Sibling influence on development of children with autism spectrum disorder. This project aims to investigate how typically-developing siblings affect the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD involves difficulties with language, executive functions and social understanding. For typically-developing children, growing up with siblings gives an advantage in these cognitive functions. Yet little is known about how having siblings’ impacts on cognitive development of childr ....Sibling influence on development of children with autism spectrum disorder. This project aims to investigate how typically-developing siblings affect the development of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). ASD involves difficulties with language, executive functions and social understanding. For typically-developing children, growing up with siblings gives an advantage in these cognitive functions. Yet little is known about how having siblings’ impacts on cognitive development of children with ASD. The project intends to longitudinally explore the mechanisms of sibling impact in families with and without a child with ASD. The outcomes will deepen understanding of child development, providing an evidence base for effective interventions to increase child competence and aiming ultimately to reduce the social costs of ASD.Read moreRead less
"I think; therefore I am": Loneliness and neurodevelopmental disorders. This project aims to develop a 3-D animated program for adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) that alters the automatic biases arising from their everyday social communication difficulties (including via social media), which result in negative thought patterns and loneliness. Negative thought patterns, which are arguably the hallmarks of, and causal in, the development of emotional dysfunction are amplified by ...."I think; therefore I am": Loneliness and neurodevelopmental disorders. This project aims to develop a 3-D animated program for adolescents with neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) that alters the automatic biases arising from their everyday social communication difficulties (including via social media), which result in negative thought patterns and loneliness. Negative thought patterns, which are arguably the hallmarks of, and causal in, the development of emotional dysfunction are amplified by loneliness, and adolescents with NDDs experience significantly greater levels of loneliness. Altering these negative thought patterns via an engaging 3-D animated program offers great potential to improve educational and social-emotional outcomes along with generating economic benefits nationally and internationally.Read moreRead less
Neurodevelopmental disorders and loneliness: School predictors & outcomes. This project aims to establish trajectories of loneliness across the 10-18 year developmental period in adolescents with neuro-developmental disorders (NDDs). This is significant because adolescence is the peak period for loneliness and the social communication difficulties experienced by adolescents with NDDs place them at greater risk of loneliness. Lower levels of school attendance, connectedness and mental well-being, ....Neurodevelopmental disorders and loneliness: School predictors & outcomes. This project aims to establish trajectories of loneliness across the 10-18 year developmental period in adolescents with neuro-developmental disorders (NDDs). This is significant because adolescence is the peak period for loneliness and the social communication difficulties experienced by adolescents with NDDs place them at greater risk of loneliness. Lower levels of school attendance, connectedness and mental well-being, and higher rates of disruptive behaviour, expulsion, drop-out, depression, social withdrawal, and suicide ideation are strongly linked to loneliness. Therefore predicting critical times in trajectories will enhance emotional, behavioural and school related outcomes and optimise economic, societal and quality of life benefits.Read moreRead less
When do gestures become linguistic? Understanding the gesture-language interface through a corpusbased study of pointing signs in signed languages. This project will use corpus-based and experimental studies to compare pointing signs in three sign languages with pointing gestures used by hearing non-signers in order to answer the question: What relationship do gestures have to language? It will help us understand how pointing works as part of a sign language system, and how it is used as co-spee ....When do gestures become linguistic? Understanding the gesture-language interface through a corpusbased study of pointing signs in signed languages. This project will use corpus-based and experimental studies to compare pointing signs in three sign languages with pointing gestures used by hearing non-signers in order to answer the question: What relationship do gestures have to language? It will help us understand how pointing works as part of a sign language system, and how it is used as co-speech gesture. Both spoken languages and sign languages make use of pointing, and thus it represents a unique case study for the investigation of the relationship between gesture and language. This project will provide a distinctive contribution to our knowledge about the relationship between language and other aspects of human communication. Read moreRead less
Early Career Industry Fellowships - Grant ID: IE230100441
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$474,443.00
Summary
