Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change.
. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. Our understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited at this point. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidiscipli ....Defend or retreat? Adapting to the impacts of sea level rise as a result of rapid climate change.
. Rapid sea level rise has been identified as a major threat to coastal Australia, where most of the Australian population lives. Our understanding and ability to respond to this threat is extremely limited at this point. This project will directly benefit Australian communities and businesses, specifically those in southeast Queensland by bringing together a team of distinguished, multidisciplinary researchers and Super Science Fellows to explore the threats and challenges posed by rapidly rising sea levels. By building capacity and answering many urgent and difficult questions related to the legal, environmental and planning ramifications of sea level rise, this project will prepare communities and policymakers for the difficult times ahead.Read moreRead less
Prioritising habitat restoration for biodiversity and ecosystem service outcomes. An emerging carbon market will provide funds for habitat restoration over the coming decades, but this will only be realised through careful prioritisation and planning. This research will prioritise investments in habitat restoration in order to cost-effectively achieve biodiversity conservation and ecosystem service protection goals.
Improved methods for predicting species' distributions under environmental change. Understanding the impacts of climate change and invasive species on the distribution and persistence of species is an issue of global and national significance and concern. This project will provide tools essential for the effective management of Australia's ecosystems by delivering clear guidelines and practical methods that will substantially improve the modelling of future species distributions.
Robust prediction and decision strategies for managing extinction risks under climate change. Climate change is a principal threat to biodiversity and ecosystem health. The loss of ecosystem services from loss of species and ecosystem change may have serious social and economic repercussions. Unreliable predictions of climate change impacts and inefficient adaptation decisions result in wasted public resources and unnecessary loss of natural assets. In addition to direct benefits of efficient ad ....Robust prediction and decision strategies for managing extinction risks under climate change. Climate change is a principal threat to biodiversity and ecosystem health. The loss of ecosystem services from loss of species and ecosystem change may have serious social and economic repercussions. Unreliable predictions of climate change impacts and inefficient adaptation decisions result in wasted public resources and unnecessary loss of natural assets. In addition to direct benefits of efficient adaptation strategies for case-study ecosystems, techniques arising from this research will improve the way we respond to uncertain, but potentially catastrophic consequences of climate change. Bringing state-of-the-art modelling and formal decision methods to climate change adaptation is a central aim of this research.Read moreRead less
Using ancient DNA to understand Australia's past and manage its future. The aim of this program is to establish an ancient DNA research centre for Australia, and use long-term natural records to investigate the genetic responses of animals, plants, and micro-organisms to environmental change. By examining biological processes before, during, and after major changes (eg coral bleaching, salination) the evolution and selective pressures at important genetic loci will be identified, and related to ....Using ancient DNA to understand Australia's past and manage its future. The aim of this program is to establish an ancient DNA research centre for Australia, and use long-term natural records to investigate the genetic responses of animals, plants, and micro-organisms to environmental change. By examining biological processes before, during, and after major changes (eg coral bleaching, salination) the evolution and selective pressures at important genetic loci will be identified, and related to environmental change to enhance effected planning and future management of Australia's ecosystems, biodiversity and tourism. Key records will come from lake-beds, billabongs, coral reefs, rodent nests, megafaunal bones, and ancient human material.Read moreRead less
Invasive plant species and climate change in Australia: predicting the threat and projecting the future. The interaction between climate change and invasive pest species poses a significant threat to Australia's biodiversity. The need for research on both the independent impacts of climate change and invasive species, as well as their interaction, has been clearly identified by both national and state governments, and is identified as a priority under the National Biodiversity and Climate Change ....Invasive plant species and climate change in Australia: predicting the threat and projecting the future. The interaction between climate change and invasive pest species poses a significant threat to Australia's biodiversity. The need for research on both the independent impacts of climate change and invasive species, as well as their interaction, has been clearly identified by both national and state governments, and is identified as a priority under the National Biodiversity and Climate Change Action Plan (2004-2007). The proposed research will assess exotic plant species' responses to climate change, identify potential hotspots of invasion, and provide a risk assessment framework to enable prioritization of exotic plant management under future climate.Read moreRead less
