The Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) invites you to participate in a short survey about your
interaction with the ARDC and use of our national research infrastructure and services. The survey will take
approximately 5 minutes and is anonymous. It’s open to anyone who uses our digital research infrastructure
services including Reasearch Link Australia.
We will use the information you provide to improve the national research infrastructure and services we
deliver and to report on user satisfaction to the Australian Government’s National Collaborative Research
Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS) program.
Please take a few minutes to provide your input. The survey closes COB Friday 29 May 2026.
Complete the 5 min survey now by clicking on the link below.
Using larval connectivity to inform marine reserve network designs in the Coral Triangle. Networks of no-take marine reserves are considered critical tools to ensure conservation and food security targets in the Coral Triangle Region, just north of Australia. More than 1400 community-managed marine reserves have been established in the Philippines, the most populace part of the Coral Triangle. The local conservation and fisheries benefits of these reserves have been well documented. A need now e ....Using larval connectivity to inform marine reserve network designs in the Coral Triangle. Networks of no-take marine reserves are considered critical tools to ensure conservation and food security targets in the Coral Triangle Region, just north of Australia. More than 1400 community-managed marine reserves have been established in the Philippines, the most populace part of the Coral Triangle. The local conservation and fisheries benefits of these reserves have been well documented. A need now exists to convert these individual reserves into operational reserve networks. This project proposes to use new information on larval connectivity, biodiversity and human usage patterns, and local governance networks, to systematically improve the design of an existing Philippine reserve network. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100688
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Macroalgal-driven feedbacks and the dynamics of coral reef ecosystems. Seaweed overgrowth poses one of the greatest threats to coral reefs. This project aims to understand the role of seaweeds in shaping ecological processes on degraded coral reefs. In doing so it will not only identify the processes that maintain and reinforce seaweed dominance on coral reefs, but also identify ways to reverse such states.
An elemental hypothesis for sub-tropical refugia in reef corals. This project aims to discover the underlying traits that permit Australian reef corals to live near the edges of their ranges in relatively cool water. As ocean temperatures warm, novel communities are expected to develop in high latitude ecosystems, which might become important as thermal refugia for low latitude coral reefs. The project aims to test the role of elemental composition (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) in coral host ....An elemental hypothesis for sub-tropical refugia in reef corals. This project aims to discover the underlying traits that permit Australian reef corals to live near the edges of their ranges in relatively cool water. As ocean temperatures warm, novel communities are expected to develop in high latitude ecosystems, which might become important as thermal refugia for low latitude coral reefs. The project aims to test the role of elemental composition (carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus) in coral host and symbiont response to changing water temperature along a latitudinal gradient. The intended outcome of the project is to provide knowledge to support predictions of likely species migrations from tropical to subtropical waters, enabling managers to anticipate the future response of coral communities to seawater warming.Read moreRead less
Population fluctuations: models, mechanisms and management. Changes in plant populations lead to extinctions and invasions in Australia and globally. The project will determine the drivers of plant population change and provide new tools to enable better population management.
Orientation in the pelagic environment: how do larval marine fish find their way home? This study will determine what senses tiny fish larvae use to orientate in the ocean and to influence where currents disperse them. Because larval dispersal determines the spatial extent of fish populations, this knowledge is important for management of marine fisheries and the design and operation of marine parks.
Habitat fragmentation: critical role in the decline and recovery of coral reef fish biodiversity. Preserving biodiversity in the face of environmental degradation and climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. Although habitat fragmentation is considered a key cause of the current extinction crisis, the effects of changing habitat configuration on species persistence and recovery is almost completely unknown. Coral reefs are among the most diverse and threatened ecosystems on the plan ....Habitat fragmentation: critical role in the decline and recovery of coral reef fish biodiversity. Preserving biodiversity in the face of environmental degradation and climate change is the greatest challenge of our time. Although habitat fragmentation is considered a key cause of the current extinction crisis, the effects of changing habitat configuration on species persistence and recovery is almost completely unknown. Coral reefs are among the most diverse and threatened ecosystems on the planet and this project will provide the first insights into how coral reef fish diversity responds to increased subdivision and isolation of reef habitat. It will identify critical aspects of habitat change that either enhance local diversity or threaten populations with extinction and provide new ecological data to refine conservation strategies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101433
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$368,000.00
Summary
Mesophotic coral ecosystems: understanding the reef's hidden biodiversity. This project aims to assess biodiversity at mesophotic depths and evaluate the vulnerability of these deep-water ecosystems to disturbances and environmental change. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (which live at around 30–100 metres in depth) represent an estimated surface area equivalent to that of shallow coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef (20 000 square kilometres) yet remain largely undocumented (due to their relative ....Mesophotic coral ecosystems: understanding the reef's hidden biodiversity. This project aims to assess biodiversity at mesophotic depths and evaluate the vulnerability of these deep-water ecosystems to disturbances and environmental change. Mesophotic coral ecosystems (which live at around 30–100 metres in depth) represent an estimated surface area equivalent to that of shallow coral reefs on the Great Barrier Reef (20 000 square kilometres) yet remain largely undocumented (due to their relative inaccessibility) and are not considered in conservation planning. The project aims to characterise the intrinsic (i.e. unique biodiversity) and instrumental (i.e. role in shallow reef recovery) values of mesophotic coral reefs. Expected project outcomes may help develop an effective ecosystem-specific management strategy.Read moreRead less