Results released on seagrass responses to dredging in northwest Australia

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Three new reports have been released on the primary producer responses to dredging.

There is almost no knowledge of how seagrass primary producers in the northwest of Australia will respond to the environmental changes produced by dredging. Consequently, it is difficult to predict and then manage the impacts of dredging on these critical habitats with an acceptable level of certainty.

Research within the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) Dredging Science Node focuses on two of the most significant stresses produced by dredging: the reduction in light availability to plants; and the smothering of seagrass and algae as suspended sediments settle.

Project leader Kathryn McMahon from Edith Cowan University and team members from The University Australia, Department of Parks and Wildlife WA and The University of Adelaide have looked at three key areas:

  1. Seagrasses of the northwest of Western Australia: biogeography and considerations for dredging-related research;
  2. The current state of knowledge regarding the effects of dredging-related ‘pressure’ on seagrasses using information compiled from unpublished industry data, as well as published reports, articles and books; and
  3. Genetic variability within seagrass of the northwest of Western Australia

The first project identified five dredging related stressors that are likely to directly impact seagrass habitat and prioritised the top three in the following list that are of most interest for impact prediction and management of dredging events:

  • reduced benthic light quantity;
  • burial by sediment;
  • sediment anoxia and increased hydrogen sulfide production;
  • altered benthic light quality (i.e. spectral characteristics); and
  • increased suspended sediment

It identified knowledge gaps in three key areas:

  • How dredging affects environmental conditions that are likely to impact seagrass.
  • Thresholds for dredging-related stressor beyond which seagrasses will be affected; and
  • Monitoring during dredging campaigns.

The second project identified the seagrass species Halophila ovalis, Halodule uninervis and Cymodocea serrulata, as the focus of subsequent research into thresholds and indicators of response to dredging-related pressures.

The third study is the first of its kind to examine the patterns of genetic diversity in seagrasses in the Pilbara region which strongly influences their ability to adapt to, resist or recover from these pressures.

This study identified  that:

  1. Most meadows examined  had  relatively  high  clonal  diversity  (i.e.  many  unique  individuals in the meadow), so both sexual reproduction and vegetative growth are important for maintaining these populations; and
  2. There was a reasonably high level of migration of genes over distances of 2−5km, but lower levels over  greater  distances. The  study  also  showed  that  not  all  seagrass  meadows  and  species  in NW Australia  have  a  similar  level  of  genetic  diversity. This information should be incorporated into management decisions as the level of genetic diversity has implications for the ability of populations to resist and recover from disturbance.

The WAMSI Dredging Science Node is one of the largest single issue research programs in Australia meeting the needs of the State Government and industry to improve their understanding of how key primary producers are affected by dredging-related pressures.

The full reports can be found on the WAMSI DSN Primary Producer project page

The WAMSI Dredging Science Node is made possible through $9.5 million invested by Woodside, Chevron and BHP as environmental offsets. A further $9.5 million has been co-invested by the WAMSI Joint Venture partners, adding significantly more value to this initial industry investment. The node is also supported through critical data provided by Chevron, Woodside and Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

 

Category:

Dredging Science

Scientists learn more about Kimberley dolphin populations

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Australian snubfin dolphins in the Kimberley appear to form at least three genetic populations that require careful management, according to new research.

The snubfin and humpback dolphin are unique to shallow, coastal waters of northern Australia and southern New Guinea. Both species are found off the coast of the Kimberley, though little is known of their numbers, key habitats and movements.

Over the past three years, a Western Australian Marine Science Institution, Kimberley Marine Research Program project has been working to answer some of these questions, by surveying local populations, collecting genetic samples, and developing new tools to help monitor these elusive species.

The research team from Murdoch and Curtin universities found that both snubfin and humpback dolphins occurred at all sites surveyed, although in varying numbers.

 

The team conducted different fieldwork in a number of locations across the Kimberley, and presented data on dolphin relative abundance (R), population genetic structure (G) and/or passive acoustic monitoring (A).

 

Humpback dolphins were observed in similarly low numbers at most sites, while snubfin dolphins appeared to occur in greater numbers at a few discrete locations.

Small local populations of snubfins were apparent at Cone Bay and the Prince Regent River; however, previous research showed the Dampier Peninsula sites of Roebuck and Cygnet Bay to support greater numbers, highlighting these sites as key habitats for snubfin dolphins.

