Buffering the ecosystem impact of invasive cane toads. This project aims to address the devastating ecological problems caused by invasive species, by developing a novel approach that does not rely upon eradicating the invader through training vulnerable native predators not to eat toxic cane toads. Expected outcomes of this project include building a broad coalition of conservation-focused groups, from private land-owners and local businesses through to Indigenous groups and government and non- ....Buffering the ecosystem impact of invasive cane toads. This project aims to address the devastating ecological problems caused by invasive species, by developing a novel approach that does not rely upon eradicating the invader through training vulnerable native predators not to eat toxic cane toads. Expected outcomes of this project include building a broad coalition of conservation-focused groups, from private land-owners and local businesses through to Indigenous groups and government and non-government agencies across the entire Kimberley region. It will also result in the evaluation of methods for deployment of taste-aversion at a landscape scale. This should provide significant benefits by conserving vulnerable fauna and building a powerful network within a region of high biodiversity in tropical Australia.Read moreRead less
Making Green Guard® greener: enhancing the efficacy of a biopesticide. The project aims to identify naturally occurring micro-organisms to increase the effectiveness of Green Guard ®, which is a biopesticide used against the Australian plague locust. The project will use next-generation sequencing and other molecular techniques to potentially identify candidate microbes or combinations of microbes that can be added to Green Guard to enhance locust susceptibility. The project also aims to quantif ....Making Green Guard® greener: enhancing the efficacy of a biopesticide. The project aims to identify naturally occurring micro-organisms to increase the effectiveness of Green Guard ®, which is a biopesticide used against the Australian plague locust. The project will use next-generation sequencing and other molecular techniques to potentially identify candidate microbes or combinations of microbes that can be added to Green Guard to enhance locust susceptibility. The project also aims to quantify the interactive impact of temperature and nutrition on immune function, disease resistance and host-plant quality of plague locusts; and to explore the combined effects of temperature, habitat and Green Guard, in combination with candidate microbes or pathogens, on the behaviour and collective movement of locusts. It is anticipated that this will have implications for management and control strategies.Read moreRead less
Pheromone evolution and ecology in insects on intra- and inter-specific scales. The study of pheromones is important because so many insect pests use them as part of their reproductive life cycle, increasing their potential to cause damage to crops and other natural products. My research will improve our understanding of the evolution of pheromones and communication by smell, a subject that has been largely neglected by evolutionary biologists. More specifically, by identifying the ecological fa ....Pheromone evolution and ecology in insects on intra- and inter-specific scales. The study of pheromones is important because so many insect pests use them as part of their reproductive life cycle, increasing their potential to cause damage to crops and other natural products. My research will improve our understanding of the evolution of pheromones and communication by smell, a subject that has been largely neglected by evolutionary biologists. More specifically, by identifying the ecological factors that influence pheromone evolution, the research will help to assess the long-term consequences of the control measures currently used against such pests and, in particular, will have direct applications to the prevention of damage to Australian pine plantations by the invasive five-spined bark beetle, Ips grandicollis. Read moreRead less
Community efficiency: testing MacArthur’s minimisation principle for competitive communities. Robert MacArthur, one of the 20th century’s greatest ecologists, developed theory that had profound impacts on our understanding of island biogeography, species coexistence, and competition, yet one of his most powerful theoretical predictions, that competitive communities should become more efficient over time, has never been tested. A greater understanding of the dynamics of community efficiency will ....Community efficiency: testing MacArthur’s minimisation principle for competitive communities. Robert MacArthur, one of the 20th century’s greatest ecologists, developed theory that had profound impacts on our understanding of island biogeography, species coexistence, and competition, yet one of his most powerful theoretical predictions, that competitive communities should become more efficient over time, has never been tested. A greater understanding of the dynamics of community efficiency will provide profound insights into the role of that community in the broader ecosystem, as well as strong predictions about the invasibility and stability of that community. Read moreRead less
Understanding the ecological effects of genetic diversity: causes, consequences and relative importance. This project will examine the effect of genetic diversity on key demographic parameters (for example, population growth rates) for organisms from three groups, including a commercially important oyster. This project provides valuable information that can be used by managers of wild and cultivated populations to minimise impacts of human activities and maximise yields.
