Formation and stabilisation of coastal blue carbon. Blue carbon is organic carbon stored within coastal vegetated ecosystems. This project will examine the composition, formation and dynamics of blue carbon in a range of coastal ecosystems. Combining advanced analytical chemistry with environmental microbiology, we will discover how blue carbon is stabilised and destabilised, a critical factor in nature-based climate change mitigation strategies. Further, we will gain a quantitative understandin ....Formation and stabilisation of coastal blue carbon. Blue carbon is organic carbon stored within coastal vegetated ecosystems. This project will examine the composition, formation and dynamics of blue carbon in a range of coastal ecosystems. Combining advanced analytical chemistry with environmental microbiology, we will discover how blue carbon is stabilised and destabilised, a critical factor in nature-based climate change mitigation strategies. Further, we will gain a quantitative understanding of blue carbon contributions to carbon cycling, providing enhanced modeling and prediction of climate-cycle feedbacks in response to biotic and environmental change. This research will significantly benefit Australia’s effective management of coastal vegetated ecosystems for maximum carbon offsets.Read moreRead less
Climate-driven windblown dust and flood runoff can increase marine diseases by fungal pathogens. Determination of the role of fungal pathogens in marine disease outbreaks, and their linkages to climate-driven dust and flood events, have important applications for coastal fisheries and the Great Barrier Reef. This project will develop molecular tools and plankton recorder protocols to detect fungal outbreaks and assess ecosystem resilience.
Causes and consequences of disease in the habitat forming seaweed Ecklonia radiata. Despite compelling arguments for the increasing importance of disease as a key structuring force in marine communities, we know little about the causes or broad impact of disease for most natural marine systems. This is particularly true for kelp forests, the dominant community type on temperate rocky shores. This project will integrate field ecology with microbiology and modern environmental gene sequencing tech ....Causes and consequences of disease in the habitat forming seaweed Ecklonia radiata. Despite compelling arguments for the increasing importance of disease as a key structuring force in marine communities, we know little about the causes or broad impact of disease for most natural marine systems. This is particularly true for kelp forests, the dominant community type on temperate rocky shores. This project will integrate field ecology with microbiology and modern environmental gene sequencing techniques to characterise the frequency, causative agents and impact of disease on Ecklonia radiata, the dominant seaweed in Australia. This project will further investigate how environmental conditions, including human impacts, modulate disease in this key, habitat forming seaweed.Read moreRead less
Chemical warfare at small scales: does eukaryotic chemical defense theory fit biofilms? The ecology of bacteria has long been treated separately from the ecology of higher organisms. Thus we do not know whether the ecology of bacteria operates by the same general rules as those of plants and animals. This significantly diminishes our understanding of the natural world, and our capacity to manage our environment. In this project we will systematically test ecological defense theories in bacterial ....Chemical warfare at small scales: does eukaryotic chemical defense theory fit biofilms? The ecology of bacteria has long been treated separately from the ecology of higher organisms. Thus we do not know whether the ecology of bacteria operates by the same general rules as those of plants and animals. This significantly diminishes our understanding of the natural world, and our capacity to manage our environment. In this project we will systematically test ecological defense theories in bacterial systems. Our aim is to merge our understanding of the ecology of these very different organisms. This integration of plant and animal ecology and environmental microbiology is new for both fields, and thus studies such as this one have the potential to put Australia at the forefront of this exciting new approach to our environment.Read moreRead less
The effect of microbial diversity vs function on marine holobionts. This project aims to integrate a central theme of modern ecology - the relationship between biodiversity and functioning of communities - with the new biological paradigm of holobionts, where organisms are the entirety of the host plus its associated microbiome. This project blends marine and microbial ecology, aiming to experimentally decouple effects of microbial diversity versus function on the performance of dominant marine ....The effect of microbial diversity vs function on marine holobionts. This project aims to integrate a central theme of modern ecology - the relationship between biodiversity and functioning of communities - with the new biological paradigm of holobionts, where organisms are the entirety of the host plus its associated microbiome. This project blends marine and microbial ecology, aiming to experimentally decouple effects of microbial diversity versus function on the performance of dominant marine holobionts, habitat-forming seaweeds. Expected outcomes are to characterise key microbial taxa and functions and their effects on seaweed performance, and how this is affected by environmental stress. This will provide significant benefits, such as providing critical information and new tools for understanding and managing a major Australian ecosystem.Read moreRead less
