ORCID Profile
0000-0001-8972-9161
Current Organisation
University of Queensland
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Research Topics
In Research Link Australia (RLA), "Research Topics" refer to ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes. These topics are either sourced from ANZSRC FOR and SEO codes listed in researchers' related grants or generated by a large language model (LLM) based on their publications.
Top 5 Research Topics
ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)
Environmental Science and Management | Environmental Engineering Modelling | Environmental Management And Rehabilitation | Conservation and Biodiversity | Freshwater Ecology | Landscape Ecology | Environmental Engineering Modelling
ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)
Water services and utilities | Ecosystem Assessment and Management of Coastal and Estuarine Environments | Coastal and Estuarine Land Management | Land and water management | Rehabilitation of Degraded Coastal and Estuarine Environments |
Related Links
Publications
Water residence time controls the feedback between seagrass, sediment and light: Implications for restoration
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2018
Contextualising shoreline protection by seagrass using lessons from submerged breakwaters
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
Reducing global land-use pressures with seaweed farming
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-01-2023
Phytotoxic effects of terrestrial dissolved organic matter on a freshwater cyanobacteria and green algae species is affected by plant source and DOM chemical composition
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.CHEMOSPHERE.2017.06.063
Abstract: Here we link plant source phylogeny to its chemical characteristics and determine parameters useful for predicting DOM phytotoxicity towards algal monocultures. We found that DOM characterised using UV-visible spectroscopic indices and elemental analysis is useful for distinguishing DOM plant sources. Specifically, combined values of absorbance at 440 nm and coefficients for the spectral slope ratio, were used to distinguish between gymnosperm-leached DOM and that from angiosperms. In our bioassays, DOM leached from 4 g leaf L
Are laboratory growth rate experiments relevant to explaining bloom-forming cyanobacteria distributions at global scale?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 02-2020
Connecting targets for catchment sediment loads to ecological outcomes for seagrass using multiple lines of evidence
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2021
Identification of compounds from terrestrial dissolved organic matter toxic to cyanobacteria
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2020
Seagrasses in the South-East Australian Region—Distribution, Metabolism, and Morphology in Response to Hydrodynamic, Substrate, and Water Quality Stressors
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2018
Light history-dependent respiration explains the hysteresis in the daily ecosystem metabolism of seagrass
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 30-08-2015
Adult incontinence products are a larger and faster growing waste issue than disposable infant nappies (diapers) in Australia
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2022
DOI: 10.1016/J.WASMAN.2022.07.038
Abstract: The environmental issues relating to disposable of infant nappies have received considerable attention. However, adult absorbent hygiene products (AHPs) receive less attention, despite having comparable or greater environmental impact. Here we quantify and compare current and future flows of continence related AHPs entering waste streams from both infant and adult populations. Importantly our study accounts for current waste management and landfilling practices across Australia and the environmental implications of AHP disposal. Absorbent hygiene product use from infants and adults was modelled from 2020 to 2030 for Australia, and it's predicted that AHP waste generated by adults will account for between 4 and 10 times that of infants by 2030 due to an aging population. Our results indicate that 50% of used AHPs end up in landfill with both leachate and biogas collection, the remainder going to landfills without biogas collection or without both leachate and biogas collection, based on the most recent national data set, which is over a decade old. The average composition of used absorbent hygiene product (including 60% urine and faeces by mass) is estimated to contain 20% non-biodegradable material, which may complicate the biodegradability of absorbent hygiene products in landfill. Without additional regulatory incentive, the current waste management practices in Australia are likely to continue, with absorbent hygiene products typically entering landfill as municipal solid waste, rather than industrial composting or recycling facilities. More accurate estimation of environmental implications from these disposal pathways requires further work including biodegradation experiments currently unavailable in the literature.
