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Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulati ....Regulation of saxitoxin production in bacteria and algae. In Australia, toxic algal blooms have had a devastating impact on marine and freshwater resources. In collaboration with a biotechnology company, this project will develop exciting new methods based on information regarding the genetics of the toxin, to monitor and potentially mitigate the effects of algal blooms on water supplies and aquaculture industries. We will use this method to determine the impact of light and salinity in regulating toxin production in cyanobacteria and algae.Read moreRead less
Defining Fundamental Principles for the Design and Operation of Membrane Systems from Time-Varying Performance Analysis. To date, much of the process improvement for industrial application of membrane technology has revolved around polymer science based development of membrane materials and process and module changes resulting from the application of basic (often simplistic) engineering principles. While some future improvements may still come from these areas, the most dramatic advances are li ....Defining Fundamental Principles for the Design and Operation of Membrane Systems from Time-Varying Performance Analysis. To date, much of the process improvement for industrial application of membrane technology has revolved around polymer science based development of membrane materials and process and module changes resulting from the application of basic (often simplistic) engineering principles. While some future improvements may still come from these areas, the most dramatic advances are likely to be derived from the application of advanced engineering principles to this complex system. This project will integrate advanced CFD modelling and control principles for the design and operation of membrane systems in order to develop fundamental understanding that should lead to significant process improvements.Read moreRead less
Desert island biogeography: vertebrate dynamics after fire-induced fragmentation of habitat in central Australia. Recent wildfires in the Simpson Desert have burnt over three million hectares of hummock grassland, creating an archipelago of unburnt spinifex islands amid extensive areas of bare sand. Small mammals and reptiles are now confined to these refugia. This project seeks to characterise the patchy distributional pattern of terrestrial vertebrates among spinifex islands, and to experiment ....Desert island biogeography: vertebrate dynamics after fire-induced fragmentation of habitat in central Australia. Recent wildfires in the Simpson Desert have burnt over three million hectares of hummock grassland, creating an archipelago of unburnt spinifex islands amid extensive areas of bare sand. Small mammals and reptiles are now confined to these refugia. This project seeks to characterise the patchy distributional pattern of terrestrial vertebrates among spinifex islands, and to experimentally evaluate factors (grazing, predators, food) influencing community recovery. Using an extensive prefire database, the project provides an unique and novel opportunity to chart and model responses of terrestrial vertebrates to wildfire, and to provide guidance for sustainable use of biodiversity in central Australia.Read moreRead less
Identifying and managing the ecological impacts of free-ranging wild horses. Wild horses cause significant ecological damage in conservation areas in Australia, but experimental research examining horse impacts is lacking. Our approach is to assess ecological impacts of wild horses in Guy Fawkes River National Park, a significant wilderness in northern NSW. We will describe the relationship between horse abundance and environmental impacts, experimentally determine how horse exclusion affects ....Identifying and managing the ecological impacts of free-ranging wild horses. Wild horses cause significant ecological damage in conservation areas in Australia, but experimental research examining horse impacts is lacking. Our approach is to assess ecological impacts of wild horses in Guy Fawkes River National Park, a significant wilderness in northern NSW. We will describe the relationship between horse abundance and environmental impacts, experimentally determine how horse exclusion affects key environmental variables, and test the sensitivity of threatened plants to wild horse browsing and trampling. A key outcome will be development of scientifically-validated protocols for assessing horse impacts, and for managing wild horses in other areas of eastern Australia.Read moreRead less
Impact of Metal - Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Interactions on Growth and Toxicity of Ichthyotoxic Algae in Australian Coastal Waters. Toxic algal blooms in estuarine and coastal waters can have devastating economic and ecological impacts but remarkably little is known about the factors that control either organism growth or toxin severity. Recent studies suggest that the interplay between delivery of the nutrient trace metals iron and copper and the method via which the organism acts to assimi ....Impact of Metal - Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) Interactions on Growth and Toxicity of Ichthyotoxic Algae in Australian Coastal Waters. Toxic algal blooms in estuarine and coastal waters can have devastating economic and ecological impacts but remarkably little is known about the factors that control either organism growth or toxin severity. Recent studies suggest that the interplay between delivery of the nutrient trace metals iron and copper and the method via which the organism acts to assimilate these metals is critical to the generation and aggressiveness of the toxins produced. These processes will be investigated in this study and conceptual and mathematical models will be developed which will assist in assessing management options for estuarine and coastal environments.Read moreRead less
How are weeds adapting to life in Australia? Quantifying the rate and direction of evolution in introduced species. Introduced plants are a major problem throughout Australia. Introduced species are listed as one of the most severe threats to biodiversity in Australia, and managing them costs Australia around $4 billion per annum. The information we gather in this project will tell us what sort of changes introduced plants undergo when they arrive in Australia; how quickly plants can adapt to a ....How are weeds adapting to life in Australia? Quantifying the rate and direction of evolution in introduced species. Introduced plants are a major problem throughout Australia. Introduced species are listed as one of the most severe threats to biodiversity in Australia, and managing them costs Australia around $4 billion per annum. The information we gather in this project will tell us what sort of changes introduced plants undergo when they arrive in Australia; how quickly plants can adapt to a new environment, and what sort of species are best able to adapt to new conditions. We will also ask whether introduced species are still adapting to Australian conditions. If so, then we might expect even more naturalised species to become problem weeds in the future. This sort of knowledge is fundamental to our ability to develop appropriate control programs.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of Iron Acquisition by the Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium in Coastal Waters. The toxic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium is the most conspicuous phytoplankter in Great Barrier Reef waters which, as a nitrogen fixer, produces and biologically packages "new" nitrogen into forms potentially available to other marine organisms and, as such, is likely to be a key driver of food web dynamics on the GBR. In this study, we will clarify the mechanism by which the critical nutrient iron is acquired by ....Mechanisms of Iron Acquisition by the Cyanobacterium Trichodesmium in Coastal Waters. The toxic cyanobacterium Trichodesmium is the most conspicuous phytoplankter in Great Barrier Reef waters which, as a nitrogen fixer, produces and biologically packages "new" nitrogen into forms potentially available to other marine organisms and, as such, is likely to be a key driver of food web dynamics on the GBR. In this study, we will clarify the mechanism by which the critical nutrient iron is acquired by this organism and, in so doing, assess the role that terrestrial activities play in iron supply.Read moreRead less
Predicting Lyngbya blooms: impact of iron transformation kinetics on flux, distribution and rate of uptake of bioavailable iron and phosphorus. Bioavailable iron has been shown to be one of the key drivers to growth of the toxic cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula. In this project, a model describing the kinetics of transformation between the various iron species that exist in natural waters will be developed and this model coupled with transport codes such that reliable predictions of the flux of ....Predicting Lyngbya blooms: impact of iron transformation kinetics on flux, distribution and rate of uptake of bioavailable iron and phosphorus. Bioavailable iron has been shown to be one of the key drivers to growth of the toxic cyanobacterium, Lyngbya majuscula. In this project, a model describing the kinetics of transformation between the various iron species that exist in natural waters will be developed and this model coupled with transport codes such that reliable predictions of the flux of bioavailable iron to Moreton Bay, its distribution in the Bay and its bioavailability to Lyngbya can be made. The impact of iron transformations on the bioavailability of phosphorus within the Bay will also be elucidated.Read moreRead less