Larval dispersal and settlement mechanisms in the first genome-enabled Australian marine animal, Amphimedon queenslandica (Porifera). We know remarkably little about the lives of the enigmatic animals that live on our stunning coral reefs, except that many have a tiny larval stage that travels far beyond where the adults can go. This project explores how genomes and environment work together to ensure that larvae spread their species around to keep our reefs vibrant and diverse.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100505
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,620.00
Summary
Is plant organisation the fountain of eternal youth? The decline in performance at advanced ages, senescence, affects life quality, lifespan and productivity. It is believed that this phenomenon is universal, including all species from microbes to humans. Yet, some plants do not exhibit senescence. This project will identify the mechanisms that enable plants to escape senescence. Using a unique global demographic database, the project will determine whether, how and when senescence has evolved a ....Is plant organisation the fountain of eternal youth? The decline in performance at advanced ages, senescence, affects life quality, lifespan and productivity. It is believed that this phenomenon is universal, including all species from microbes to humans. Yet, some plants do not exhibit senescence. This project will identify the mechanisms that enable plants to escape senescence. Using a unique global demographic database, the project will determine whether, how and when senescence has evolved across 850 plant species. It will also experimentally test how drought, nutrients and resprouting affect senescence in two mallee Eucalyptus species in the Simpson Desert. This research will provide new insights into the evolution of senescence and will elucidate how some plants escape a supposedly unavoidable fate.Read moreRead less
Science on the continental shelf: securing our deep-sea biodiversity for the future. This project signals the start of exciting new research using manned submersibles to explore and describe the rich biodiversity inhabiting Australia’s deep-sea continental shelf. The outcomes will provide a sound basis for managing these environmental treasures against the pressing need to use the oil and gas reserves that lie under the seabed.
The role of life history and food supply in the extinction of carnivorous marsupials. This project will test why marsupial predators show exceptionally diverse species lifespan and reproductive traits, reveal how these are affected by prey supply and climate change, and how they are linked to alarming species declines in our north. Understanding causes of vulnerability will help to focus conservation efforts to avert extinctions