Sounds of change: using ecological knowledge to advance acoustic monitoring. To recover biodiversity, conservation actions must be informed by robust ecological data. In partnership with Bush Heritage Australia, this project aims to transform ecological monitoring with eco-acoustic technologies by developing new acoustic metrics to measure biodiversity at various levels, from individual species through to whole communities. This project will combine advanced computer methods with theories of ani ....Sounds of change: using ecological knowledge to advance acoustic monitoring. To recover biodiversity, conservation actions must be informed by robust ecological data. In partnership with Bush Heritage Australia, this project aims to transform ecological monitoring with eco-acoustic technologies by developing new acoustic metrics to measure biodiversity at various levels, from individual species through to whole communities. This project will combine advanced computer methods with theories of animal sounds and communities to generate metrics that are informed by animal ecology and directly address monitoring needs of conservation organisations. By experimentally testing the metrics on long-duration real-world sound data, this project will provide new tools to measure conservation impact and prioritise actions.Read moreRead less
Status Of Australian Fish Stocks (SAFS) Reports 2020, And Further Development Of The SAFS Production And Dissemination System
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$1,383,901.12
Summary
The current application is to produce the SAFS reports in 2020 and address strategic issues outlined above. In order to ensure the continuation of SAFS beyond 2020, it is essential for jurisdictions to develop ownership of the reports and to embed SAFS processes in core business, and for efficiencies in production and report management to continue to progress. A parallel project to develop jurisdictional reporting services is also underway to assist jurisdiction develop their jurisdictional chap ....The current application is to produce the SAFS reports in 2020 and address strategic issues outlined above. In order to ensure the continuation of SAFS beyond 2020, it is essential for jurisdictions to develop ownership of the reports and to embed SAFS processes in core business, and for efficiencies in production and report management to continue to progress. A parallel project to develop jurisdictional reporting services is also underway to assist jurisdiction develop their jurisdictional chapters. As documented in the independent audit of SAFS 2016 (FRDC project 2016-143), the process of compiling SAFS on a co-operative basis between FRDC, Australian government agencies and all fisheries jurisdictions has led to greater joint collaboration, as well as transfers of methodologies and processes, to deliver higher quality and more credible stock status reporting which can be accessed nationally and internationally, as well as assisting in policy decisions regarding changes to particular fisheries management arrangements and in research priorities. Primary drivers for National reporting of the SAFS include: (i) the State of the Environment Report 2011, i.e., ‘lack of a nationally integrated approach inhibits effective marine management’; (ii) a recommendation of the House of Representatives Inquiry into the Role of Science for Fisheries and Aquaculture (Netting the Benefits Report 2012), i.e., ‘producing national status report regularly’; (iii) the Australian Fisheries Management Forum national statement of intent, i.e. a key outcome of ‘Goal 1’ is the National Status of Australian Fish Stocks Report; (iv) the National Fishing and Aquaculture Strategy 2015–20, i.e., ‘Goal 1’ of this strategy will be partially measured by an increased number of fisheries assessed as environmentally sustainable in the Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports (this includes reducing the number of stocks assessed as uncertain); (v) the FRDC RD&E Plan 2015–20, i.e., key targets for deliverables against National Priority One include (i) “Increase the number of species to 200 in the national Status of Australian Fish Stocks Reports” and (ii) “Reduce the number of species classified as ‘undefined’ from the current figure of approximately Objectives: 1. Continue to develop a set of robust and consistent national stock status reports and a strong sense of report ownership by jurisdictions 2. To produce a fifth edition of the SAFS reports in 2020 3. Increase the number of species in SAFS to provide a comprehensive coverage of species of interest to stakeholder groups that will refer to the reports for information on sustainability and management success. 4. Reduction in the number (percentage) of species classified as 'undefined' where possible using data-poor assessment methodology Read moreRead less
Examining The Relationship Between Fishery Recruitment, Essential Benthic Habitats And Environmental Drivers In Exmouth Gulf
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$514,056.00
Summary
Stock status in the EGPMF is assessed by monitoring fishery-independent and fishery-dependent catch rates (used as indices of recruitment and spawning stock levels) relative to specified reference points. However, in recent years factors other than the spawning stock index appear to be responsible for low levels of prawn recruitment. Given recent indications that the distribution and abundance of seagrass habitats may influence prawn recruitment there is a need to better understand the rela .... Stock status in the EGPMF is assessed by monitoring fishery-independent and fishery-dependent catch rates (used as indices of recruitment and spawning stock levels) relative to specified reference points. However, in recent years factors other than the spawning stock index appear to be responsible for low levels of prawn recruitment. Given recent indications that the distribution and abundance of seagrass habitats may influence prawn recruitment there is a need to better understand the relationship between prawn recruitment, environmental conditions and habitats. Understanding these relationships is required to clarify the uncertainty around stock fluctuations and improve stock assessments. The information is also required so that management can be more cognisant of the impacts of environmental conditions on annual recruitment variability and implement adaptive management strategies, such as altering seasonal arrangements, to prevent overfishing.