Predicting seagrass decline due to cumulative stressors
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2020
Having our Kelp and Eating it Too: Minimising Trade-offs from Seaweed Farming
Publisher: Research Square Platform LLC
Date: 10-07-2023
DOI: 10.21203/RS.3.RS-3112859/V1
Abstract: Seaweed farming is promoted as a facet of the Blue Economy that may provide food, support local livelihoods, bolster marine bio ersity, and sequester carbon. While the potential for each of these benefits is often studied in isolation, here we explore the potential for ‘holistic’ management, which realizes all four benefits simultaneously. Applying a stock and flow model to different environmental and socio- economic scenarios, we simulate ten years of operations on a one-hectare kelp ( Macrocystis pyrifera ) farm. We explore trade-offs among the food, livelihoods, marine bio ersity, and carbon sequestration benefits of each scenario to identify the management conditions under which holistic seaweed farming can be achieved. Our results demonstrate that holistic seaweed farming is possible under many – but not all – scenarios, and that holistic management is distinct from management that prioritises maximising any single benefit, frequently requiring a reduction in financial benefits to maintain others. Proper farm placement and robust management in marine environments will be critical for seaweed industries to support multiple sustainable development objectives at once.
A biophysical representation of seagrass growth for application in a complex shallow-water biogeochemical model
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 04-2016
Coastal retreat and improved water quality mitigate losses of seagrass from sea level rise
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-05-2013
DOI: 10.1111/GCB.12218
Abstract: The distribution and abundance of seagrass ecosystems could change significantly over the coming century due to sea level rise (SLR). Coastal managers require mechanistic understanding of the processes affecting seagrass response to SLR to maximize their conservation and associated provision of ecosystem services. In Moreton Bay, Queensland, Australia, vast seagrass meadows supporting populations of sea turtles and dugongs are juxtaposed with the multiple stressors associated with a large and rapidly expanding human population. Here, the interactive effects of predicted SLR, changes in water clarity, and land use on future distributions of seagrass in Moreton Bay were quantified. A habitat distribution model of present day seagrass in relation to benthic irradiance and wave height was developed which correctly classified habitats in 83% of cases. Spatial predictions of seagrass and presence derived from the model and bathymetric data were used to initiate a SLR inundation model. Bathymetry was iteratively modified based on SLR and sedimentary accretion in seagrass to simulate potential seagrass habitat at 10 year time steps until 2100. The area of seagrass habitat was predicted to decline by 17% by 2100 under a scenario of SLR of 1.1 m. A scenario including the removal of impervious surfaces, such as roads and houses, from newly inundated regions, demonstrated that managed retreat of the shoreline could potentially reduce the overall decline in seagrass habitat to just 5%. The predicted reduction in area of seagrass habitat could be offset by an improvement in water clarity of 30%. Greater improvements in water clarity would be necessary for larger magnitudes of SLR. Management to improve water quality will provide present and future benefits to seagrasses under climate change and should be a priority for managers seeking to compensate for the effects of global change on these valuable habitats.
Lateral sediment erosion with and without the non-dense root-mat forming seagrass Enhalus acoroides
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2021
What Is Gender Equality in Science?
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.TREE.2019.02.009
Abstract: Why do inequalities persist between male and female scientists, when the causes are well-researched and widely condemned? In part, because equality has many dimensions. Presenting eight definitions of gender equality, we show each is important but incomplete. Rigid application of any single equality indicator can therefore have perverse outcomes.
The academic jungle: Ecosystem modelling reveals why women are driven out of research
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-06-2012
Supplementary material to "Major flood dominates 14 year sediment and nutrient budgets for two subtropical reservoirs"
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 15-04-2016
Drivers of global mangrove loss and gain in social-ecological systems
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 26-10-2022
DOI: 10.1038/S41467-022-33962-X
Abstract: Mangrove forests store high amounts of carbon, protect communities from storms, and support fisheries. Mangroves exist in complex social-ecological systems, hence identifying socioeconomic conditions associated with decreasing losses and increasing gains remains challenging albeit important. The impact of national governance and conservation policies on mangrove conservation at the landscape-scale has not been assessed to date, nor have the interactions with local economic pressures and biophysical drivers. Here, we assess the relationship between socioeconomic and biophysical variables and mangrove change across coastal geomorphic units worldwide from 1996 to 2016. Globally, we find that drivers of loss can also be drivers of gain, and that drivers have changed over 20 years. The association with economic growth appears to have reversed, shifting from negatively impacting mangroves in the first decade to enabling mangrove expansion in the second decade. Importantly, we find that community forestry is promoting mangrove expansion, whereas conversion to agriculture and aquaculture, often occurring in protected areas, results in high loss. Sustainable development, community forestry, and co-management of protected areas are promising strategies to reverse mangrove losses, increasing the capacity of mangroves to support human-livelihoods and combat climate change.