Genetic analyses, led by Murdoch University’s Dr. Alex Brown, showed that not all snubfin dolphins in the Kimberley could be considered the same population.

 

Using the biopsy darting system to collect dolphin genetic samples in Cone Bay, with assistance from Dambimangari Ranger Edmund Jungine. Photo: Alex Brown.

 

Evidence suggests that there is very limited movement of snubfin dolphins between Roebuck Bay and King Sound, and that animals sampled further north and east may represent a third genetic population.

Analyses of humpback dolphin genetic samples revealed a lack of gene flow between animals sampled in the Kimberley and the Pilbara regions.

“It’s important for decision makers to recognise this genetic structure in order to minimise any threats to small, isolated, local populations,” Dr. Brown said. “For both species, more genetic samples are required in the north/east of the Kimberley to better understand the connectivity of local populations.”

“However, monitoring these species can be tricky, particularly in areas where they are unfamiliar with and shy of boats,” Dr Brown said.

Several scientists in the dolphin project team have been working on this problem by exploring the use of passive acoustic monitoring to detect and monitor dolphin presence and use of particular areas.

 

Acoustic data loggers, developed by Curtin University, were deployed for up to three weeks at Cygnet and Roebuck Bay, recording dolphin vocalisations and allowing the Curtin researchers to characterise the natural soundscape of the two areas. Photo: Alex Brown.

 

This new technology was able to pick up the whistles and clicks that dolphins make as they travel, forage and socialise, and the research team uncovered several new whistle types to add the species’ repertoire. However, more work is required before the two species can be efficiently distinguished and the number of animals present can be identified.

 

An audiogram of echolocation clicks, pulsed ‘buzz’ sounds, and tonal whistles
recorded in the presence of snubfin dolphins.

 

A key part of this research was collaborating with local stakeholders. The research team collected data alongside Yawuru, Bardi-Jawi, Dambimangari and Balanggarra Traditional Owners, as well as regional Parks and Wildlife staff, generating valuable training opportunities.

 

Murdoch University researchers work alongside Balanggarra Rangers Wesley Alberts and Wayne Moore to collect individual identification photos of humpback dolphins in the Cambridge Gulf. Photo: Alex Brown.

 

The data collected, along with the improved local collaboration, will help with future research and monitoring in the region.

The full research findings presentation is available on the WAMSI dolphin project webpage.    

 

The $30 million Kimberley Marine Research Program is funded through major investment supported by $12 million from the Western Australian government’s Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy co-invested by the WAMSI partners and supported by the Traditional Owners of the Kimberley.

Category:

Kimberley Marine Research Program

Saltwater crocodile populations continue to grow in Prince Regent River

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Population growth rates of estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia do not appear to be slowing, with steady increases in total numbers observed, along with a more gradual increase in the number of large crocodiles (> 3m ~ 10 ft).

There has been a 259% increase in non-hatchling crocodile numbers since the last survey of the Prince Regent system in 1986, some 30 years ago.

The presence of large creek systems adjacent to the main river are allowing sub-adult crocodiles (1.5 – 2m ~ 5-7 ft) to remain near the river of their birth, rather than having to undergo migrations or increased rates of mortality from competition by larger crocodiles. This results in sub-adults making up ~ 20% of the resident crocodile population, compared to 8% in the Adelaide River in the NT, where the crocodile population is considered stable.

Lead researcher for the Western Australian Marine Science Institution’s (WAMSI) saltwater crocodile project, Dr Andy Halford (Parks and Wildlife), when comparing the crocodile recovery in the Kimberley with that in the Northern Territory (NT) said: “Continuous research and surveys in the Northern Territory since the 1980s showed the NT population was considered to have recovered from hunting (outlawed in 1971) by 2000 and we would expect a similar pattern in WA.”

However, comparison of results with established crocodile population patterns in the NT’s Adelaide River indicates that the West Kimberley crocodile populations are still recovering from the large-scale hunting that prevailed pre 1970.

“We counted a total of 5 crocodiles >3m in length in comparison with 63 counted in the Adelaide River and we estimated a biomass density of 91.4 kg/km compared with 274.02 kg/km in the Adelaide River,” Dr Halford said.

