Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190101501
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,000.00
Summary
Printed back electrodes enabling low-cost perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address back electrode material, a bottleneck functional material in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By engineering printable and conductive materials based on carbon and gold nanowires, the project expects to enable highly-efficient and scalable PSCs while reducing cost of materials and production. These expected outcomes are to be implemented in PSCs and their impact rigorously tested in rese ....Printed back electrodes enabling low-cost perovskite solar cells. This project aims to address back electrode material, a bottleneck functional material in state-of-the-art perovskite solar cells (PSCs). By engineering printable and conductive materials based on carbon and gold nanowires, the project expects to enable highly-efficient and scalable PSCs while reducing cost of materials and production. These expected outcomes are to be implemented in PSCs and their impact rigorously tested in research cells to large-area PSCs modules produced through industry-relevant, scalable, and low-cost printing and coating methods. This will provide significant benefits to Australian industry, from small to medium enterprises to larger utility power companies, while creating economic opportunities and enabling sustainable societies.Read moreRead less
Growth Of Pearl Oysters In The Southern And Northern Areas Of The Pearl Oyster Fishery And Examination Of Environmental Influences On Recruitment To The Pearl Oyster Stock
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$143,482.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. To determine growth rates of pearl oysters in the Lacepede Channel and Exmouth Gulf areas 2. To utilize the existing and new knowledge of time lags between spatfall and recruitment to the fishery and the period of vulnerability to fishing to carry out analyses of possible environmental influences on recruitment
Environmental Genomics: Mining, climate change, water, crime and health. The new Environmental Genomics approach will employ high-powered genome sequencing systems to perform some of the first detailed genetic studies of Australian environments. The resulting high-resolution data will comprise a genetic audit, providing essential information for the accurate measurement of climate and environmental change. This method will dramatically improve the speed, and power of environmental impact assessm ....Environmental Genomics: Mining, climate change, water, crime and health. The new Environmental Genomics approach will employ high-powered genome sequencing systems to perform some of the first detailed genetic studies of Australian environments. The resulting high-resolution data will comprise a genetic audit, providing essential information for the accurate measurement of climate and environmental change. This method will dramatically improve the speed, and power of environmental impact assessments, permitting responsible resource development with major benefits to industry and the economy. It will also create new tools to improve water management and quality, biosecurity, forensics/policing and human health, as reflected by the diverse range of industry partners supporting this project.Read moreRead less
Diagnosing river health using invertebrate traits and DNA barcodes. Diagnosing river health using invertebrate traits and DNA barcodes. This project aims to develop indices that link change in invertebrate communities to specific environmental stressors, and combine these indices with innovative, low cost molecular approaches to species identification to rapidly identify the causes of decline. River health assessment methods, usually based on aquatic invertebrates, identify if rivers are impaire ....Diagnosing river health using invertebrate traits and DNA barcodes. Diagnosing river health using invertebrate traits and DNA barcodes. This project aims to develop indices that link change in invertebrate communities to specific environmental stressors, and combine these indices with innovative, low cost molecular approaches to species identification to rapidly identify the causes of decline. River health assessment methods, usually based on aquatic invertebrates, identify if rivers are impaired but must be developed to identify the causes of decline. The intended outcomes are improved sustainable water resource management within and among states, and improved natural resource policy development.Read moreRead less
Industry Survey Of The 1997 Eastern Gemfish Season
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$144,564.00
Summary
In 1997 1,000t will be allocated amongst the South East Trawl fishery, individual allocations will vary from over 100t down to 100s of kg. These allocations will allow some targeted fishing for gemfish but operators will also have to manage their individual allocations to cover their anticipated bycatch of gemfish as they fill quotas for other species. This management of bycatch will bias reported commercial catch rates in 1997 preventing comparison with historic trends and the updating of the ....In 1997 1,000t will be allocated amongst the South East Trawl fishery, individual allocations will vary from over 100t down to 100s of kg. These allocations will allow some targeted fishing for gemfish but operators will also have to manage their individual allocations to cover their anticipated bycatch of gemfish as they fill quotas for other species. This management of bycatch will bias reported commercial catch rates in 1997 preventing comparison with historic trends and the updating of the stock assessment developed by EGAG during 1996.