Thresholds for morphological response to light reduction for four tropical seagrass species
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 08-2016
Prioritizing localized management actions for seagrass conservation and restoration using a species distribution model
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 07-07-2015
DOI: 10.1002/AQC.2573
Unravelling complexity in seagrass systems for management: Australia as a microcosm
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2015
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2015.04.061
Abstract: Environmental decision-making applies transdisciplinary knowledge to deliver optimal outcomes. Here we synthesise various aspects of seagrass ecology to aid environmental decision-making, management and policy. Managers often mediate conflicting values and opinions held by different stakeholders. Critical to this role is understanding the drivers for change, effects of management actions and societal benefits. We use the ersity of seagrass habitats in Australia to demonstrate that knowledge from numerous fields is required to understand seagrass condition and resilience. Managers are often time poor and need access to synthesised assessments, commonly referred to as narratives. However, there is no single narrative for management of seagrass habitats in Australia, due to the ersity of seagrass meadows and dominant pressures. To assist the manager, we developed a classification structure based on attributes of seagrass life history, habitat and meadow form. Seagrass communities are formed from species whose life history strategies can be described as colonising, opportunistic or persistent. They occupy habitats defined by the range and variability of their abiotic environment. This results in seagrass meadows that are either transitory or enduring. Transitory meadows may come and go and able to re-establish from complete loss through sexual reproduction. Enduring meadows may fluctuate in biomass but maintain a presence by resisting pressures across multiple scales. This contrast reflects the interaction between the spatial and temporal aspects of species life history and habitat variability. Most management and monitoring strategies in place today favour enduring seagrasses. We adopt a functional classification of seagrass habitats based on modes of resilience to inform management for all seagrass communities. These concepts have world-wide relevance as the Australian case-studies have many analogues throughout the world. Additionally, the approach used to classify primary scientific knowledge into synthesised categories to aid management has value for many other disciplines interfacing with environmental decision-making.
Losing a winner: thermal stress and local pressures outweigh the positive effects of ocean acidification for tropical seagrasses
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 06-2018
DOI: 10.1111/NPH.15234
Abstract: Seagrasses are globally important coastal habitat-forming species, yet it is unknown how seagrasses respond to the combined pressures of ocean acidification and warming of sea surface temperature. We exposed three tropical species of seagrass (Cymodocea serrulata, Halodule uninervis, and Zostera muelleri) to increasing temperature (21, 25, 30, and 35°C) and pCO
Synthesising wave attenuation for seagrass: Drag coefficient as a unifying indicator
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2020
Disaggregation of Microcystis aeruginosa colonies under turbulent mixing: Laboratory experiments in a grid-stirred tank
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 05-2004
An ecological footprint for an early learning centre: identifying opportunities for early childhood sustainability education through interdisciplinary research
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 10-2011
Seagrass resistance to light deprivation: Implications for resilience
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2018
Constitutive toxin production under various nitrogen and phosphorus regimes of three ecotypes of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii ((Wołoszyńska) Seenayya et Subba Raju)
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 07-2015
The fundamental role of ecological feedback mechanisms for the adaptive management of seagrass ecosystems – a review
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 09-2016
DOI: 10.1111/BRV.12294
Abstract: Seagrass meadows are vital ecosystems in coastal zones worldwide, but are also under global threat. One of the major hurdles restricting the success of seagrass conservation and restoration is our limited understanding of ecological feedback mechanisms. In these ecosystems, multiple, self-reinforcing feedbacks can undermine conservation efforts by masking environmental impacts until the decline is precipitous, or alternatively they can inhibit seagrass recovery in spite of restoration efforts. However, no clear framework yet exists for identifying or dealing with feedbacks to improve the management of seagrass ecosystems. Here we review the causes and consequences of multiple feedbacks between seagrass and biotic and/or abiotic processes. We demonstrate how feedbacks have the