“These findings confirm the likelihood of increasing interactions between crocodiles and humans.

 

“The interesting difference is that, while a lot of crocodiles between  (1.5-2m ~ 5-7 ft) long are usually eaten or killed by larger crocodiles or forced to move into new territory, the percentage of young adults entering the West Kimberley system is up to three times that seen in the NT,” he explained.

 

“What this study has told us is that while crocodile populations are healthy and recovering well, because of the unique environment and the considerably smaller amount of appropriate nesting habitats in the West Kimberley, exactly how the future recovery will pan out is unclear.

“What we do know is that there will be increased interactions between crocodiles and humans, and in order to provide advice on managing this, we need to learn more about the amount of available nesting habitat throughout the region, as well as updating our surveys of other river systems,” Dr Halford said.

Dr Halford’s full presentation is available on the WAMSI saltwater crocodile project webpage

 

The $30 million Kimberley Marine Research Program is funded through major investment supported by $12 million from the Western Australian government’s Kimberley Science and Conservation Strategy co-invested by the WAMSI partners and supported by the Traditional Owners of the Kimberley.

 

Category:

Kimberley Marine Research Program

Vale Professor Susan Moore

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Professor Susan Amanda Moore. Born: Finley NSW 5th April 1960. Died: Perth WA 22nd December 2016.

Professor Susan (Sue) Moore was an environmental scientist who was regarded as an expert voice in natural-area tourism, both in Australia and overseas.

A first class honours graduate in Natural Resources from the School of Natural Resources at the University of New England, Professor Moore joined the former Western Australian Department of Fisheries and Wildlife in 1982 as its first female scientist. Community participation in the planning process – a new concept at the time – was integral to her role in helping develop the first nature reserve and national park management plans for the Swan Coastal Plain. She also pioneered a new approach to preparing management plans for groups of nature reserves located within Wheatbelt local government boundaries.

Transitioning to the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM), Professor Moore became involved in surveying flora and fauna, ensuring ecological knowledge was included in field activities such as prescribed burning, weed control and development of roads and trails.

Her deft stakeholder engagement skills came to the fore when developing the management plan for the World Heritage-listed Fitzgerald River National Park, one of the largest and most botanically significant national parks in Australia. This work became an integral part of her PhD in natural resource sociology in the College of Forest Resources, University of Washington, where, as a prestigious Harkness Fellow from 1991-94, she compared park planning in WA with that in the US. Her research was also supported by a CALM Executive Director’s scholarship, the United States Department of Agriculture (Forest Service) Pacific Northwest Research Station at Portland, Oregon and the Commonwealth Fund, New York.

On her return from the US she developed the first directory of nature based tourism opportunities on WA’s conservation lands.

Her academic career at Murdoch University began in 1995 and spanned 21 years. She was the co-founder and leader of the university’s Nature Based Tourism Research Group, utilising her practical experience as a park planner and scientist to create and develop this undergraduate unit. She was made a Professor at Murdoch University in 2013.

With her close colleagues, she established an international research reputation in areas such as eco-tourism, visitor experiences in protected areas, measuring and managing visitor impacts and understanding and managing interactions between wildlife and tourists.

She championed social research and its important role in protected area management. Her continuing motivation was her belief that parks need visitors in order to gain advocates and community and political support.

University research projects coordinated by Professor Moore included governance of protected areas, improving ecosystem-based management of the Vasse Wonnerup Estuary; assessing the visitor experience swimming with humpback whales; visitor profiles and activities for the Pilbara Islands and human values and aspirations for coastal waters of the Kimberley.

The WAMSI funded project on ‘Human values and aspirations for coastal waters of the Kimberley’ was the last major project Professor Moore led and saw through to its completion. Her leadership saw the team across three academic institutions (Murdoch University, The University of Western Australia and Queensland University) successfully collaborate on a novel investigation across this vast region.

Professor Moore was highly regarded by her peers as an innovative multi-disciplinary researcher. Her research coupled well-considered theory with work of a great practical value in nature tourism management.

She was prolific, publishing more than 100 articles, papers, reports and books, co-authoring two editions of the popular Natural Area Tourism: Ecology, Impacts and Management and Wildlife Tourism. She contributed to environmental policy development through membership of the WA Bushcare Reference Group, WA Natural Resource Management Council, and the WA State Salinity Reference Group and as an expert evaluator for the WA Premier’s Awards for Excellence in the Public Sector.

