Is restoration working? An ecological genetic assessment. This project aims to assess the success of restoration in terms of ecological and genetic viability for plant species in the Fitzgerald River–Stirling Range region of Western Australia, where significant investment is being made in restoring connectivity at a landscape scale. The project intends to compare reproductive output, pollinator behaviour, mating, genetic diversity and pollen dispersal in restored sites with those of undisturbed ....Is restoration working? An ecological genetic assessment. This project aims to assess the success of restoration in terms of ecological and genetic viability for plant species in the Fitzgerald River–Stirling Range region of Western Australia, where significant investment is being made in restoring connectivity at a landscape scale. The project intends to compare reproductive output, pollinator behaviour, mating, genetic diversity and pollen dispersal in restored sites with those of undisturbed natural vegetation. The project moves measures of restoration success beyond that of population establishment and survival to incorporate the evolutionary processes that provide long-term resilience, persistence and functional integration of restored populations into broader landscapes.Read moreRead less
Closing the loop: understanding the relationships between recreational fishing surveys, fishing regulations and fisheries management objectives. The project aims to improve the management of recreational fisheries in Australia by using model-based evaluations to understand the effects of recreational fishing regulations and survey design on the realisation and assessment of fisheries management objectives.
Ecological and genetic connectivity in seagrasses: the role of sexual reproduction, dispersal and recruitment on meadow restoration. This project's goal is to study the role of dispersal in contemporary demographics and genetics of an Australian seagrass genus Posidonia. The expected outcome of this project is to understand the importance of long-distance dispersal of seeds in determining resilience of seagrasses to both natural and anthropogenic disturbances.
Genetic Rescue of Australia's Arid Zone Plants. Many Australian arid zone plant species have been severely damaged by grazing, loss of pollinators and other impacts and cannot survive without urgent intervention. Some exist as small fragmented populations with too little genetic variation to reproduce or adapt to further environmental change. We propose to combine surveys of genetic (DNA) diversity and the reproductive status of populations in order to identify species that could be saved by a ....Genetic Rescue of Australia's Arid Zone Plants. Many Australian arid zone plant species have been severely damaged by grazing, loss of pollinators and other impacts and cannot survive without urgent intervention. Some exist as small fragmented populations with too little genetic variation to reproduce or adapt to further environmental change. We propose to combine surveys of genetic (DNA) diversity and the reproductive status of populations in order to identify species that could be saved by a process of ‘genetic rescue’. Genetic rescue will involve experimental pollinations to produce highly fit seedlings and later transplanting of these seedlings to augment genetically deficient populations.
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Connectivity and movements of large pelagic species of ecotourism value. The project aims to answer key questions about the biology, ecology and sustainability of the world’s manta ray species to provide the information and tools for management and conservation of these charismatic and valuable species. In particular, the project aims to determine the likely impact of climate variability and fisheries that operate to Australia’s north on manta-based ecotourism in the Indo-Pacific region, as clim ....Connectivity and movements of large pelagic species of ecotourism value. The project aims to answer key questions about the biology, ecology and sustainability of the world’s manta ray species to provide the information and tools for management and conservation of these charismatic and valuable species. In particular, the project aims to determine the likely impact of climate variability and fisheries that operate to Australia’s north on manta-based ecotourism in the Indo-Pacific region, as climate change and active low-value fisheries may both jeopardise a high-value ecotourism industry. The project seeks to explore geographic distributions, local and large-scale movements, population sizes, structure, and inter-connectivity in the region to assess the effect of climate and fisheries on manta ray populations.Read moreRead less
The impact of severe bushfires on the ecology, demography and genetics of frogs in the Victorian Kinglake region. The February 2009 bushfires in Victoria devastated many communities, and also had a profound impact on wildlife species. This research is aimed at measuring the impact of these fires on frogs in the Kinglake region. It will provide a range of national benefits, including a better understanding of the effects of wildfire on native species and their habitats, information to help plan c ....The impact of severe bushfires on the ecology, demography and genetics of frogs in the Victorian Kinglake region. The February 2009 bushfires in Victoria devastated many communities, and also had a profound impact on wildlife species. This research is aimed at measuring the impact of these fires on frogs in the Kinglake region. It will provide a range of national benefits, including a better understanding of the effects of wildfire on native species and their habitats, information to help plan conservation efforts for frogs, and a vital connection with local landowners; some of whom lost their homes in the fires but were still concerned about the wellbeing of frogs in the area. Australia is a fire-prone country, and this project will help develop responses to the threats posed by the expected increase in the frequency and intensity of fires in southern Australia.Read moreRead less
A stitch in time: evidence-based strategy to keep platypus from extinction. This project aims to assess the status of the iconic platypus, identified as ‘near-threatened’ in 2014. The project’s multidisciplinary approach plans to compare regulated and unregulated rivers to investigate metapopulation structure (via physical and genetic tagging), current condition and future adaptability of the species, as well as other threats and habitat quality. The project also links vulnerability of platypus ....A stitch in time: evidence-based strategy to keep platypus from extinction. This project aims to assess the status of the iconic platypus, identified as ‘near-threatened’ in 2014. The project’s multidisciplinary approach plans to compare regulated and unregulated rivers to investigate metapopulation structure (via physical and genetic tagging), current condition and future adaptability of the species, as well as other threats and habitat quality. The project also links vulnerability of platypus populations to conservation actions that reduce extinction risk, through rigorous decision analyses. It is anticipated that the project will deliver implementable conservation actions at relevant scales.Read moreRead less
Overcoming critical recruitment bottlenecks limiting seedling establishment in degraded seagrass ecosystems: a systems approach to restoration. This project will apply a demographic approach, adopted from terrestrial models of seed-based restoration, to identify those early life-stage transitions most limiting to seedling establishment in seagrass restoration.
Working with wind energy and forestry for effective eagle conservation. This project aims to reduce the impacts of wind turbines and disturbance from forestry activity on the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. It will do this by understanding the flight behaviour, movements and mortality of eagles, and the behavioural responses of breeding birds to forestry-related disturbance. The project will build new knowledge and institutional partnerships that will be used to minimise impacts on the Tasmanian e ....Working with wind energy and forestry for effective eagle conservation. This project aims to reduce the impacts of wind turbines and disturbance from forestry activity on the Tasmanian wedge-tailed eagle. It will do this by understanding the flight behaviour, movements and mortality of eagles, and the behavioural responses of breeding birds to forestry-related disturbance. The project will build new knowledge and institutional partnerships that will be used to minimise impacts on the Tasmanian eagle population, and develop models for use in planning. This will safeguard Australia's largest eagle and improve the sustainability of energy and forest industries. This research will also provide a model for the resolution of similar problems elsewhere in the world.Read moreRead less
Safeguarding honeybees: understanding host-parasite interactions at the level of proteins. Parasites are responsible for dramatic declines of honeybee populations resulting in a loss of pollination services and posing a threat to food production and ecosystem stability. This project will study the honeybee immune system and its interactions with bee parasites on the molecular scale, which will be important to guide future bee breeding.