potential to impose or reinforce regimes of either seagrass dominance or unvegetated substrate, and how the strength and importance of these feedbacks vary across environmental gradients. Although a myriad of feedbacks have now been identified, the co-occurrence and likely interaction among feedbacks has largely been overlooked to date due to difficulties in analysis and detection. Here we take a fundamental step forward by modelling the interactions among two distinct above- and belowground feedbacks to demonstrate that interacting feedbacks are likely to be important for ecosystem resilience. On this basis, we propose a five-step adaptive management plan to address feedback dynamics for effective conservation and restoration strategies. The management plan provides guidance to aid in the identification and prioritisation of likely feedbacks in different seagrass ecosystems.
Effects of light history on primary productivity in a phytoplankton community dominated by the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 12-01-2009
Sources and fate of nutrients in a subtropical reservoir
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 24-05-2011
Effects of photochemical and microbiological changes in terrestrial dissolved organic matter on its chemical characteristics and phytotoxicity towards cyanobacteria
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 12-2019
DOI: 10.1016/J.SCITOTENV.2019.133901
Abstract: Previous studies have shown that under laboratory conditions, dissolved organic matter (DOM) leached from plants can be differentially more phytotoxic to cyanobacteria, compared to green algae. This study examined how DOM source and transformation processes (microbial and photochemical) affect its chemical composition and phytotoxicity towards a cultured species of cyanobacteria (Raphidiopsis raciborskii) using a factorial experimental design. To complement cyanobacterial bioassays, the chemical composition and associated changes in DOM were determined using spectroscopic (nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and absorbance) and elemental analyses. Sunlight exposed DOM from leaves of the terrestrial plants, Casuarina cunninghamiana and Eucalyptus tereticornis had the most phytotoxic effect compared to DOM not exposed to sunlight. This phytotoxic DOM was characterised by relatively low nitrogen content, containing highly coloured and relatively high molecular mass constituents. Both mixed effect model and PCA approaches to predict inhibition of photosynthetic yield indicated phytotoxicity could be predicted (P < 0.001) based upon the following parameters: C: N ratio gilvin, and lignin-derived phenol content of DOM. Parallel proton-detected 1D and 2D NMR techniques showed that glucose anomers were the major constituents of fresh leachate. With ageing, glucose anomers disappeared and products of microbial transformation appeared, but there was no indication of the appearance of additional phytotoxic compounds. This suggests that reactive oxygen species may be responsible, at least partially, for DOM phytotoxicity. This study provides important new information highlighting the characteristics of DOM that link with phytotoxic effects.
Variation within and between cyanobacterial species and strains affects competition: Implications for phytoplankton modelling
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 11-2017
DOI: 10.1016/J.HAL.2017.10.001
Abstract: Cyanobacteria Microcystis aeruginosa and Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii are two harmful species which co-occur and successively dominate in freshwaters globally. Within-species strain variability affects cyanobacterial population responses to environmental conditions, and it is unclear which species/strain would dominate under different environmental conditions. This study applied a Monte Carlo approach to a phytoplankton dynamic growth model to identify how growth variability of multiple strains of these two species affects their competition. Pairwise competition between four M. aeruginosa and eight C. raciborskii strains was simulated using a deterministic model, parameterized with laboratory measurements of growth and light attenuation for all strains, and run at two temperatures and light intensities. 17 000 runs were simulated for each pair using a statistical distribution with Monte Carlo approach. The model results showed that cyanobacterial competition was highly variable, depending on strains present, light and temperature conditions. There was no absolute 'winner' under all conditions as there were always strains predicted to coexist with the dominant strains, which were M. aeruginosa strains at 20°C and C. raciborskii strains at 28°C. The uncertainty in prediction of species competition outcomes was due to the substantial variability of growth responses within and between strains. Overall, this study demonstrates that within-species strain variability has a potentially large effect on cyanobacterial population dynamics, and therefore this variability may substantially reduce confidence in predicting outcomes of phytoplankton competition in deterministic models, that are based on only one set of parameters for each species or strain.