Similarly, the recent MSC assessment of the EGPMF fishery has highlighted the need to clarify the uncertainty in fishery independent surveys and stock assessments including the influence of environmental factors on indices, and collect environmental and habitat data to detect changes in risk to habitat due to fishing including ongoing monitoring of critical habitat types.
Therefore, the development of broad scale fishery specific, cost effective monitoring techniques is essential to assess and monitor the association between critical fish habitats, environmental drivers and prawn recruitment. These techniques need to be developed at appropriate temporal and spatial scales to allow for early intervention of appropriate management measures, such as adjusting spatial and temporal closures, to ensure the long term sustainability of stocks and maintain MSC certification. Given that recruitment in a number of the State’s other invertebrate fisheries appears to be influenced by environmental drivers developing techniques to understand these relationships is a critical component of ensuring the management of WA’s fisheries resources is based on robust science.
Objectives: 1. Collate and review historical, satellite, habitat and environmental data for the Exmouth Gulf and Shark Bay ecosystems to identify factors that may influence recruitment. 2. Assess the ability of different techniques, at various spatial and temporal scales, to identify, assess and monitor critical fish habitat and environmental conditions which may affect recruitment patterns of prawns into the Exmouth Gulf Prawn Managed Fishery 3. Collect local environmental and productivity data to assess the feasibility of collecting broad scale data remotely. 4. Develop a cost effective monitoring program for critical fish habitat and environmental drivers which allows the development of mitigation measures to assist in alleviating poor recruitment events. Read moreRead less
Developing A Cost-efficient Stock Assessment Program For Southern Calamari Fisheries
Funder
Fisheries Research and Development Corporation
Funding Amount
$496,827.00
Summary
Southern Calamari are important to multiple commercial and community fishery sectors in SA. Southern Calamari are now managed using a TACC for the commercial MSF and have specified resource allocations for recreational, Aboriginal/Traditional, Charter Boat, GSV prawn and SG prawn fisheries. However, the current assessment program does not capture the importance of this species and cannot support the level of management required. The primary outcome of this project will be to develop an assessmen ....Southern Calamari are important to multiple commercial and community fishery sectors in SA. Southern Calamari are now managed using a TACC for the commercial MSF and have specified resource allocations for recreational, Aboriginal/Traditional, Charter Boat, GSV prawn and SG prawn fisheries. However, the current assessment program does not capture the importance of this species and cannot support the level of management required. The primary outcome of this project will be to develop an assessment program for Southern Calamari in SA that can be used to assign stock status and provide TACC setting advice to fisheries management.
Like many cephalopod assessments, the current SA Southern Calamari assessment is basic as scientific advances have not occurred at the same rate as advances for finfish or crustacean assessment methods. Therefore, the successful development of an assessment program for Southern Calamari in SA would provide a valuable scientific contribution to several other Australian squid fisheries as they often encounter similar assessment difficulties
Overcoming key knowledge gaps and incorporating information on environmental drivers will be a key focus of this project, in order to develop an assessment that accounts for the full complexity of cephalopod population dynamics. However, there are limited resources to undertake an assessment in SA as the commercial MSF has a low gross value product (GVP) but has high assessment needs across several species. Therefore, a cost-effective assessment program must be developed to allow for its regular application, which is necessary for short lived species such as Southern Calamari.
The proposed project will address two FRDC strategic plan outcomes (Growth for enduring prosperity, and best practices and production systems) by developing a best practice assessment program that can be applied for Southern Calamari in SA and be extended for use in other fishery jurisdictions. An assessment program that provides confident management advice, such as TACC setting, will maximise resource use across all sectors by establishing a robust stock assessment that increases certainty in stock abundance and allows sustainable fishing strategies to be developed.
Objectives: 1. Review global cephalopod assessments to identify potential assessment methods for Southern Calamari and how environmental variables could be incorporated. 2. Evaluate the suitability of available fishery-dependent and fishery-independent data from the SG and GSV prawn fisheries to develop recruitment indices. 3. Develop Southern Calamari growth models for SG and GSV and evaluate the influence of environment on seasonal growth rates. 4. Outline the most suitable and cost-effective assessment program option for Southern Calamari in SG and GSV Read moreRead less