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

Improving waterway monitoring in the Australian tropics with eDNA sampling (Old ID 27845)
Cecilia Villacorta Rath
28 Oct 2022 - 27 Jun 2025
This project will develop an eDNA metabarcoding technique to enable a more comprehensive assessment of fish assemblages in tropical waterways than is possible using conventional sampling methods. This project will be undertaken as a collaboration between OzFish Unlimited, Townsville City Council and the Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER). Samples will be collected by OzFish and Townsville City Council volunteers through existing citizen science initiatives.
Deriving ecologically relevant load targets to meet desire ecosystem condition for the Great Barrier Reef: a case study for seagrass meadows in the Burdekin region (Old ID 23153)
Catherine Collier
01 Jan 2017 - 30 Mar 2020
This project will derive ecologically relevant targets (ERTs) for water quality and sediment loads by: 1) defining seagrass desired state targets; 2) calculating water quality guidelines (light); and 3) calculating ERTs for terrestrially sourced sediment loads. Historical and new data collections will be used to derive ERTs via statistical models and eReefs (RECOM), and the seagrass sub-model in eReefs will be used to test ERTs. A framework for setting seagrass desired state will be developed for the entire GBR and water quality guidelines and sediment load ERTs will be quantitatively defined for the Burdekin basin where suspended sediments affect seagrass condition.
Environmental Water Knowledge and Research: Vegetation theme (Old ID 22787)
Cassandra James
31 May 2016 - 30 May 2019
The Environmental Water Knowledge and Research Project is a five year, $10 million project to improve the science available to support environmental water management, and thereby contribute to achieving the Murray-Darling Basin Plan objectives.
Mapping of Hervey Bay and Great Sandy Straits seagrass meadows post floods (Old ID 27628)
Michael Rasheed
29 Apr 2022 - 29 May 2026
This project will map seagrass meadows across Hervey Bay and collect data on intertidal seagrass habitats in Great Sandy Straits to provide post flood update on the state of seagrass meadows in the region.
Operation Lumut (seagrass) Rescue: taking action to restore and monitor seagrass in the Cocos (Keeling) Islands Marine Park (Old ID 29027)
Michael Rasheed
01 Apr 2023 - 30 Jun 2025
This project brings together local knowledge and ecological expertise to develop a robust, restoration program for seagrass habitats at the Cocos Keeling Island’s southern atoll. Specifically, this project will work to improve our understanding of the natural dynamics and resilience of local seagrass habitats and the pressures acting on them to limit natural recovery, and use this information to identify, trial and evaluate restoration activities to drive seagrass recovery.
Engaging with farmers and demonstrating water quality outcomes to create confidence in on-farm decision-making ("Project 25") (Old ID 22544)
Aaron Davis
01 Jan 2016 - 10 Dec 2018
Recent global experiences suggest that spatially identifying and prioritizing landscape ‘hotspots’ of pollutant generation for management intervention, and small catchment-scale water quality monitoring in collaboration with landholders linking water quality with specific management practices, are among the most promising strategies for reducing water quality pollution. This project will combine recent hotspot identification in GBR sugarcane catchment of the Russel/Mulgrave with targeted cane farmer interaction activities (related to sub-catchment and localized monitoring activities), focusing on emerging monitoring technologies (real-time water quality monitoring) to link farmer on-farm practices with feedback from sub-catchment water quality measurements. The use of both scientific and citizen science monitoring approaches will deliver robust feedback loops to enable farmers to directly link their activities with water quality conditions. The project will focus on on-farm practice improvements in highest priority catchments to achieve maximum benefits to GBR health from catchment management actions.
Deriving ecologically relevant targets to meet desired ecosystem condition for the Great Barrier Reef: a case study for seagrass meadows in the Burdekin region (Old ID 26473)
Catherine Collier
01 Jan 2019 - 10 Dec 2020
This project will derive ecologically relevant targets (ERTs) for water quality and sediment loads for the Burdekin basin and provide the ecological targets required to revise ERTs across the GBR by: 1) defining seagrass desired state targets for the GBR: 2) calculating water quality guidelines (light); and 3) calculating ERTs for te3rrestrially sourced sediment loads, using Cleveland Bay as a case study. Historical and new data collections will be compiled and used to derive ERTs via statistical models and eReefs (RECOM), and the seagrass sub-model in eReefs will be used to test ERTs.
Characterising Mary River flood sediment deposited in Hervey Bay. (Old ID 27627)
Zoe Bainbridge
29 Apr 2022 - 30 Jun 2022
Analysis of recently deposited sediments in seagrass meadows offshore from the Mary River.
Fire and Environmental Change in Northern Australia during the Late Holocene (Old ID 23372)
Emma Rehn
01 Jul 2017 - 30 Jun 2019
This project addresses the lack of palaeoenvironmental and palaeofire records available for northern Australia. I will analyse both micro-(<125µm) and macroscopic (>125µm) charcoal from sediment cores collected from lacustrine sites in Cape York and Arnhem Land. I will also analyse modern charcoal collected in fire traps placed during fieldwork to create a modern analogue. Collaboration with AINSE/ANSTO will result in a high-resolution chronology for each site, with implications for the wider region.
2017 Eastern Cape York Shoreline Environmental Surveys (Old ID 23402)
Norm Duke
07 Apr 2017 - 22 Dec 2017
The aim of this project is to conduct shoreline surveys along Australia's east coast from Cairns to Cape York during 2017. These works will involve a number of activities focused on monitoring the character and condition of shoreline habitats and estuaries, as well as partnering with local indigenous custodians, filming in aerial surveys plus field investigations and mapping. This work compliments extent mapping undertaken by the Qld Herbarium in that both extent and condition are required to assess the status of mangrove ecosystems. This project will evaluate and combine spatial and condition monitoring coupled with identification of drivers of change for all key instances of change.

Microsatellite primer development for the seagrass Zostera nigricaulis (Zosteraceae)

Positive responses of a seagrass ecosystem to experimental nutrient enrichment

Long-term climate-associated dynamics of a tropical seagrass meadow: implications for the future

Impacts of a fuel oil spill on seagrass meadows in a subtropical port, Gladstone, Australia: the value of long-term marine habitat monitoring in high risk areas

Relating sediment impacts on coral reefs to watershed sources, processes and management: a review

Monitoring temporal dynamics of Great Artesian Basin wetland vegetation, Australia, using MODIS NDVI

Using MODIS data for mapping of water types within river plumes in the Great Barrier Reef, Australia: towards the production of river plume risk maps for reef and seagrass ecosystems

Palaeoenvironmental change in tropical Australasia over the last 30,000 years: a synthesis by the OZ-INTIMATE group

Calculating sediment trapping efficiencies for reservoirs in tropical settings: a case study from the Burdekin Falls Dam, NE Australia

Coral skeletons provide historical evidence of phosphorus runoff on the Great Barrier Reef

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