The empirical evidence for the social-ecological impacts of seaweed farming
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 02-2023
DOI: 10.1371/JOURNAL.PSTR.0000042
Abstract: Seaweed farming is widely expected to transform the way we approach sustainable developments, particularly in the context of the ‘Blue Economy’. However, many claims of the social and ecological benefits from seaweed farming have limited or contextually weak empirical grounding. Here we systematically review relevant publications across four languages to form a comprehensive picture of observed—rather than theorised—social and environmental impacts of seaweed farming globally. We show that, while some impacts such as improved water quality and coastal livelihoods are consistently reported, other promulgated benefits vary across cultivation contexts or are empirically unsubstantiated. For some communities, increasing dependence on seaweed farming may improve or worsen the cultural fabric and their vulnerability to economic and environmental shocks. The empirical evidence for the impacts of seaweed farming is also restricted geographically, mainly to East Asia and South-East Asia, and taxonomically. Seaweed farming holds strong potential to contribute to sustainability objectives, but the social and ecological risks associated with scaling up global production remain only superficially understood. These risks require greater attention to ensure just, equitable, and sustainable seaweed industries can be realised.
An evidence-based approach for setting desired state in a complex Great Barrier Reef seagrass ecosystem: A case study from Cleveland Bay
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2020
Model fit versus biological relevance: Evaluating photosynthesis-temperature models for three tropical seagrass species
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-01-2017
DOI: 10.1038/SREP39930
Abstract: When several models can describe a biological process, the equation that best fits the data is typically considered the best. However, models are most useful when they also possess biologically-meaningful parameters. In particular, model parameters should be stable, physically interpretable, and transferable to other contexts, e.g. for direct indication of system state, or usage in other model types. As an ex le of implementing these recommended requirements for model parameters, we evaluated twelve published empirical models for temperature-dependent tropical seagrass photosynthesis, based on two criteria: (1) goodness of fit, and (2) how easily biologically-meaningful parameters can be obtained. All models were formulated in terms of parameters characterising the thermal optimum ( T opt ) for maximum photosynthetic rate ( P max ). These parameters indicate the upper thermal limits of seagrass photosynthetic capacity, and hence can be used to assess the vulnerability of seagrass to temperature change. Our study exemplifies an approach to model selection which optimises the usefulness of empirical models for both modellers and ecologists alike.
Major flood dominates 14 year sediment and nutrient budgets for two subtropical reservoirs
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 15-04-2016
DOI: 10.5194/HESS-2016-89
Abstract: Abstract. Accurate reservoir budgets are important for understanding regional fluxes of sediment and nutrients. Here we present a comprehensive budget of sediment (based on total suspended solids, TSS), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) for two subtropical reservoirs on rivers with highly intermittent flow regimes. The budget is completed from July 1997 to June 2011 on Somerset and Wivenhoe reservoirs in southeast Queensland, Australia, using a combination of monitoring data and catchment model predictions. A major flood in January 2011 accounted for more than 50 % of the water entering and leaving both reservoirs in that year, and more than 30 % of water delivered to and released from Wivenhoe over the 14 year study period. The flood accounted for an even larger proportion of total TSS and nutrient loads: in Wivenhoe 40 % of TSS inputs and 90 % of TSS outputs between 1997 and 2011 occurred during January 2011. During non-flood years, mean historical concentrations provided reasonable estimates of TSS and nutrient loads leaving the reservoirs. Calculating loads from historical mean TSS and TP concentrations during January 2011, however, would have substantially underestimated outputs over the entire study period, by a factor of up to ten. The results have important implications for sediment and nutrient budgets in catchments with highly episodic flow. Firstly, quantifying inputs and outputs during major floods is essential for producing reliable long-term budgets. Secondly, sediment and nutrient budgets are dynamic, not static. Characterizing uncertainty and variability is therefore just as important for meaningful reservoir budgets as accurate quantification of loads.
