Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100070
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$241,500.00
Summary
Automated Fibre Braiding Facility for Multifunctional Structural Materials. Automated fibre braiding facility for multifunctional structural materials:
This project seeks to establish an Australian automated braiding facility to create innovative fibrous materials with multiple functionalities. This facility aims to provide Australian researchers with the capabilities of high-speed, precision and versatility to radially braid single or multiple filament types including carbon, metal, optical, n ....Automated Fibre Braiding Facility for Multifunctional Structural Materials. Automated fibre braiding facility for multifunctional structural materials:
This project seeks to establish an Australian automated braiding facility to create innovative fibrous materials with multiple functionalities. This facility aims to provide Australian researchers with the capabilities of high-speed, precision and versatility to radially braid single or multiple filament types including carbon, metal, optical, natural, bio-inspired and bio-compatible fibres and filaments to create new materials with unique functional properties. The facility would be able to braid over multiple length scales spanning nanofibres to millimetre-sized filaments to create novel materials and shapes not possible using other processing techniques. Expected applications include new materials for building, self-healing, human protection and biomedicine. Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH210100023
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres. This Research Hub aims to expand Australia’s position in fibres, textiles and composites by developing next generation functional fibre materials and creating synergy between functionality and sustainability, two key attributes that have hitherto been mutually exclusive. The Hub will transform regional and national economies from traditional manufacturing to a vibrant future fibre oriented advanced manufacturing sector with functionality an ....ARC Research Hub for Functional and Sustainable Fibres. This Research Hub aims to expand Australia’s position in fibres, textiles and composites by developing next generation functional fibre materials and creating synergy between functionality and sustainability, two key attributes that have hitherto been mutually exclusive. The Hub will transform regional and national economies from traditional manufacturing to a vibrant future fibre oriented advanced manufacturing sector with functionality and sustainability as central tenets. Expected outcomes include industry adoption of novel fibre-based materials, processing and recycling technologies; creating jobs, significant environmental benefits, and positioning Australia at the front of a global shift towards functional and sustainable materials.Read moreRead less
Bycatch Reduction Devices (BRDs) To Reduce The Incidental Catch Of Cuttlefish In The Spencer Gulf Prawn Trawl Fishery
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$71,000.00
Summary
The Giant Cuttlefish population in Spencer Gulf is the largest in the world and is highly valued by local residents, the tourism industry and the recreational diving sector. But surveys over the last 13 years has indicated that the northern population has, and continues to, decline markedly - leading to major public consternation.
The Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery is known as one of the best managed trawl fisheries in the world and is permitted to only land three species, the western kin ....The Giant Cuttlefish population in Spencer Gulf is the largest in the world and is highly valued by local residents, the tourism industry and the recreational diving sector. But surveys over the last 13 years has indicated that the northern population has, and continues to, decline markedly - leading to major public consternation.
The Spencer Gulf Prawn Fishery is known as one of the best managed trawl fisheries in the world and is permitted to only land three species, the western king prawn, bugs and southern calamari
A recent SARDI study correlated the observed decline in Cuttlefish abundances with a range of potential factors including: water temperature, weather, pollution (including those from increased shipping activities), predators, prey, habitats, diseases, fishing pressure and tourism. Of these, rainfall was the only factor found to correlate inversely with peak cuttlefish abundance. The study noted the incidental capture of Giant Cuttlefish in the Prawn Fishery but found no clear association between the decline in cuttlefish and fishing intensity. The study noted a positive correlation between trawl effort and the size of the cuttlefish population but this relationship is counter-intuitive and is likely to be coincidental. The evidence therefore does not support an assertion that the recent decline in the abundance of Giant Cuttlefish in northern Spencer Gulf has been caused by prawn trawling or any other forms of fishing.
Nevertheless, due to the low population numbers, all sources of potential mortality of cuttlefish, including that from prawn trawl bycatch, need to be minimized urgently and carefully managed. This project is focused on an attempt to reduce the bycatch of cuttlefish in this fishery using modifications to the trawls used (termed ‘bycatch reduction devices’ or ‘BRDs’). If successful, such BRDs should be suitable for use in locations and at times where cuttlefish bycatches are significant.
Objectives: 1. To test four grid-based designs to determine the best way forward in developing a BRD for this fishery that excludes cuttlefish and crabs, yet does not reduce prawn catch by any more than approx 6% and has a negligible variation in the grade composition of prawns. Read moreRead less
Improved Harvesting Efficiency Of Pearl Oysters Through Modifications To Dive Profiles
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$188,897.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. To evaluate and recommend modifications to dive profiles used in the WA pearling industry so that the profiles are in accord with safe levels of the Doppler bubble classification system that is widely accepted as a standard for evaluating dive profiles 2. To provide an analysis of the field data collected in relation to diver safety
Reduction Of Oyster Waste: Establishing Best Practices For Controlling Wild Spat Under Commercial Production
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
‘Overcatch’ or ‘fouling’, whereby juvenile oysters (wild spat) or other aquatic organisms attach themselves to semi-mature oysters, is the largest farming challenge for Sydney rock oyster (SRO; Saccostrea glomerata) growers in Australia and represents a major barrier to efficient and sustainable production (Wayne Hutchinson, FRDC, personal comm.; Durr & Watson, 2010). Without timely intervention, fouling often renders the oysters unmarketable, leading to substantial proportions of product being ....‘Overcatch’ or ‘fouling’, whereby juvenile oysters (wild spat) or other aquatic organisms attach themselves to semi-mature oysters, is the largest farming challenge for Sydney rock oyster (SRO; Saccostrea glomerata) growers in Australia and represents a major barrier to efficient and sustainable production (Wayne Hutchinson, FRDC, personal comm.; Durr & Watson, 2010). Without timely intervention, fouling often renders the oysters unmarketable, leading to substantial proportions of product being discarded or having growth rates considerably slowed (Watson et al. 2009; Adams et al. 2011). It is estimated that 30–50% of SRO grown in Qld and northern NSW are wasted as a result of fouling with a potential value of $13–30 million/annum (Tim Prowse, QOGA, personal comm.; FRDC, 2022); this is either because the products become unsellable or due to losses associated with current overcatch control treatments. The inability to effectively manage overcatch has contributed considerably to the decline of Qld’s oyster industry over the last century, and similarly remains a significant financial impost to NSW oyster growing operations (de Nys et al. 2002; Cox et al. 2012).
