Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100189
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$191,095.00
Summary
A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology. A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology: Stable isotope studies have huge and increasing relevance to environmental studies, many of which form the backbone of understanding Australia's terrestrial and marine systems. Compound-specific isotope analysis yields much more i ....A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology. A shared mass spectrometer with compound-specific capabilities to support innovative research in biology, the environment and geology: Stable isotope studies have huge and increasing relevance to environmental studies, many of which form the backbone of understanding Australia's terrestrial and marine systems. Compound-specific isotope analysis yields much more information than is available through bulk methods. The problem has been that the separations were labour-intensive and employed complex wet chemistry. New methods reduce the work-load enough to make compound-specific studies possible. In the case of carbon isotopes, new liquid chromatographic technology removes the need for derivatisations which dilute the natural signal and can render it unusable.Read moreRead less
Ecosystem resilience of Shark Bay under changing ocean climate. This project aims to investigate the resilience of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site to projected climate change. This project will generate new knowledge for marine conservation through analyses of habitat loss on nutrient budgets and productivity in seagrass and microbialite ecosystems. Expected outcomes are an improved understanding of climate-driven shifts on ecosystem processes in Shark Bay, incorporating science-based evidence ....Ecosystem resilience of Shark Bay under changing ocean climate. This project aims to investigate the resilience of the Shark Bay World Heritage Site to projected climate change. This project will generate new knowledge for marine conservation through analyses of habitat loss on nutrient budgets and productivity in seagrass and microbialite ecosystems. Expected outcomes are an improved understanding of climate-driven shifts on ecosystem processes in Shark Bay, incorporating science-based evidence for better conservation and management. This will provide significant benefits by contributing to the future-proofing of Shark Bay’s World Heritage values to climate change, and more broadly by demonstrating the consequences of the continued tropicalisation of Australia’s coastline.Read moreRead less
A Changing Climate on the Great Barrier Reef: Present and Future Implications. The Great Barrier Reef is fundamental to the economy of Australia. This national and international icon needs to be preserved in the face of a changing world to ensure on-going sustainability of our marine resources. Ocean acidification, warming water temperatures, increased freshwater disrupt the sensitive symbiotic association of corals the major structure building organisms of reefs. Understanding how these enviro ....A Changing Climate on the Great Barrier Reef: Present and Future Implications. The Great Barrier Reef is fundamental to the economy of Australia. This national and international icon needs to be preserved in the face of a changing world to ensure on-going sustainability of our marine resources. Ocean acidification, warming water temperatures, increased freshwater disrupt the sensitive symbiotic association of corals the major structure building organisms of reefs. Understanding how these environmental stressors result in the decrease in coral health is fundamental to prevent loss of our coral reefs and an important step towards preserving them for future generations.Read moreRead less
Rhizosphere mediation of soil greenhouse gas fluxes with climate change. Increasingly extreme heat waves, droughts and floods contribute major uncertainties in predicting natural land-based climate change mitigation. This project will quantify current and future greenhouse gas absorption in a managed grassland ecosystem, and the new knowledge will contribute to carbon emissions offsets in climate change accounting schemes. We will conduct this research using a manipulative field experiment, cont ....Rhizosphere mediation of soil greenhouse gas fluxes with climate change. Increasingly extreme heat waves, droughts and floods contribute major uncertainties in predicting natural land-based climate change mitigation. This project will quantify current and future greenhouse gas absorption in a managed grassland ecosystem, and the new knowledge will contribute to carbon emissions offsets in climate change accounting schemes. We will conduct this research using a manipulative field experiment, controlled laboratory incubations, microbial gene analysis and mechanistic modelling to provide new insights into future potential climate change mitigation by soils.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100746
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$365,058.00
Summary
Trait plasticity and the maintenance of functional diversity. This project aims to determine if trait plasticity mediates functional degradation of coral reefs. It will use natural environmental gradients to identify mechanisms that enable corals to persist in marginal habitats. The project will use three-dimensional imaging to measure how variability in traits influences functional redundancy. This will facilitate better predictions of the effects of environmental change on reef systems. Expect ....Trait plasticity and the maintenance of functional diversity. This project aims to determine if trait plasticity mediates functional degradation of coral reefs. It will use natural environmental gradients to identify mechanisms that enable corals to persist in marginal habitats. The project will use three-dimensional imaging to measure how variability in traits influences functional redundancy. This will facilitate better predictions of the effects of environmental change on reef systems. Expected outcomes include improved understanding of the response of coral reef ecosystems to environmental change and a framework for predicting reefs at risk of degradation. Benefits will be to both global biodiversity conservation and the provision of ecosystem services in reef dependent communities.Read moreRead less