Professor Moore received a number of awards for her research and teaching achievements at Murdoch, including the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2012. She was responsible for supervising and lecturing thousands of students in environmental science, nature based tourism and protected area management.

She mentored and inspired many students who went on to be successful conservation managers, resource agency staff and academics. These former students, many of whom received her support long after her postgraduate supervision role ended, and her body of work over a distinguished career, are her enduring legacies in environmental science.

Professor Moore’s intelligence, humour, passion for the environment and her collegial and inclusive approach were universally admired by her current and former workmates.

Her work ethic continued while she had cancer. She completed more than 12 journal articles in the final year of her life, the most she had ever completed in a 12-month period.

Sue Moore is survived by her husband Warren and children Jess and Sam, sisters Terry and Miranda and father Neil.

Category: 

Kimberley Marine Research Program

Light limitation affects coral health more than sediment

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Researchers have compared the impact low light and suspended sediment particles have on coral and found that, of the two events associated with dredging, several coral species are more likely to be affected by the loss in light intensity.

The results, undertaken as part of the Western Australian Marine Science Institution’s Dredging Science Node at the AIMS National Sea Simulator in specially developed tank systems, have been published in the Marine Pollution Bulletin.

Lead researcher, Pia Bessell-Browne from The University of Western Australia Oceans Institute, Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis and Australian Institute of Marine Science, said corals face increasing pressures from coastal development, particularly through dredging for ports.

“In order to appropriately manage these pressures, we need to improve our understanding of the key impacts of dredging on corals,” Ms Bessell-Browne said. “Sediments released from dredging activities can reduce or block light, clog feeding and smother coral. The sediments can also affect many aspects of coral reproduction and recruitment processes.

“High light levels are considered key to the health of corals as it allows for photosynthesis by algae that live within the coral. The products of this photosynthesis provide the coral with a food source.”

A range of light and suspended sediment concentrations were tested to determine their impacts on coral health.

Representative coral colonies from experimental manipulations that were exposed to no, low and high light, showing decreased colour in no and low light treatments (AIMS)

 

Exposure to low light conditions was found to result in coral bleaching, where algae that contribute to the nutrition of their partners, leave their coral host. Mortality of corals was only observed in low light levels, regardless of the amount of suspended sediment in the water column.

“When comparing experimental treatments with conditions experienced during dredging and natural sediment re-suspension events, such as storms and tidal currents, the results suggest that light reduction resulting from increased suspended sediments poses more of a risk to corals than suspended sediments alone,” Ms Bessell-Browne said.

Further work will determine the low light thresholds for corals.

 

PhD Completion Presentation: Lethal and sub-lethal impacts of dredge related stressors on corals, Thursday 02 March, IOMRC Auditorium, 4pm

Bessell-Browne P, Negri A.P., Fisher R, Clode P.L., Duckworth A, Jones R, Impacts of turbidity on corals: The relative importance of light limitation and suspended sediments Marine Pollution Bulletin 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.01.050

The WAMSI Dredging Science Node is made possible through $9.5 million invested by Woodside, Chevron and BHP as environmental offsets. A further $9.5 million has been co-invested by the WAMSI Joint Venture partners, adding significantly more value to this initial industry investment. The node is also supported through critical data provided by Chevron, Woodside and Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

Category:

Dredging Science

WAMSI Bulletin

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WA marine science nets $5m in ARC funding

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Western Australian marine science has attracted more than $5 million in funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC) in its latest round of Discovery and Linkage grants and Early Career Researcher Awards.

Under the Discovery Projects Scheme for 2017 a total of $3,131,276 was awarded to eight marine science related research projects investigating a diverse range of subjects including:

  • predicting the ocean carbon dioxide sink’s long-term capacity;
  • improved uderstanding of reproduction in mussels, a commercially important marine species;
  • understanding suction anchors in calcareous seabeds in offshroe australia for future floating oil and gas developments;
  • predicting sediment transport, which controls the health and productivity of marine ecosystems; and
  • understanding the mechanisms behind declines in kelp forests due to climate.