Consequently EGAG considered that another Industry Survey in 1997 is needed for two principal reasons: 1. To provide catch rate data which is representative of targeted gemfish fishing. 2. To ensure timely provision of high quality data for stock assessment during September and October 1997.
However having decided on the need for the 1997 survey EGAG considered that two other lesser needs could be addressed for little additional expense. These are: A. to understand targeting patterns in the SEF and their impact on stock assessment and B. the influence of oceanographic factors on the South East Fishery. Objectives: 1. Catch and effort and length-frequency data for targeted eastern gemfish fishing during the 1997 season will supplied in Excel spreadsheets will be supplied to EGAG before 1 September 1997. 2. The targeting practices of four survey vessels; Charissa, Marina Star, Illawara Star and Santa Rosa II during the 1997 season will be documented and analysed in relationship to previously reported targeting patterns. 3. The relationship between gemfish aggregations and oceanographic features during 1997 will be documented and analysed. 4. The feasibility of using multi-frequency acoustics to measure the size of gemfish aggregations will be analysed. Read moreRead less
Sustainability Of The Rock Lobster Resource In South-eastern Australia In A Changing Environment: Implications For Assessment And Management
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$651,086.00
Summary
Declining catches in the Western Zone of Victoria, the Southern Zone of South Australia, and the NW region of Tasmania have been observed over the past 4–5 years. These areas have always been the most productive and most important part of the south-eastern rock lobster fishery, and the declines in observed CPUE do not align with median predictions from each State’s stock assessment models. The lobster fishery in each State is managed primarily with output controls using Total Allowable Catches d ....Declining catches in the Western Zone of Victoria, the Southern Zone of South Australia, and the NW region of Tasmania have been observed over the past 4–5 years. These areas have always been the most productive and most important part of the south-eastern rock lobster fishery, and the declines in observed CPUE do not align with median predictions from each State’s stock assessment models. The lobster fishery in each State is managed primarily with output controls using Total Allowable Catches determined by stock assessment modelling. CPUE is used by the model as a proxy for lobster abundance and the observed trend may be caused by below average recruitment. However, catch rates may also be driven by exogenous changes in catchability influenced for example by environmental effects, fleet dynamics, fisher behaviour, or rock lobster behaviour. Hence, there is a pressing need to determine whether the observed falling CPUE represents an apparent decline in relative abundance caused by reduced catchability or an actual decline caused by reduced recruitment, reduced growth, or increased natural mortality, or a combination of these factors. Importantly, what are the implications for future assessments and what monitoring and management strategies are most robust in the face of these uncertainties. Objectives: 1. Undertake initial evaluation of catch and effort data for a selection of vessels (or skippers) for CPUE standardisation and undertake spatial analysis of rock lobster to depict annual CPUE trends within discrete regions standardised for effects of vessel (or skipper), season, and spatial cell defined by grid-cell and depth range. 2. Extend CPUE analyses to test for and standardise for, where feasible, the effects of oceanographic variables such as bottom temperature, dissolved oxygen, currents, and wave strength using available data from the Bonney Coast and then test the applicability of these results to western Tasmania and determine additional data requirements for extending the analyses to this region. 3. Apply various analyses such as within-season depletion models and each State’s stock assessment models using available catch and effort data, other monitoring data, and tag release-recapture data to explore variation in annual estimates of catchability and recruitment through time. 4. Investigate evidence for temporal trends in lobster recruitment across the three States, examine evidence of a declining trend since 2003, and examine relationships between yearly environmental signals, and the yearly puerulus index to yearly environmental signals. 5. Undertake growth analyses of available tag release-recapture data to explore variation in annual estimates of growth through time. 6. Undertake stock assessment modelling to explore the sensitivity of biomass projections to altered values of catchability, recruitment, and growth, and, if necessary, make appropriate corrections to components of the stock assessment models. 7. Undertake management strategy evaluation, testing stock assessments and exploring implications of alternative assumptions for catchability, recruitment, and growth. Read moreRead less