At present, oyster growers typically attempt to mitigate the impacts of overcatch using methods like air drying and heat immersion; but both are labour intensive, have no clear guidelines or benchmarked specifications to support new growers in their implementation, and can result in significant mortalities or even total crop losses if undertaken incorrectly (Fitridge et al. 2012; 2014; Mayrand et al. 2015). While two relatively new technologies exist that hold promise for successfully managing overcatch, namely the ‘cold shock’ hypersaline system and FlipFarm system (Cox et al. 2012; Jackson, 2021), these have not yet been widely trialled or adopted in Australian oyster growing regions. There is thus a pressing need to better understand the optimal parameters for effectively eliminating overcatch while retaining host oyster health in commercial production settings.
The proposed project will respond to this longstanding need by evaluating and comparing the efficacy, practicality and cost-effectiveness of these various existing and emerging overcatch control methodologies under the same commercial environment, location and stock. Trials of these four treatments (air drying, heat immersion, cold shock system, FlipFarm system) will be carried out at established oyster leases in Qld’s Moreton Bay region, which is particularly prone to the impacts of fouling and therefore offers the ideal location to determine the efficacies of different methods in controlling overcatch in on-farm settings. The location also has no pre-existing incidences of QX disease that is currently decimating many other SRO growing regions in NSW and Southern QLD. The findings from this work will provide essential outputs, including validated methods and Best Management Practices (BMPs), which will be widely disseminated to the national oyster industry through various relevant forums.
With the Qld government in particular seeking to rejuvenate its oyster industry (McDougall, 2020), and the entire Australian oyster industry looking to expand and boost production (Oysters Australia, 2020), the timing of this project is optimal. The results will not only assist new growers entering the industry, but they will also provide essential learning to established growers throughout Australia who experience significant oyster losses and labour costs associated with overcatch management. The project also aligns with the Oysters Australia Strategic Plan 2020–2025 to (i) increase the sustainable, efficient production of oysters and their management on farm; (ii) manage industry risks; and (iii) increase industry knowledge, skills and networks. It will further help to meet the objectives of the FRDC’s R&D Plan 2020–2025, particularly Outcome 1 (i.e., ‘growth for enduring prosperity’), by providing the oyster industry with genuine opportunities to reduce crop losses, increase profitability, expand production and enhance their reputation in a stewardship context. From a broader societal perspective, the project outcomes will be crucial in building a properly functioning circular economy in the oyster industry, by preventing the creation of waste in the first place. Objectives: 1. To improve knowledge and establish critical information for controlling overcatch on SRO using existing air drying and heat immersion methods in commercial production settings. 2. To provide oysters growers with validated new technologies (cold shock system, FlipFarm system, temperature / RH sensors) that offer more effective and efficient control of overcatch on SRO in commercial production settings. 3. To reduce oyster losses/deaths, as well as labour requirements, associated with controlling overcatch on SRO, when compared to current practices. 4. To develop Best Management Practices for overcatch control that can be used for demonstration and training to the wider oyster-growing community and public. Read moreRead less
Identification And Development Of Tunas, Billfishes And Roughies
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$122,625.90
Summary
Objectives: 1. Improved sighs to identify tuna, billfish & roughy larvae, juveniles & adults, using combination of electron microscopy & protein molecular biology.
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid Content And Nutritional Quality Of Aquaculture Feedstocks
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$236,043.00
Summary
Objectives: 1. Measure concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids 20:5(n-3) and 22:6)n-3) in microalgae & other feedstocks used in Australian hatchies. 2. Survey the lipid and fatty acid content of microalage to determine characteristic distributions for the major algal classes and to identify new species of use to the Australian mariculture industry, particularly in tropical hatcheries. 3. Identify the effects of different environmental conditions on fatty acid and lipid c ....Objectives: 1. Measure concentration of polyunsaturated fatty acids 20:5(n-3) and 22:6)n-3) in microalgae & other feedstocks used in Australian hatchies. 2. Survey the lipid and fatty acid content of microalage to determine characteristic distributions for the major algal classes and to identify new species of use to the Australian mariculture industry, particularly in tropical hatcheries. 3. Identify the effects of different environmental conditions on fatty acid and lipid composition of microalgae by comparing cultures grown under a variety of defined conditions, and hence determine how to optimise fatty acid content . 4. Assess the effects of algal foods with different fatty acid contents on animal production in support of animal growth trial with bivalve molluscs, particularly the oyster Crassostrea gigas, carried out as part of FIRDC grant 90/063. 5. Identify the effects of various diets (rotifers and copepods) which have different fatty acid compositions on the growth and survival of fish larvae in support of experiments carried out by the staff from the Tasmanian Division of Sea Fisheries 6. Assist the fishing and mariculture industries with advice on the nutrition of marine organisms, and provide a service for the analysis of polyunsaturated fatty acids and other lipids in marine samples. Read moreRead less