Three marine science related projects in WA that involve collaboration with partner organisations have been awarded $1,172,169 under the ARC Linkage Projects scheme. They involve:

  • developing new environmental DNA-based methods of managing human impact on marine resources;
  • techniques for monitoring Australia’s coastline using drone-mounted applications in remote environments; and
  • exploring seed-based restoration of seagrasses.

Dr Ana Martins Sequeira from The University of Western Australia and Dr Oscar Serrano Gras from Edith Cowan University received Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards for their work into: movement patterns of marine megafauna such as sharks, whales and turtles; and building a history of coastal ecosystems.

WAMSI geomorphology project researcher Dr Mick O’Leary from Curtin University is also involved in the The Flinders University of South Australia project which aims to identify fauna in rock art in the Warddeken Indigenous Protected Area, in the Northern Territory, that will inform debates on megafauna extinctions, climate, and environmental change in Australia.        

Western Australian Marine Science Institution CEO Patrick Seares said the funding was good news and in line with the broadly accepted need to better understand WA’s marine environment in order to manage its future. He also acknowledged the leading role WA marine research is playing in contributing to future sustainable development important for both the state and the nation.

For more information on the 2017 funding round, visit the ARC website.

 

Summary of successful WA Marine Research Projects

Funded Projects – Discovery Projects 2017 round 1
 

The Australian Government has announced 630 new research grants under the Discovery Projects scheme for 2017.

A total of $234.7 million has been awarded in this 2017 round. For full outcome data view the Funding Announcements web page.

Investigator(s)

Project Summary

Administering Organisation

Total Project Funding

Project Duration in years
Dr Julie Trotter The project aims to predict the ocean carbon dioxide sink’s long-term capacity and future trajectories of global warming and increasing carbon dioxide. This project will use geochemical proxies encoded in the skeletons of deep-sea corals in the Perth Canyon, Tasman seas, and Antarctica, in the heart of the ocean-climate system, to reveal continuous long-term records of environmental change at annual-decadal resolution for our recent past (hundreds to thousands of years) and the Last Glacial Maximum. These records are expected to provide a more accurate understanding of Earth’s long-term responses to anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. The University of Western Australia $776,000 4

Associate Professor Jonathan Evans; Dr Xavier Conlan; Dr Winn Kennington

This project aims to understand how eggs attract and select sperm, and how the environment influences these interactions. Differential sperm chemotaxis, a form of mate choice involving chemical signalling between eggs and sperm, has only been described in mussels, but may be a widespread form of gamete-level sexual selection. The project will study the biochemical and molecular basis of differential sperm chemotaxis in mussels, and the stability of gamete-level interactions under different environmental conditions. Improved fundamental knowledge of reproduction in a commercially important marine species may yield future commercial benefits for Australia’s marine food production sector

The University of Western Australia

$453,500

3
Dr Clelia Gasparini; Associate Professor Simone Immler This project aims to test the causes, consequences and mechanisms of female reproductive fluids in modulating fertilisation bias in a model vertebrate species, the zebrafish. Female reproductive fluids (the fluid surrounding eggs) may moderate sperm selection by females, thus facilitating mate choice at the gamete level. This project will study interactions involving sperm and female reproductive fluid in an evolutionary framework. The intended outcome is increased knowledge of these processes, and better understanding of how non-gamete factors affect fertility, which could benefit fields as diverse as human fertility and aquaculture. The University of Western Australia $510,500 4

Professor Anas Ghadouani; Associate Professor Matthew Hipsey; Associate Professor Matthew Linden; Dr Frederik Hammes; Professor W Mitch; Professor Dr Michele Prevost

This project aims to validate a framework for the management of water pollution. As the world population increases, maintaining robust, cost-effective and environmentally safe water resources is important. This project will investigate environmental controls of toxin occurrence in urban and wastewater systems. The project is expected to mitigate deadly cyanotoxins, which threaten the safety of water resources, while a numerical ecological model will tackle water pollution issues in natural and engineered water systems.