Seagrass tolerance of oil spills - scaling of pollution impacts. Seagrasses provide vital ecosystem services (such as sediment stabilisation and habitat provision) in Australian coastal waters. The contribution of pollutants to current seagrass decline is poorly understood. The Australian shipping industry is the 5th largest in the world but there is very little data on the impacts of petroleum hydrocarbons on intertidal seagrasses and hence no information for coastal resource managers to use in ....Seagrass tolerance of oil spills - scaling of pollution impacts. Seagrasses provide vital ecosystem services (such as sediment stabilisation and habitat provision) in Australian coastal waters. The contribution of pollutants to current seagrass decline is poorly understood. The Australian shipping industry is the 5th largest in the world but there is very little data on the impacts of petroleum hydrocarbons on intertidal seagrasses and hence no information for coastal resource managers to use in decision-making in the event of an oil spill. This project will assess the relative toxicities of a number of petroleum hydrocarbons on Australian seagrass species to provide necessary data for the development of effective management practice.Read moreRead less
Salty gas: the ecological risk of saline effluents from coal seam gas and other hydrocarbon resources. The objective of this project is to predict the effect of saline water produced from coal and coal seam gas extraction activities on freshwater systems. The findings will assist decisions on whether to permit discharge of such waste water, and if permitted under what conditions (e.g. water quality criteria) so as to prevent environment damage.
Tactical Research Fund: To Explore Ways To Engage Successfully With The Indigenous Community On Fisheries R&D Issues
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$23,830.00
Summary
FRDC have conservatively described engagement with the indigenous community as challenging. Indigenous fishing is one of three core topic areas within the current FRDC priority areas and, despite significant opportunity, has received limited interest from the target market.
This project aims to develop and test guidelines for engagement with indigenous applicants and to test the current FRDC funding application process for its "user-friendliness" to this target audience.
Tes ....FRDC have conservatively described engagement with the indigenous community as challenging. Indigenous fishing is one of three core topic areas within the current FRDC priority areas and, despite significant opportunity, has received limited interest from the target market.
This project aims to develop and test guidelines for engagement with indigenous applicants and to test the current FRDC funding application process for its "user-friendliness" to this target audience.
Testing the guidelines for engagement will involve people with limited experience with indigenous communities supported by more experienced team members. It is also hoped that FRDC staff will participate in the testing phase. Objectives: 1. To explore ways to engage successfully with the indigenous community 2. To develop guidelines for engagement with the indigenous community 3. To build capacity amongst Course 16 of the Australian Leadership Program to effectively engage with the indigenous community 4. To build capacity with FRDC staff to effectively engage with the indigenous community Read moreRead less
The Australian historic shipwreck protection project: the in situ preservation and reburial of a colonial trader - Clarence (1850). The project will use cutting-edge technology to study and preserve an early colonial shipwreck at risk and develop a world-class strategy for the reburial and preservation of endangered historic shipwrecks. The project will help develop new national policy and technical guidelines for site managers of historic shipwrecks and offer new insights into colonial shipbuil ....The Australian historic shipwreck protection project: the in situ preservation and reburial of a colonial trader - Clarence (1850). The project will use cutting-edge technology to study and preserve an early colonial shipwreck at risk and develop a world-class strategy for the reburial and preservation of endangered historic shipwrecks. The project will help develop new national policy and technical guidelines for site managers of historic shipwrecks and offer new insights into colonial shipbuilding.Read moreRead less