Using ancient DNA to investigate the environmental impacts of climate change and humans through time. This project will provide important information about how climate change and human impact have effected our environment over the past 50,000 years, removing many of the large mammals and altering the landscape. It is critical that the background to our current environment is properly understood if we are to predict the effects of on-going changes such as global warming. The research will concent ....Using ancient DNA to investigate the environmental impacts of climate change and humans through time. This project will provide important information about how climate change and human impact have effected our environment over the past 50,000 years, removing many of the large mammals and altering the landscape. It is critical that the background to our current environment is properly understood if we are to predict the effects of on-going changes such as global warming. The research will concentrate on the effects of climate change on large mammals in North and South America, New Zealand, Australia and Africa over this time period, and will examine the additional impact of humans in each location.Read moreRead less
Resilience of Moreton Bay to climate change: Links between nutrient inputs and plankton dynamics. A healthy Moreton Bay, with its lucrative fishing, iconic turtles, dugongs and seabirds, helps support the $9 billion per annum tourist industry in SE Queensland. Moreton Bay is under increasing threat from nutrients produced by a mushrooming coastal population and from climate change impacts. Here we investigate nutrient-plankton relationships and develop a simple model to evaluate future impacts o ....Resilience of Moreton Bay to climate change: Links between nutrient inputs and plankton dynamics. A healthy Moreton Bay, with its lucrative fishing, iconic turtles, dugongs and seabirds, helps support the $9 billion per annum tourist industry in SE Queensland. Moreton Bay is under increasing threat from nutrients produced by a mushrooming coastal population and from climate change impacts. Here we investigate nutrient-plankton relationships and develop a simple model to evaluate future impacts on bay health. This project will put Australian scientists at the forefront of research focused on the adaptation of coastal marine environments to climate impacts, and ensure that Moreton Bay remains healthy now and into the futureRead moreRead less
A multidisciplinary research program to assess limiting factors and predict impacts of climate change for endangered Australian orchids. Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity. Australian sexually deceptive orchids are dependent on obligate and specialised interactions with pollinators and fungi. Consequently, they may face a high risk of extinction if climate change uncouples these interactions. Thus orchids provide an important bio-indicator of change. The tools and expertis ....A multidisciplinary research program to assess limiting factors and predict impacts of climate change for endangered Australian orchids. Climate change poses a significant threat to biodiversity. Australian sexually deceptive orchids are dependent on obligate and specialised interactions with pollinators and fungi. Consequently, they may face a high risk of extinction if climate change uncouples these interactions. Thus orchids provide an important bio-indicator of change. The tools and expertise developed will contribute directly to the conservation of endangered Australian orchids, and will take into account the risks of climate change. The project will contribute to the priority research goals of sustainable use of Australia's biodiversity as well as responding to climate change and variability. The project will also provide high quality, cross-disciplinary training.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL200100133
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,358,494.00
Summary
Activating blue carbon for coastal restoration. Coastal blue carbon describes the carbon stored in soils and biomass of coastal wetlands which has an important function in regulating greenhouse gases. They also provide coastal protection, habitat for biodiversity, fisheries and amelioration of land-based pollution. Coastal wetlands have been degraded globally, reducing their capacity to store carbon and to support coastal communities and their economies. This Fellowship aims to assess how restor ....Activating blue carbon for coastal restoration. Coastal blue carbon describes the carbon stored in soils and biomass of coastal wetlands which has an important function in regulating greenhouse gases. They also provide coastal protection, habitat for biodiversity, fisheries and amelioration of land-based pollution. Coastal wetlands have been degraded globally, reducing their capacity to store carbon and to support coastal communities and their economies. This Fellowship aims to assess how restoration of coastal wetlands influences carbon storage and greenhouse gas fluxes, develop new methodologies and to generate new research capacity to inform coastal wetland management globally. The proposed research is expected to enhance coastal sustainability to the benefit of coastal communities.Read moreRead less