Does climatic thermal variability matter? This project aims to research how annual and daily variability in temperature effects the distribution of species, their tolerance to temperature, their dispersal ability and genetic structuring. Expected outcomes include more accurate assessment of the ecological risk of climate change, which is expected to result in altered average temperatures and temperature variability. Such assessments will result in better management of species and ecosystems faci ....Does climatic thermal variability matter? This project aims to research how annual and daily variability in temperature effects the distribution of species, their tolerance to temperature, their dispersal ability and genetic structuring. Expected outcomes include more accurate assessment of the ecological risk of climate change, which is expected to result in altered average temperatures and temperature variability. Such assessments will result in better management of species and ecosystems facing threats from climate change.Read moreRead less
SEA LEVELS, SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND EL NINO VARIABILITY DURING WARM INTERGLACIATIONS. Sea levels, sea surface temperatures and the variability of El Niño will be determined for previous warm interglacial periods using well dated, stratigraphically controlled fossil corals preserved in uplifted reefs. Relationships between past changes in sea level and warmer ocean temperatures will provide insights into the response of sea level to global warming. Knowledge of the frequency and amplitude o ....SEA LEVELS, SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES AND EL NINO VARIABILITY DURING WARM INTERGLACIATIONS. Sea levels, sea surface temperatures and the variability of El Niño will be determined for previous warm interglacial periods using well dated, stratigraphically controlled fossil corals preserved in uplifted reefs. Relationships between past changes in sea level and warmer ocean temperatures will provide insights into the response of sea level to global warming. Knowledge of the frequency and amplitude of El Nino events that occurred during previous interglacial warm periods will provide a better understanding of processes controlling extreme events in the climate system.Read moreRead less
Resilience of eucalypts to future droughts. This project aims to examine how resilient Eucalyptus species are to future droughts by combining data synthesis, manipulative experiments and modelling. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency, magnitude and duration of future droughts, with major environmental and socio-economic consequences for Australia. Current predictive capacity is extremely limited: experiments are limited in scale and cannot capture important global change interac ....Resilience of eucalypts to future droughts. This project aims to examine how resilient Eucalyptus species are to future droughts by combining data synthesis, manipulative experiments and modelling. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency, magnitude and duration of future droughts, with major environmental and socio-economic consequences for Australia. Current predictive capacity is extremely limited: experiments are limited in scale and cannot capture important global change interactions, whilst models do not represent the functional characteristics and adaptions of eucalypts. This project will develop a strong evidence- and process-based understanding to quantify the functional behaviour of drought-adapted Eucalyptus species and leverage this insight to make future model projections.Read moreRead less
Evolution in tooth and claw: exploring the relationship between the radiation of marsupial herbivores and late Cenozoic climate change. Establishing how animals responded to past environmental changes is essential for understanding the ecology of modern species and managing them in light of contemporary climatic trends. By applying several novel analytical methods this project will unravel the links between the radiation of Australian marsupials and key stages in climatic evolution.
Does dynamic ecological change cause rapid evolution? This project aims to increase understanding of how Australia’s native biota responds to rapid environmental changes. Abrupt environmental change has the potential to drive rapid evolution, which may facilitate species persistence in the face of novel challenges. This project will use long-term genomic data to quantify rates of evolutionary change in species living in arid environments, whose populations fluctuate markedly in response to rainf ....Does dynamic ecological change cause rapid evolution? This project aims to increase understanding of how Australia’s native biota responds to rapid environmental changes. Abrupt environmental change has the potential to drive rapid evolution, which may facilitate species persistence in the face of novel challenges. This project will use long-term genomic data to quantify rates of evolutionary change in species living in arid environments, whose populations fluctuate markedly in response to rainfall variation. By measuring the pace of genomic change in these species, and the evolutionary processes driving that change, this project will reveal species’ evolutionary responses to major environmental fluctuations.Read moreRead less
How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex ....How are visual gene pathways lost and restored during reptile evolution? This project aims to investigate how complex traits are lost during evolution, and once lost if they can be regained. The project will use the diverse visual systems of snakes and lizards to shed light on the process of gene loss in degenerative lineages, and discover the mechanisms that compensate for gene losses in taxa with secondarily evolved visual capabilities- providing a case of evolutionary re-innovation in complex traits.Read moreRead less
UPTAKE OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2 IN THE OCEANS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE: NEW PROXY DEVELOPMENTS. This project aims to quantify the response of the oceans to increasing atmospheric CO2 from anthropogenic production. This will be achieved by using newly developed paleoceanographic indicators in deep sea sediments, corals and coralline sponges. These will be used to evaluate changes in seawater acidity and the response of the oceans to past variations in atmospheric CO2. The capacity and role o ....UPTAKE OF ATMOSPHERIC CO2 IN THE OCEANS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE: NEW PROXY DEVELOPMENTS. This project aims to quantify the response of the oceans to increasing atmospheric CO2 from anthropogenic production. This will be achieved by using newly developed paleoceanographic indicators in deep sea sediments, corals and coralline sponges. These will be used to evaluate changes in seawater acidity and the response of the oceans to past variations in atmospheric CO2. The capacity and role of the oceans to buffer the rise of atmospheric of CO2 will be ascertained. This will provide constraints on the impact of increased seawater acidity on coral reefs such as the Great Barrier Reef.Read moreRead less
Understanding climate and harvest induced changes in fish life histories. This project aims to quantify the cumulative impacts of harvest and climate change across marine fishes and ecosystems. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this area by coupling the rich biological information archived in fish ear bones, with targeted multi-generation experiments and predictive modelling. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into how human-induced environmental change affects fish gr ....Understanding climate and harvest induced changes in fish life histories. This project aims to quantify the cumulative impacts of harvest and climate change across marine fishes and ecosystems. The project expects to generate new knowledge in this area by coupling the rich biological information archived in fish ear bones, with targeted multi-generation experiments and predictive modelling. Expected outcomes include fundamental insights into how human-induced environmental change affects fish growth and maturation, and a subsequent critical evaluation of the sensitivity of fisheries models to trends in these life-history traits. This should provide significant benefits to fisheries and ecosystem management, ensuring they remain productive and resilient in a time of rapid environmental change.Read moreRead less
The key role of the Southern Ocean in atmospheric CO2 sequestration. The integrated approach proposed in this study aims to quantify past changes in marine productivity and its role in controlling past atmospheric CO2 variations. This will be achieved by studying deep sea sediments from the Southern Ocean, a key area with a fundamental importance in the global ocean biological pump. This research will enhance our understanding of the linkages connecting marine biota, the ocean carbon cycle and g ....The key role of the Southern Ocean in atmospheric CO2 sequestration. The integrated approach proposed in this study aims to quantify past changes in marine productivity and its role in controlling past atmospheric CO2 variations. This will be achieved by studying deep sea sediments from the Southern Ocean, a key area with a fundamental importance in the global ocean biological pump. This research will enhance our understanding of the linkages connecting marine biota, the ocean carbon cycle and global climate, providing the basis for more reliable predictions about the impacts of the recent rapid atmospheric CO2 increase. Possible remediation solutions involving marine phytoplankton to this CO2 excess will be thoroughly assessed.Read moreRead less
Demographic consequences of Asian disasters: family dynamics, social capital and migration patterns. This study of the long term demographic consequences of Asian disasters will contribute to development of more effective governmental policies on disaster mitigation, preparedness and reconstruction/recovery, thus assisting to reduce the human and material losses from natural disasters.