The University of Western Australia

 $372,500 3
Associate Professor Muhammad Hossain; Professor Yuxia Hu This project aims to understand suction caisson anchors in ‘problematic’ calcareous seabeds prevalent in offshore Australia. Suction caissons anchor floating facilities for future deep water oil and gas developments. Their application in calcareous seabeds raises significant challenges due to their complex geotechnical properties. This project will design secure anchoring systems for pushing floating platforms past the current 340 metre water depth limitation, potentially unlocking Australia’s inaccessible gas reserves and creating international leadership in offshore geotechnics and engineering. The University of Western Australia $239,000 3
Professor Ryan Lowe; Dr Marco Ghisalberti; Professor Heidi Nepf; Professor Matthew Reidenbach This project aims to understand and predict the mobilisation of sediment, and the rates and modes of sediment transport. Sediment dynamics control the health and productivity of some of the world’s most valuable marine ecosystems, including seagrass meadows and coral reefs. However, the theory and predictive models needed to quantitatively understand sediment transport over the large bottom roughness in these ecosystems has proven elusive. This project will integrate comprehensive laboratory and field programmes to develop predictive models of these sediment dynamics, which should help better understand, manage and protect these critical ecosystems and their services. The University of Western Australia $285,000 3
Associate Professor Joseph Tomkins This project aims to study the evolution of anisogamy, which defines males and females by the size of their gametes – females’ large eggs and males’ small sperm. Most multicellular organisms have different sized gametes, and this size difference has affected the evolution of life on the planet. Theoretical arguments about why two sexes are ubiquitous have not been tested empirically, mainly because of technical difficulties in experimentally generating different sized gametes. This project will use algae and cell sorting technology to test this. The expected outcome is a greater understanding of how and why the sexes evolved, as well as developing biofuel production methods by paving the way for improvements in algal productivity. The University of Western Australia $400,000 3
Associate Professor Thomas Wernberg; Dr Adriana Verges; Professor Peter Steinberg Global threats to kelp forests from heatwaves, herbivores and diseases. This project aims to understand the mechanisms behind climate-mediated declines in kelp. Ocean warming causes the collapse of valuable temperate kelp forests globally and on both sides of Australia, but it is unknown if this is because of direct physiological effects from temperature or the indirect effects of changes in species interactions. This project will compare the direct effects of marine heatwaves to the indirect effects of range-shifting tropical herbivores and pathogens for the kelp forests of the Great Southern Reef, one of Australia’s largest coastal ecosystems. This project will generate knowledge underpinning adaptation strategies for these critical ecosystems, and could enhance the capacity to respond to degradation of these natural assets. The University of Western Australia $385,000 3
 
Funded Projects – Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2017 round 1

 

The Australian Government has announced 200 new research grants under the Discovery Early Career Researcher Award scheme for 2017.

A total of $71.7 million has been awarded in this 2017 round. For full outcome data view the Funding Announcements web page.

Fellow

Project Summary

Administering Organisation

Total Project Funding

Project Duration in years

Dr Ana Martins Sequeira

This project aims to apply analyses from big data approaches to reveal movement patterns at unprecedented scales. Environmental legislation dictates that industries (e.g. oil and gas) reduce their effect on marine megafauna such as sharks, whales, or turtles. However, the extent of their effect is unknown, due to limited understanding of these animals’ movements. With large satellite tracking datasets now available, the challenge is to develop a synthetic analytical approach to identify scaling laws and to understand global drivers of marine megafauna movement. Findings are expected to improve the ability to sustainably exploit marine resources while conserving biodiversity.

The University of Western Australia

$372,000

3

Dr Oscar Serrano Gras

This project aims to understand how humans and nature affect coastal ecosystems. Globally, billions of dollars are spent on understanding ecosystem services and responses to human and natural pressures, but contemporary datasets’ short time-span makes them inadequate, since ecosystems change at multiple spatial and temporal scales. This project will use seagrass archives to reconstruct the history of coastal ecosystems over millennia, identifying baseline conditions, the time-course of ecological change, cycles and thresholds of ecosystem dynamics driven by human and natural forces, and determining their role as biogeochemical sinks. Intended outcomes are to manage ecological change and remove constraints on sustainable coastal development.

Edith Cowan University

$372,000

3

 

 
Funded Projects – Linkage Projects 2016 round

 

The Australian Government has announced 231 new research grants under the Linkage Projects scheme for 2016.

A total of $81.2 million has been awarded in this 2016 round. For full outcome data view the Funding Announcements web page.

