Ecological consequences of global warming: predicting effects on biodiversity on intertidal assemblages on the east coast of Australia. Understanding what conserves biodiversity is a crucial challenge for Australian science. This research will provide critical information on the consequences of global climatic change: southerly shifts in distributions of animals due to rising temperatures; vertical shifts due to rising sea level and changes in amounts of food for grazing species. This informatio ....Ecological consequences of global warming: predicting effects on biodiversity on intertidal assemblages on the east coast of Australia. Understanding what conserves biodiversity is a crucial challenge for Australian science. This research will provide critical information on the consequences of global climatic change: southerly shifts in distributions of animals due to rising temperatures; vertical shifts due to rising sea level and changes in amounts of food for grazing species. This information will underpin the future management of conservation and will improve understanding on issues such as how and why species are able to invade new areas, the effects on the resident species and how species change distribution in relation to the availability of specific needs for habitat.Read moreRead less
Forecasting change in subtidal habitats: connecting local pollution with global climate in temperate Australia. The current narrow focus of management on local and contemporary environmental conditions (e.g. water quality) has indeterminate outcomes in the face of climate change. This proposal seeks to forecast marine habitats under realistic scenarios of climate change and continuing local population growth and activity. This information provides managers with information needed to understand t ....Forecasting change in subtidal habitats: connecting local pollution with global climate in temperate Australia. The current narrow focus of management on local and contemporary environmental conditions (e.g. water quality) has indeterminate outcomes in the face of climate change. This proposal seeks to forecast marine habitats under realistic scenarios of climate change and continuing local population growth and activity. This information provides managers with information needed to understand the consequences of current policy and debates about its improvement.Read moreRead less
Testing the adaptive capacity of reef corals to rising sea surface temperatures. Australia's reefs are highly profitable resources. Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef contributes over $6 billion annually to the nation's economy and employs over 65,000 people. This proposal will produce world class research to quantify the extent to which corals can respond to climate change; a question central to managing these important resources. The research will also consolidate Australia's position as the le ....Testing the adaptive capacity of reef corals to rising sea surface temperatures. Australia's reefs are highly profitable resources. Tourism on the Great Barrier Reef contributes over $6 billion annually to the nation's economy and employs over 65,000 people. This proposal will produce world class research to quantify the extent to which corals can respond to climate change; a question central to managing these important resources. The research will also consolidate Australia's position as the leading nation in coral reef studies. Priority Goals addressed include Responding to Climate Change and Sustainable use of Australia Biodiversity.Read moreRead less
Solar radiation, coral bleaching and climate change. Corals reefs like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) underpin approximately $2 billion annually in sustainable tourism and fisheries. Warming of Australia's tropical seas, however, has increased mass coral bleaching/mortality and is placing reefs like the GBR at increasing risk. Solar radiation (PAR, UVR) plays an important influence on the biological outcome of thermal stress. Understanding the role of solar radiation is critical if we are to unde ....Solar radiation, coral bleaching and climate change. Corals reefs like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) underpin approximately $2 billion annually in sustainable tourism and fisheries. Warming of Australia's tropical seas, however, has increased mass coral bleaching/mortality and is placing reefs like the GBR at increasing risk. Solar radiation (PAR, UVR) plays an important influence on the biological outcome of thermal stress. Understanding the role of solar radiation is critical if we are to understand the changes that will occur on coral reefs as temperatures increase. This multidisciplinary international team will define and model the role of solar radiation on thermal stress at local, regional and global scales. Read moreRead less
MICROENDOLITHS, CORAL BLEACHING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. Planning for sustainable use of ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) can only be done with an accurate understanding of how ecosystems are likely to change, and at what rate, under persistent climate change. This project, aligned with National Research Priority 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia', will be performed over 3 oceans and focusing on the GBR, will contribute to the national benefit by rapidly improving our unders ....MICROENDOLITHS, CORAL BLEACHING AND ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE. Planning for sustainable use of ecosystems like the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) can only be done with an accurate understanding of how ecosystems are likely to change, and at what rate, under persistent climate change. This project, aligned with National Research Priority 'An Environmentally Sustainable Australia', will be performed over 3 oceans and focusing on the GBR, will contribute to the national benefit by rapidly improving our understanding on one such major factor-the endolithic community in coral skeletons. It will allow better predictions of short and long-term consequences to reefs, and will also continue to show Australia's leadership in understanding the rate and direction of changes within coral reef ecosystems.Read moreRead less
