2029
The objective of the Burdekin MIP is to work closely with groups in one or two focus areas, with the Bowen-Broken-Bogie(BBB) catchments, to trial a range of regionally tailored coordinated actions that reduce sediment and nutrient loads. Throughout this Major Integrated Project, progress in achieving land management practice changes, economic benefits for landholders and pollutant load reductions will be closely monitored an results will inform adaptive management. This project is to develop a community water quality monitoring program for the BBB catchments.
Ecological Monitoring of the Townsville Field Training Area 2015-2016 (Old ID 22497)
Shelley Templeman
01 Oct 2015 - 30 Jun 2016
This project continues the long standing monitoring that TropWATER has undertaken for Defence that incorporates water quality (including standard physio chemical, nutrients and metals), aquatic invertebrate and reparian vegetation condition assessments to evaluate the health of key aquatic ecosystems on the Townsville Field Training Area.
Re-Invigorating the Pesticide Working Group (PWG) (Old ID 22959)
Aaron Davis
01 Jun 2016 - 30 Sep 2017
The project is designed to facilitate communication between industry, extension providers, scientists resource managers and regulators, and undertake activities to accelerate progress towards the Reef Water Quality Protection Plan target for pesticides.
Seagrass Assessment Southern Expansion of Mackay-Whitsunday Monitoring Program (Old ID 23604)
Alexandra Carter
03 Jul 2017 - 31 Aug 2020
TropWATER will provide seagrass assessment to assist regional marine ambient monitoring program administered by Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership. These data will assist Mackay Whitsunday Healthy Rivers to Reef Partnership with the preparation of a regional report card.
Rapid In-field Detection of the Deadly Jellyfish, Chironex fleckeri (Old ID 31188)
Scott Morrissey
10 Oct 2023 - 09 Oct 2024
Detection of Chironex fleckeri presents large challenges, and Environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to overcome these. The use of an in-field detection workflow could offer an efficient and sensitive tool for real-time detection. This may allow for greater management of the taxon’s threat to human health and enterprise, specifically by identifying areas of high risk that are frequented by C. fleckeri. Through Rapid Assessment tests, rapid in-field detection of Chironex fleckeri becomes feasible, facilitated by eDNA techniques. Such an approach could significantly bolster ecological research and risk mitigation efforts undertaken by management authorities responsible for dealing with this taxon.
Sources of Bioavailable Nutrients: Phase 2 (Old ID 22526)
Aaron Davis
01 Jan 2016 - 01 Dec 2016
The primary objective of this project is to determine which indicators (ideally 2 - 4 in total for N and P) best predict algal growth (whole community and diatom only) in freshwater and marine conditions. Research indicates that diatoms are the key food source for Crown of Thorns Starfish larvae therefore having a "diatom only" treatment will enable us to look at indicators specifically related to this issue. Indicators will be tested on a range of key soil types (key soils with a range of erodibilities from the Bowen and Johnstone catchment will be selected), erosion processes (surface and sub-surface) and land uses (grazing and cane) to ensure their applicability and reliability.

Rehabilitation effects on gully sediment yields and vegetation in a savanna rangeland

Introducing the mangrove microbiome initiative: identifying microbial research priorities and approaches to better understand, protect, and rehabilitate mangrove ecosystems

Ecosystem type drives tea litter decomposition and associated prokaryotic microbiome communities in freshwater and coastal wetlands at a continental scale

Spatial and temporal variability of green turtle and dugong herbivory in seagrass meadows of the southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR)

Current and future carbon stocks in coastal wetlands within the Great Barrier Reef catchments

Baseline assessment of coastal water quality, in Vanuatu, South Pacific: insights gained from in-situ sampling

Dugong (Dugong dugon) movements and habitat use in a coral reef lagoonal ecosystem

Ecological impact assessment of climate change and habitat loss on wetland vertebrate assemblages of the Great Barrier Reef catchment and the influence of survey bias

Ecosystem health indicators - freshwater environments

Seagrass ecosystem contributions to people's quality of life in the Pacific Island Countries and Territories

Title: Ports North, Ports North supports an annual monitoring program conducted by James Cook University (JCU) in Cairns Harbour and Trinity Inlet, as well as at our other ports, such as Karumba, Mourilyan and Thursday Island. By using helicopters and underwater cameras on boats, the seagrass meadows are mapped and assessed for any changes.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2009
End Date: 01 Jan 2026
Title: Gladstone Ports Corporation, The purpose of the Long-term Maintenance Dredging Management Plan (LMDMP) is to address operational needs, environmental risks, monitoring and adaptive management actions specific to the Port of Gladstone whilst ensuring the ongoing sustainability of maintenance dredging within the port.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2009
End Date: 01 Jan 2030
Title: North Queensland Bulk Ports, Partnering with scientists at James Cook University (JCU), NQBP has been collecting data on seagrass growth around our port sites for more than 20 years. In addition to informing our own environmental activities and port operations, our data has contributed to advances in an international body of seagrass knowledge through JCU's academic research and regional report cards developed to help monitor the health of our waterways.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2014
End Date: 01 Jan 2030
Title: Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service contracted James Cook University to conduct surveys and research on the impacts to and resilience of seagrass in Great Sandy Marine Park. This important surveying and research help government understand the impacts to seagrass from the 2022 flooding events and its ability to recovery.
Reseracher: Carissa Reason (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2021
End Date: 01 Jan 2025
Title: Master of Science - Botany, James Cook University
Reseracher: Norm Duke (Senior Research Scientist)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1981
End Date: 01 Jan 1984
Title: Doctor of Philosophy, James Cook University
Reseracher: Norm Duke (Senior Research Scientist)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1986
End Date: 01 Jan 1988
Title: Bachelor of Science with Honours, James Cook University
Reseracher: Norm Duke (Senior Research Scientist)
Start Date: 01 Jan 1973
End Date: 01 Jan 1973
Title: Editor of the SeDNAS PeerJ Hub
Reseracher: Cecilia Villacorta Rath (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2024
Title: Higher Degree By Research Committee
Reseracher: Jack Koci (Principal Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2022
End Date: 01 Jan 2023
Title: Conference co-chair
Reseracher: Sarah McDonald (Senior Research Officer)
Start Date: 01 Jan 2023
End Date: 01 Jan 2023