Inundation of saline supratidal mudflats provides an important source of carbon and nutrients in an aquatic system
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 08-03-2016
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11621
Primary production of lake phytoplankton, dominated by the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, in response to irradiance and temperature
Publisher: Freshwater Biological Association
Date: 04-2015
DOI: 10.5268/IW-5.2.778
High- and low-affinity phosphate uptake and its effect on phytoplankton dominance in a phosphate-depauperate lake
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 24-06-2015
DOI: 10.3354/AME01751
Sediment and nutrient budgets are inherently dynamic: Evidence from a long-term study of two subtropical reservoirs
Publisher: Copernicus GmbH
Date: 13-12-2016
DOI: 10.5194/HESS-20-4881-2016
Abstract: Abstract. Accurate reservoir budgets are important for understanding regional fluxes of sediment and nutrients. Here we present a comprehensive budget of sediment (based on total suspended solids, TSS), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) for two subtropical reservoirs on rivers with highly intermittent flow regimes. The budget is completed from July 1997 to June 2011 on the Somerset and Wivenhoe reservoirs in southeast Queensland, Australia, using a combination of monitoring data and catchment model predictions. A major flood in January 2011 accounted for more than half of the water entering and leaving both reservoirs in that year, and approximately 30 % of water delivered to and released from Wivenhoe over the 14-year study period. The flood accounted for an even larger proportion of total TSS and nutrient loads: in Wivenhoe more than one-third of TSS inputs and two-thirds of TSS outputs between 1997 and 2011 occurred during January 2011. During non-flood years, mean historical concentrations provided reasonable estimates of TSS and nutrient loads leaving the reservoirs. Calculating loads from historical mean TSS and TP concentrations during January 2011, however, would have substantially underestimated outputs over the entire study period, by up to a factor of 10. The results have important implications for sediment and nutrient budgets in catchments with highly episodic flow. First, quantifying inputs and outputs during major floods is essential for producing reliable long-term budgets. Second, sediment and nutrient budgets are dynamic, not static. Characterizing uncertainty and variability is therefore just as important for meaningful reservoir budgets as accurate quantification of loads.
Quantifying the role of organic phosphorus mineralisation on phytoplankton communities in a warm-monomictic lake
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 02-01-2019
Introducing ‘Concept Question’ writing assignments into upper-level engineering courses
Publisher: Informa UK Limited
Date: 16-07-2021
What lies beneath: Why knowledge of belowground biomass dynamics is crucial to effective seagrass management
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2015
Vertical distributions of chlorophyll in deep, warm monomictic lakes
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 03-03-2010
Random forest algorithm yields accurate quantitative prediction models of benthic light at intertidal sites affected by toxic Lyngbya majuscula blooms
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2012
Flow events drive patterns of phytoplankton distribution along a river–estuary–bay continuum
Publisher: CSIRO Publishing
Date: 2013
DOI: 10.1071/MF12227
Abstract: Freshwater flow events drive phytoplankton productivity in subtropical coastal river systems. However, few studies have the necessary temporal and spatial resolution to fully characterise the effect of events on the distribution of phytoplankton across the full river–estuary–bay continuum. The present study characterised the response of phytoplankton to high-flow events in an Australian subtropical system and identified the primary drivers of this response. During high-flow events, the concentration of phytoplankton chlorophyll a (Chl a) initially declined in the estuary, a response primarily driven by the shortened water-residence time. In the bay, phytoplankton growth in the near-shore zone was light limited however, nutrients stimulated phytoplankton growth on the seaward edge of the river plume. During the post-high-flow phase, the concentration of Chl a in the freshwater reaches peaked downstream, where catchment-derived nutrients accumulated. In the estuary, elevated nutrient loads stimulated phytoplankton growth upstream and downstream of the light-limited zone. In the bay, nitrogen availability declined, and Chl a declined with an increasing distance offshore. The phytoplankton response to events documented in the present study can be used to identify when and where phytoplankton in subtropical systems may be strongly influenced by changes in the magnitude of nutrient, sediment and freshwater loads associated with high-flow events which result from anthropogenic pressures within the catchment.