 

Investigator(s)

Project Summary

Partner Organisations

Administering Organisation

Total Project Funding

Project Duration in years

Professor Michael Bunce; Professor Euan Harvey; Dr Michael Stat; Dr Joseph DiBattista; Dr Stephen Newman; Professor Marcus Gilbert

This project aims to develop new environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods of managing humanity’s impact on valuable marine resources. eDNA preserved in seawater provides a lens to study and monitor marine biota and ecosystems. This project will work with fisheries managers and the environmental consulting sector, and focus on sites in the Kimberley, Cocos-Keeling Islands, Fremantle and Deep-sea oil/gas sites to demonstrate the value of eDNA methods in best-practice monitoring. A multi-proxy toolkit (including eDNA) that can audit and baseline marine biota could make balancing conservation and sustainable exploitation achievable. Anticipated outcomes are improved management and monitoring of fisheries, ports and offshore oil/gas sites.

BMT OCEANICA PTY LTD; FISHERIES DEPARTMENT OF WA

Curtin University of Technology

$292,169

3
Professor Lorenzo Faraone; Dr Buddhika Silva; Associate Professor Jarek Antoszewski; Dr Mariusz Martyniuk; Associate Professor Adrian Keating; Professor John Dell; Dr Sanchitha Fernando; Dr Adam Dickson

This project aims to investigate techniques and materials for building optical spectrometers based on micromachines, usable in portable ground-based and drone-mounted applications in remote environments. Optical spectroscopy is now an accepted technique for materials detection and analysis. The advent of low-cost drone aircraft makes the potential applications of spectroscopy in an imaging form immense. The project expects the resulting low-cost and highly portable technology will transform Australian industry, including securing Australia’s food supply by improving farming practices, aiding mineral exploration, and enhancing capabilities for monitoring Australia’s coastline.

PANORAMA SYNERGY LTD

The University of Western Australia

$510,000

 3

Professor Gary Kendrick; Professor Kingsley Dixon; Professor Robert Orth

This project aims to explore a demographic approach for seed-based restoration of seagrasses. Sustainable strategies are needed to restore the structure and function of seagrass ecosystems. Although seed-based restoration has been successfully used for decades in terrestrial ecosystems, failures in seagrass restoration are common because the science of seed-based restoration is grossly underdeveloped, and transitions from dispersed seed, seedling, recruiting juvenile to reproductive adult in seagrasses are poorly understood. Recent demographic approaches in terrestrial vegetation restoration identify transitions most limiting to recruitment and successful establishment. Anticipated outcomes are successful seed-based restoration of seagrasses.

VIRGINIA INSTITUTE OF MARINE SCIENCE; SHARK BAY RESOURCES PTY LTD; BMT OCEANICA PTY LTD; ROTTNEST ISLAND AUTHORITY

The University of Western Australia

$370,000

 3

 

Knowledge exchange lessons learned from Ningaloo Research Program

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Dr Chris Cvitanovic, University of Tasmania

The integration of scientific research into conservation decision-making processes remains a significant challenge. There is very little empirically grounded guidance to help scientists and decision-makers design and implement research programs that facilitate knowledge exchange and evidence-based decision-making. Chris Cvitanovic outlines how recent research has sought to address this problem, and in doing so established a set of key design principles to guide the development and implementation of future research programs that can be applied across all disciplines.

Successfully responding to modern day conservation challenges requires knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers to enable learning and evidence-based decision-making. In recognition of the need to link conservation science to action, an emergent body of literature has sought to identify and overcome the barriers impeding knowledge exchange, so as to devise and implement new strategies to support evidence-based decision-making.

However, despite these efforts, recent evidence suggests that the integration of science into conservation decision-making processes remains a significant challenge. This is because while our conceptual understanding of knowledge exchange has advanced, there remains very little empirically grounded guidance to help scientists and decision-makers design and implement research programmes that actively facilitate knowledge exchange and evidence-based decision-making.

two-waysImage credit: Two Way by oysh9. This work is licensed under a CC BY-SA 2.0 license.

 

To address this problem, our research team undertook an extensive evaluation of the Ningaloo Research Program (NRP). Commencing in 2006, the NRP was an intense program of marine research (valued at AUD$36m of funding) explicitly designed to generate new knowledge for the Ningaloo region in north-western Australia that would enable conservation practitioners to make more informed decisions about the management of Ningaloo Marine Park and its surrounding area ahead of its nomination as a World Heritage Area in 2011. Through this evaluation we elucidated the perspectives and experiences of all program participants to provide a comprehensive and in-depth understanding of the factors that influenced knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers, from which we generated a set of key design principles to guide the development and implementation of future research programs to enhance the related decision-making processes.