Effects of physical disturbance on kelp-dominated reef communities across a broad temperate-tropical transition zone. The outcomes of this project will improve the understanding of the interactions between physical disturbances, nutrient enrichment and climate change. This addresses the national research priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia (priority goals sustainable use of biodiversity and responding to climate changes) and will contribute directly to Australia's commitments on ....Effects of physical disturbance on kelp-dominated reef communities across a broad temperate-tropical transition zone. The outcomes of this project will improve the understanding of the interactions between physical disturbances, nutrient enrichment and climate change. This addresses the national research priority of an environmentally sustainable Australia (priority goals sustainable use of biodiversity and responding to climate changes) and will contribute directly to Australia's commitments on marine ecosystem management and conservation.Read moreRead less
Diatom frustules: nanostructures at the base of ocean food webs. Molecules interacting with surfaces are fundamental to biological, chemical and physical processes, including desalinization membrane design, lab-on-a-chip systems, industrial catalysis, bioremediation, neurophysiology and uptake of nutrients for incorporation into food webs. Here, we use diatoms as models for molecule-surface interactions to find basic principles that underlay all of these interactions. This research will train st ....Diatom frustules: nanostructures at the base of ocean food webs. Molecules interacting with surfaces are fundamental to biological, chemical and physical processes, including desalinization membrane design, lab-on-a-chip systems, industrial catalysis, bioremediation, neurophysiology and uptake of nutrients for incorporation into food webs. Here, we use diatoms as models for molecule-surface interactions to find basic principles that underlay all of these interactions. This research will train students and scientists and establish collaborations with leading international scientists in the field.Read moreRead less
A mechanistic understanding of coral reef recovery. This project will provide the scientific basis to inform management policies to promote and maintain healthy coral reefs, both in Australia and overseas, which are suffering through climate change impacts. This work, which contributes directly to National Research Priority An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, will provide environmental benefits through understanding how degraded reefs can recover. The Great Barrier Reef alone is worth more ....A mechanistic understanding of coral reef recovery. This project will provide the scientific basis to inform management policies to promote and maintain healthy coral reefs, both in Australia and overseas, which are suffering through climate change impacts. This work, which contributes directly to National Research Priority An Environmentally Sustainable Australia, will provide environmental benefits through understanding how degraded reefs can recover. The Great Barrier Reef alone is worth more than $6 billion in tourism and fisheries revenue, and understanding how to maintain healthy coral reefs will contribute to the long-term sustainable growth of these industries. It will also help ensure continued use and provision of reef goods and services to coastal communities in tropical Australia.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100041
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$100,000.00
Summary
A high-resolution isotope facility for low cost analysis of water, plant, and soil/sediment samples to understand environmental change. The most significant environmental challenges facing Australia include ensuring sustainable management of our water resources and conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, particularly in the face of our changing climate and land-use. The new instruments will accelerate progress across a number of projects aimed at understanding the developme ....A high-resolution isotope facility for low cost analysis of water, plant, and soil/sediment samples to understand environmental change. The most significant environmental challenges facing Australia include ensuring sustainable management of our water resources and conservation of both terrestrial and marine biodiversity, particularly in the face of our changing climate and land-use. The new instruments will accelerate progress across a number of projects aimed at understanding the development of groundwater resources, the relative dependency of ecosystems on groundwater versus soil and surface water, and an assessment of the likely impacts of altered hydrology, especially dewatering and salinisation, on ecosystems. In addition, they will also be used to extend our knowledge of climate variability in the recent past and increase understanding of critical marine resources.Read moreRead less