Benefits of permanent adoption of virtual conferences for conservation science.
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 14-02-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13884
Comparing extraction rates of fossil fuel producers against global climate goals
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 07-05-2018
Expert perceptions of seaweed farming for sustainable development
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2022
TALKS: A systematic framework for resolving model-data discrepancies
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 05-2023
How to Break the Cycle of Low Workforce Diversity: A Model for Change
Publisher: Public Library of Science (PLoS)
Date: 28-07-2015
Seagrass ecosystem trajectory depends on the relative timescales of resistance, recovery and disturbance
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2018
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2017.09.006
Abstract: Seagrass ecosystems are inherently dynamic, responding to environmental change across a range of scales. Habitat requirements of seagrass are well defined, but less is known about their ability to resist disturbance. Specific means of recovery after loss are particularly difficult to quantify. Here we assess the resistance and recovery capacity of 12 seagrass genera. We document four classic trajectories of degradation and recovery for seagrass ecosystems, illustrated with ex les from around the world. Recovery can be rapid once conditions improve, but seagrass absence at landscape scales may persist for many decades, perpetuated by feedbacks and/or lack of seed or plant propagules to initiate recovery. It can be difficult to distinguish between slow recovery, recalcitrant degradation, and the need for a window of opportunity to trigger recovery. We propose a framework synthesizing how the spatial and temporal scales of both disturbance and seagrass response affect ecosystem trajectory and hence resilience.
Global analysis of seagrass restoration: the importance of large‐scale planting
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 25-11-2015
Nitrogen response of natural phytoplankton communities: a new indicator based on photosynthetic efficiency Fv/Fm
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 23-06-2016
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS11729
Changes to chronic nitrogen loading from sewage discharges modify standing stocks of coastal phytoplankton
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 06-2013
DOI: 10.1016/J.MARPOLBUL.2013.03.020
Abstract: Nutrient delivery in subtropical coastal systems is predominantly via acute episodic high flow events. However, continuous nutrient discharges from point sources alter these natural fluctuations in nutrient delivery, and are therefore likely to lead to different ecosystem responses. The aim of this study was to assess how a reduction in chronic sewage nutrient inputs affected chlorophyll a (chl a) concentrations in a subtropical bay, in the context of seasonal fluctuations in riverine nutrient inflows. Reduced nutrient inputs from a large sewage treatment plant (STP) resulted in lower mean dissolved inorganic nitrogen and phytoplankton chl a concentrations during both the austral summer wet and winter dry season. This was measurable within 10 y of nutrient reductions and despite the confounding effects of nutrient inflow events. Our study demonstrates that reductions in STP inputs can have significant effects on phytoplankton biomass despite confounding factors over relatively short time frames.