Predicting the consequences of drought-induced mortality for tree species in a changing climate. Tree mortality will be a dramatic manifestation of climate change as drought intensifies. A pre-existing record of mortality after recent drought in Eucalyptus woodland defines the moisture sensitivity of tree species and will be related to their functional traits, population dynamics and geography. This analysis will search for generalised characters that define the species that will be most suscept ....Predicting the consequences of drought-induced mortality for tree species in a changing climate. Tree mortality will be a dramatic manifestation of climate change as drought intensifies. A pre-existing record of mortality after recent drought in Eucalyptus woodland defines the moisture sensitivity of tree species and will be related to their functional traits, population dynamics and geography. This analysis will search for generalised characters that define the species that will be most susceptible to drought and will identify how future exaggerated drought will reorganise forest communities. The findings will contribute to understanding the vulnerability and resilience of our natural ecosystems with a changing climate.Read moreRead less
Discovery Indigenous Researchers Development - Grant ID: DI100100130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$180,834.00
Summary
Developing predictive tools for rapid assessment of multiple impacts, including climate change, on the marine ecosystem of Torres Strait (Australia). This project will underpin Australia's long-term commitment to maintain environmental biodiversity and sustainability in the face of synergistic effects from multiple threats. We will describe the consequences of threats and stressors on marine processes, harvested resources, and ecosystem functioning by identifying vulnerable species and habitats. ....Developing predictive tools for rapid assessment of multiple impacts, including climate change, on the marine ecosystem of Torres Strait (Australia). This project will underpin Australia's long-term commitment to maintain environmental biodiversity and sustainability in the face of synergistic effects from multiple threats. We will describe the consequences of threats and stressors on marine processes, harvested resources, and ecosystem functioning by identifying vulnerable species and habitats. We will provide management advice on balancing cultural and ecosystem integrity, economic efficiency, and ecosystem resilience under scenarios of climate and environmental change. This information is of immediate use by Australian government agencies. The project will put Australian scientists at the forefront of research focused on the adaptation of marine ecosystems to synergistic effects.Read moreRead less
Hydraulic control on water use, growth and survival in tropical rainforest. This project aims to measure drought-related limits to water transport in the woody xylem tissue of trees in Australian tropical rainforests, to understand how this influences tree water use, photosynthesis, health and mortality risk. Tropical rainforests are sensitive to climate variability, especially drought, but this sensitivity is poorly understood, despite large effects regionally and globally. This project will co ....Hydraulic control on water use, growth and survival in tropical rainforest. This project aims to measure drought-related limits to water transport in the woody xylem tissue of trees in Australian tropical rainforests, to understand how this influences tree water use, photosynthesis, health and mortality risk. Tropical rainforests are sensitive to climate variability, especially drought, but this sensitivity is poorly understood, despite large effects regionally and globally. This project will compare forests that contrast strongly in seasonal drought stress, and use the information to develop a model designed for species-diverse forest, with subsequent potential global application. The understanding gained will enable widely applicable advances designed to feed through rapidly to regional- and global-scale models that inform land use, economic and social policy-making.Read moreRead less
Intervention ecology on coral reefs: a new role for fishes. In a world where few intact reefs remain, the goal of this project is to find ways to restore degraded reefs. Recent research has identified the species responsible for removing harmful algae from coral reefs, while advances in mariculture provide us with the capacity to rear these critically important reef fish species. Combining captive rearing, experimental manipulations, and a global analysis of the functional capacity of herbivorou ....Intervention ecology on coral reefs: a new role for fishes. In a world where few intact reefs remain, the goal of this project is to find ways to restore degraded reefs. Recent research has identified the species responsible for removing harmful algae from coral reefs, while advances in mariculture provide us with the capacity to rear these critically important reef fish species. Combining captive rearing, experimental manipulations, and a global analysis of the functional capacity of herbivorous fishes, in intact, degraded and human-modified systems, the research will explore the potential for restoring, or boosting, the capacity of reefs to withstand disturbance. The goal is to provide the scientific knowledge required to directly modify the key processes operating on coral reefs. Read moreRead less
Unsaturation of vapour pressure inside leaves: fundamental, but unknown. This project aims to determine when and to what extent the air inside leaves becomes unsaturated with water vapour. All current interpretation and modelling of leaf gas exchange assumes saturation under all circumstances. Compelling evidence has been obtained that suggests this is not true under moderate air vapour pressure deficits. A novel technique will be employed to assess the water vapour concentration of the air insi ....Unsaturation of vapour pressure inside leaves: fundamental, but unknown. This project aims to determine when and to what extent the air inside leaves becomes unsaturated with water vapour. All current interpretation and modelling of leaf gas exchange assumes saturation under all circumstances. Compelling evidence has been obtained that suggests this is not true under moderate air vapour pressure deficits. A novel technique will be employed to assess the water vapour concentration of the air inside leaves based on stable isotope analysis of carbon dioxide and water vapour exchanged between leaves and air. The project is expected to provide fundamental knowledge about how stomata regulate photosynthesis and water use, with significant implications for modelling vegetation function and for improving the performance of crop plants.Read moreRead less