Function and application of novel proteins from sponge symbionts. This project aims to determine the function of eukaryotic-like proteins (ELPs) from bacterial symbionts of sponges and apply this knowledge to develop new tools for biotechnology. This project will use innovative microscopy techniques and gene expression studies to define the molecular and cellular interactions of ELPs with sponges and how this is influenced by changing environmental conditions. ELPs will be further used to create ....Function and application of novel proteins from sponge symbionts. This project aims to determine the function of eukaryotic-like proteins (ELPs) from bacterial symbionts of sponges and apply this knowledge to develop new tools for biotechnology. This project will use innovative microscopy techniques and gene expression studies to define the molecular and cellular interactions of ELPs with sponges and how this is influenced by changing environmental conditions. ELPs will be further used to create new, artificial interactions between bacteria and eukaryotes. This project will provide fundamental knowledge on the evolution and function of newly discovered ELPs found in both beneficial and pathogenic bacteria and paves the way to control symbiosis for biotechnological applications.Read moreRead less
Sulfur Cycling in Toxic Oozes, Microbialites and Petroleum. This project will apply compound specific sulfur isotope analyses to sulfur-rich deposits from extreme environments including sulfidic black oozes (Peel-Harvey estuary); modern microbialites (for example, Shark Bay) and oils/source rocks (established and frontier oil fields). Sulfur isotopic data, integrated with other stable isotopic and molecular data, will greatly assist the study of sulfur biogeochemical cycles and mechanisms of org ....Sulfur Cycling in Toxic Oozes, Microbialites and Petroleum. This project will apply compound specific sulfur isotope analyses to sulfur-rich deposits from extreme environments including sulfidic black oozes (Peel-Harvey estuary); modern microbialites (for example, Shark Bay) and oils/source rocks (established and frontier oil fields). Sulfur isotopic data, integrated with other stable isotopic and molecular data, will greatly assist the study of sulfur biogeochemical cycles and mechanisms of organic sulfurisation at different diagenetic stages or geological ages. The project aims to address national concerns through measuring the respective impact of anthropogenic and natural changes on environments, helping to understand the evolution of life on Earth and contributing to efficient discovery of our natural petroleum systems.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional mapping and bio-physical coupling in the plankton microenvironment. The fate of carbon in the marine environment, and potential modification of global climate, is driven by organisms ranging in size from 0.1 to 100 µm interacting at mm to cm scales. This research will provide the first high-resolution 3D measurements of distributions, diversity and dynamics of these key organisms. Australia provides the unique opportunity to study these microscale patterns and processes in arch ....Three-dimensional mapping and bio-physical coupling in the plankton microenvironment. The fate of carbon in the marine environment, and potential modification of global climate, is driven by organisms ranging in size from 0.1 to 100 µm interacting at mm to cm scales. This research will provide the first high-resolution 3D measurements of distributions, diversity and dynamics of these key organisms. Australia provides the unique opportunity to study these microscale patterns and processes in archetypical examples of environments representative of the world's most significant marine ecosystems. These results will maintain Australia at the cutting-edge of marine environmental science, and provide the first application of novel sampling, analysis and modelling techiques to environments of the Australian economic exclusion zone.Read moreRead less
Stress, virulence and bacterial disease in temperate seaweeds: the rise of the microbes. Climate change is predicted to increase the spread and virulence of pathogens, and decrease the resistance to disease via temperature stress on the hosts. Combined with other human impacts (higher nutrients, pollution), we may be facing a major rise in the effect of disease on natural communities. However, these effects are largely unstudied. We will investigate the impact of marine pathogens on kelps and ....Stress, virulence and bacterial disease in temperate seaweeds: the rise of the microbes. Climate change is predicted to increase the spread and virulence of pathogens, and decrease the resistance to disease via temperature stress on the hosts. Combined with other human impacts (higher nutrients, pollution), we may be facing a major rise in the effect of disease on natural communities. However, these effects are largely unstudied. We will investigate the impact of marine pathogens on kelps and other seaweeds when they are stressed by temperature, elevated nutrients or other anthropogenic stressors. Kelp are the 'trees of the oceans', the organisms responsible for creating much of the habitat that fishes and other organisms live in. The loss of kelp forests due to disease would radically change these environments.Read moreRead less
Bacterial disease and bleaching of chemically defended marine algae. Disease has emerged as a major factor in the ecology and management of natural marine communities. Moreover, the impact of disease in marine ecosystems is linked to environmental changes such as global warming. Much of the research in this area has focused on tropical systems (coral reefs). However, in temperate reef systems seaweeds are the major habitat formers. This proposal investigates how environmental factors (temperat ....Bacterial disease and bleaching of chemically defended marine algae. Disease has emerged as a major factor in the ecology and management of natural marine communities. Moreover, the impact of disease in marine ecosystems is linked to environmental changes such as global warming. Much of the research in this area has focused on tropical systems (coral reefs). However, in temperate reef systems seaweeds are the major habitat formers. This proposal investigates how environmental factors (temperature, UV) mediate bacterial disease of seaweeds, key temperate organisms. The proposal thus adresses National Research Priority 1: An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, and in particular the Priority Goals 'Sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity' and 'Responding to climate change and variability'. Read moreRead less