Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100308
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$435,748.00
Summary
Effects of artificial light at night on coastal ecosystems. This project aims to determine the ecological effects of artificial light at night on coastal marine ecosystems. Artificial light at night is a pervasive stressor that disrupts a fundamental driver of ecological and evolutionary processes: natural light cycles. Using a holistic approach that combines field experiments and microbial ecology, this project will assess impacts of artificial light at multiple levels of biological and ecologi ....Effects of artificial light at night on coastal ecosystems. This project aims to determine the ecological effects of artificial light at night on coastal marine ecosystems. Artificial light at night is a pervasive stressor that disrupts a fundamental driver of ecological and evolutionary processes: natural light cycles. Using a holistic approach that combines field experiments and microbial ecology, this project will assess impacts of artificial light at multiple levels of biological and ecological organisation. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on how species interactions mediate functional changes in response to an emergent, global stressor. This should provide significant benefits, including enhanced management of coastal systems and the critical services and social benefits they provide.
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Shallow water carbonate sediment dissolution in the global carbon cycle. Carbonate sediment dissolution is a globally significant process, but poorly understood in shallow marine waters. This project will determine whether the combined effect of organic matter, ocean acidification and pore water flow in shallow water carbonate sediments increases the release of calcium and alkalinity to the ocean. This project is significant because this release has not previously been accounted for and may lead ....Shallow water carbonate sediment dissolution in the global carbon cycle. Carbonate sediment dissolution is a globally significant process, but poorly understood in shallow marine waters. This project will determine whether the combined effect of organic matter, ocean acidification and pore water flow in shallow water carbonate sediments increases the release of calcium and alkalinity to the ocean. This project is significant because this release has not previously been accounted for and may lead to an additional uptake of atmospheric carbon dioxide into the global ocean, maybe some additional buffering against ocean acidification, but unfortunately, maybe also a loss of carbonate ecosystems. The outcomes of this project will make a significant contribution to our understanding of the global carbon cycle.
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Environmentally-friendly strategies for shoreline protection in lakes. Most current approaches to shoreline protection involve the use of ecologically damaging hard structures. Nature-based alternatives are increasingly adopted, but often without scientific evidence that they are environmentally-friendly. With rising sea-levels, the need for coastal protection will increase, so it is essential that we develop ecologically sustainable approaches to shoreline protection. The aim of this study is ....Environmentally-friendly strategies for shoreline protection in lakes. Most current approaches to shoreline protection involve the use of ecologically damaging hard structures. Nature-based alternatives are increasingly adopted, but often without scientific evidence that they are environmentally-friendly. With rising sea-levels, the need for coastal protection will increase, so it is essential that we develop ecologically sustainable approaches to shoreline protection. The aim of this study is to assess changes to biodiversity and ecosystem functions associated with different protection strategies. The research outcomes will be an understanding of the broad ecological impacts from these approaches and will provide the basis for ecologically sustainable shoreline protection in coastal lakes and lagoons.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
Utilising plant-sediment-feedbacks to enhance seagrass restoration. This project aims to investigate the role of sediment microbes in promoting the health of threatened seagrass species across Australia. This project expects to create new knowledge for enhancing restoration success for seagrasses by integrating macro and micro-ecology, environmental genomics, plant ecology and ecosystem function (e.g. nutrient and biogeochemistry cycling). Expected outcomes are new knowledge to enhance seagrass ....Utilising plant-sediment-feedbacks to enhance seagrass restoration. This project aims to investigate the role of sediment microbes in promoting the health of threatened seagrass species across Australia. This project expects to create new knowledge for enhancing restoration success for seagrasses by integrating macro and micro-ecology, environmental genomics, plant ecology and ecosystem function (e.g. nutrient and biogeochemistry cycling). Expected outcomes are new knowledge to enhance seagrass restoration utilising sediment microbes that can be integrated into management and policy. This project should provide significant benefits, such as the development of key strategic alliances to enhance management of seagrasses, and the ecosystem services, and economic and social benefits they provide.Read moreRead less
Developing a framework for effective oyster reef restoration. This project aims to investigate ecological barriers to the recovery of functionally extinct Sydney Rock Oyster reefs on Australia’s east coast, and restoration methods to reinstate their key ecosystem services. This project expects to create new knowledge for designing functional reefs by integrating physiology, population, community and landscape ecology. Expected outcomes are an ecological decision framework for effective oyster re ....Developing a framework for effective oyster reef restoration. This project aims to investigate ecological barriers to the recovery of functionally extinct Sydney Rock Oyster reefs on Australia’s east coast, and restoration methods to reinstate their key ecosystem services. This project expects to create new knowledge for designing functional reefs by integrating physiology, population, community and landscape ecology. Expected outcomes are an ecological decision framework for effective oyster reef restoration that can be integrated into management and policy. This project should provide significant benefits, such as the development of key strategic alliances to enhance management of estuaries, and reestablish the environmental, economic and social benefits of oyster reefs.Read moreRead less