Seagrass Dynamics and Resilience
Publisher: Springer International Publishing
Date: 2018
Modeling total predation to avoid perverse outcomes from cat control in a data‐poor island ecosystem
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-08-2022
DOI: 10.1111/COBI.13916
Abstract: Data‐hungry, complex ecosystem models are often used to predict the consequences of threatened species management, including perverse outcomes. Unfortunately, this approach is impractical in the many systems that have insufficient data to parameterize ecosystem interactions or reliably calibrate or validate such models. We devised a different approach composed of a minimum realistic model that guides decisions in data‐ and resource‐scarce systems. We applied our approach to a case study in an invaded ecosystem from Christmas Island, Australia, where there are concerns that cat ( Felis catus ) eradication to protect native species, including the red‐tailed tropicbird ( Phaethon rubricauda ), could release mesopredation by invasive rats ( Rattus rattus ). We used biophysical constraints (metabolic demand) and observable parameters (e.g., prey preferences) to identify the combined cat and rat abundances that could threaten the tropicbird population. The population of tropicbirds was not sustained when predated by 1607 rats (95% credible interval [CI]: 103–5910) in the absence of cats and 21 cats (95% CI: 2–82) in the absence of rats. For every cat removed from the island, the bird's net population growth rate improved, provided rats did not increase by more than 77 in iduals (95% CI: 30–174). Thus, in this context, 1 cat is equivalent to 30–174 rats. Our methods are especially useful for on‐the‐ground predator control in the absence of knowledge of predator–predator interactions to determine whether current abundance of predators threatened the prey population of interest managing only 1 predator species was sufficient to protect the prey species given potential release of another predator and control of multiple predator species was needed to meet the conservation goal. With our approach limited information can be used for maximum value in data‐poor systems because it shifts the focus from predicting future trajectories to identifying conditions that impede conservation.
Comparison of water-energy trajectories of two major regions experiencing water shortage
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 10-2016
DOI: 10.1016/J.JENVMAN.2016.06.068
Abstract: Water shortage, increased demand and rising energy costs are major challenges for the water sector worldwide. Here we use a comparative case study to explore the long-term changes in the system-wide water and associated energy use in two different regions that encountered water shortage. In Australia, South East Queensland (SEQ) encountered a drought from 2001 to 2009, while Perth has experienced a decline in rainfall since the 1970s. This novel longitudinal study quantifies and compares the urban water consumption and the energy use of the water supply systems in SEQ and Perth during the period 2002 to 2014. Unlike hypothetical and long-term scenario studies, this comparative study quantifies actual changes in regional water consumption and associated energy, and explores the lessons learned from the two regions. In 2002, Perth had a similar per capita water consumption rate to SEQ and 48% higher per capita energy use in the water supply system. From 2002 to 2014, a strong effort of water conservation can be seen in SEQ during the drought, while Perth has been increasingly relying on seawater desalination. By 2014, even though the drought in SEQ had ended and the drying climate in Perth was continuing, the per capita water consumption in SEQ (266 L /d) was still 28% lower than that of Perth (368 L /d), while the per capita energy use in Perth (247 kWh /yr) had increased to almost five times that of SEQ (53 kWh /yr). This comparative study shows that within one decade, major changes in water and associated energy use occurred in regions that were similar historically. The very different "water-energy" trajectories in the two regions arose partly due to the type of water management options implemented, particularly the different emphasis on supply versus demand side management. This study also highlights the significant energy saving benefit of water conservation strategies (i.e. in SEQ, the energy saving was sufficient to offset the total energy use for seawater desalination and water recycling during the period.). The water-energy trajectory diagram provides a new way to illustrate and compare longitudinal water consumption and associated energy use within and between cities.
Feedback between sediment and light for seagrass: Where is it important?
Publisher: Wiley
Date: 24-06-2016
DOI: 10.1002/LNO.10319
Water temperature and benthic light levels drive horizontal expansion of Caulerpa taxifolia in native and invasive locations
Publisher: Inter-Research Science Center
Date: 09-01-2013
DOI: 10.3354/MEPS10044
Impact of fly ash content and fly ash transportation distance on embodied greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption in concrete
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Date: 04-07-2009
Regional-scale variability of cold water temperature: Implications for household water-related energy demand
Publisher: Elsevier BV
Date: 09-2017
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Related Funding Activities
Linkage Projects - Grant ID: LP0776375
Start Date: 05-2008
End Date: 05-2011
Amount: $120,000.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
View Funded ActivityLinkage Projects - Grant ID: LP170101171
Start Date: 07-2019
End Date: 06-2022
Amount: $207,812.00
Funder: Australian Research Council
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