Principles for designing research programs that facilitate knowledge exchange

The guiding principles generated from our study can be mapped to the three stages of scientific research programs: the development and design phase; the implementation phase; and the period following the conclusion of the research (Figure 1). Of these, the design and development phase was identified by participants as the most important for ensuring the success of knowledge exchange; with the co-development of research questions being identified as a particularly critical factor. Our findings also stressed the importance of identifying and articulating all relevant stakeholders and end-users as early as possible in a research program, so as to incorporate all of their different values and interests at the outset, and to ensure that the research that is done is the research that is needed. Furthermore, we found that the design phase should include people with expertise in knowledge exchange, as well as social scientists who can help to understand the social networks and patterns of influence among program participants (e.g. through stakeholder mapping approaches).

cvitanovic-figure-1Figure 1. Key principles in each of three research phases for improving knowledge exchange among conservation scientists and decision-makers. Source: Cvitanovic et al, (2016). From science to action: Principles for undertaking environmental research that enables knowledge exchange and evidence-based decision-making, Journal of Environmental Management. This work is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 license.

 

To facilitate knowledge exchange during the implementation of research programs we identified the potential benefits of utilising a dedicated knowledge broker throughout the life of the program, who was solely responsible for building networks among the scientists and decision-makers and facilitating the exchange of knowledge among the groups. Our results suggest that to be most effective knowledge brokers should be embedded within the management agency, be politically astute, and have strong communication skills with the ability to cultivate expansive and productive social networks.

Our results also emphasised the need for participatory research approaches during the implementation phase (e.g. knowledge co-production). Doing so ensures that decision-makers have a stronger understanding of the research content, develop a strong sense of ownership of it, and feel more confident communicating about it more broadly within their organisation.

Furthermore, to improve knowledge exchange among scientists and decision-makers during the implementation phase of research programs, we identified the need to focus on broader community engagement. While it was noted that this does not directly influence knowledge exchange processes per se, decision-makers in our study discussed how community engagement in science can lead to the establishment of social licence and acceptance of management actions, thus empowering them to use the new knowledge to inform decision-making processes.

Finally, our results show that knowledge exchange strategies are also needed for the period following the completion of research programs. In particular, we identified the need for effective knowledge management systems within decision-making agencies to ensure that knowledge remains discoverable, accessible and understandable to decision-makers. This requires that knowledge management systems be maintained and updated as new scientific knowledge is generated.  To complement knowledge management systems, we also identified the need for a mechanism to remain in place that proactively links science to decision-making, which could be achieved through the continued involvement of a knowledge broker following the completion of a research program.

Conclusion       

Our study is among the first to evaluate knowledge exchange activities associated with conservation research programs, allowing us to generate empirically grounded guidance to help scientists and decision-makers design and implement research programs that actively facilitate knowledge exchange and evidence-based decision-making. While the implementation of some of the structures outlined here are large in scale and potentially costly, doing so will improve knowledge exchange among conservations scientists and decision-makers, thus building capacity for evidence-based decision-making and increasing society’s ability to respond to modern day conservation challenges.

This blog post is based on the author’s co-written article, ‘From science to action: Principles for undertaking environmental research that enables knowledge exchange and evidence-based decision-making’, published in the Journal of Environmental Management.

This article was originally published by the London School of Economics and Political Science. Read the original article.

About the author

Dr Chris Cvitanovic is a Research Fellow in the Centre for Marine Socioecology at the University of Tasmania, Australia, specialising in knowledge exchange, stakeholder engagement and the governance of marine resources. In doing so Chris draws on almost ten years of experience working at the interface of science and policy for the Australian Government Department of Environment, and then as a Knowledge Broker in CSIRO’s Climate Adaptation Flagship. Find Chris on twitter via @ChrisCvitanovic or get in touch via email: Christopher.cvitanovic@utas.edu.au.

Category: 

Kimberley Marine Research Program

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Category: 

Kimberley Marine Research Program