Do costs of dispersal reduce connectivity in marine invertebrate populations? Current approaches to marine management - designing marine reserves, understanding pest incursions, and managing fisheries, acknowledge that marine animals exist in isolated local populations, connected by dispersal. Dispersal is crucial for local populations to persist or be managed sustainably, but our understanding remains poor and often limits our management. Most current approaches to estimating connectivity are ....Do costs of dispersal reduce connectivity in marine invertebrate populations? Current approaches to marine management - designing marine reserves, understanding pest incursions, and managing fisheries, acknowledge that marine animals exist in isolated local populations, connected by dispersal. Dispersal is crucial for local populations to persist or be managed sustainably, but our understanding remains poor and often limits our management. Most current approaches to estimating connectivity are adequate only if all dispersers are equally successful at establishing. Dispersal, however, is risky or costly, and we propose that these costs reduce the success of colonists from more distant populations. If this is correct, persistence of local populations may rely disproportionately on other nearby local populations.Read moreRead less
Post-settlement mortality as a filter for variable settlement in marine invertebrates. Most marine organisms have a planktonic dispersive stage. Recruitment from this stage into adult populations is a key process. Variations in recruitment affect our ability to manage fisheries, plan national parks, and predict environmental impacts. Our ability to understand variation in recruitment is limited by our poor understanding of one key component of recruitment, post-settlement mortality. I will t ....Post-settlement mortality as a filter for variable settlement in marine invertebrates. Most marine organisms have a planktonic dispersive stage. Recruitment from this stage into adult populations is a key process. Variations in recruitment affect our ability to manage fisheries, plan national parks, and predict environmental impacts. Our ability to understand variation in recruitment is limited by our poor understanding of one key component of recruitment, post-settlement mortality. I will take several common, economically important, marine invertebrates, and determine how strongly post-settlement mortality affects overall recruitment. By looking at several species, I will be able to identify general patterns applicable to a wider range of species.Read moreRead less
Silicon: a novel solution to reduce water use and pest damage in wheat. The project aims to improve Australian wheat production by increasing drought resilience and reducing reliance on pesticides. This is achieved by incorporating amorphous silicon (Si), an abundant national resource. Si uptake by wheat has been proven to alleviate stress from drought and pests, but mechanisms and agronomic feasibility remain to be fully assessed. The project will deliver a mechanistic understanding of how Si a ....Silicon: a novel solution to reduce water use and pest damage in wheat. The project aims to improve Australian wheat production by increasing drought resilience and reducing reliance on pesticides. This is achieved by incorporating amorphous silicon (Si), an abundant national resource. Si uptake by wheat has been proven to alleviate stress from drought and pests, but mechanisms and agronomic feasibility remain to be fully assessed. The project will deliver a mechanistic understanding of how Si alleviates stress in wheat, from gene to farm scale, providing cost-benefit analysis and a best–practice toolbox for implementation by farmers. Outcomes are anticipated to provide a cheaper and more environmentally sustainable solution to issues of water scarcity and yield losses to pests in Australia’s leading crop.Read moreRead less
Do artificial structures enhance the spread of exotic marine invertebrates in NSW estuaries? This project will investigate whether artificial structures in estuaries enhance the spread of exotic marine invertebrates and will examine the impacts of exotic species on rocky reef species. The introduction of exotic species is a significant threat to native biodiversity, second only to habitat destruction. These two threats are coincident in urbanised estuaries. This project will also provide infor ....Do artificial structures enhance the spread of exotic marine invertebrates in NSW estuaries? This project will investigate whether artificial structures in estuaries enhance the spread of exotic marine invertebrates and will examine the impacts of exotic species on rocky reef species. The introduction of exotic species is a significant threat to native biodiversity, second only to habitat destruction. These two threats are coincident in urbanised estuaries. This project will also provide information about the possible roles of different types of boating activity in transporting exotic species. Research on the role of artificial structures in invasions has not been done anywhere in the world and is essential if we are to understand, manage and ameliorate the threats of exotic species.Read moreRead less
Avian migrants as vectors of zoonotic diseases in a changing world. There is an urgent need to understand the role of migratory birds in spreading avian influenza and other diseases. This project focuses on the effect of global change on the interactions between avian influenza and threatened waders migrating between the Arctic, Asia and Australia. This project will help us assess and manage the health risks to man and birds alike.