DNA reveals the past and future of coral reefs
New DNA techniques are being used to understand how coral reacted to the end of the last ice age in order to better predict how they will cope with current changes to the climate. James Cook Univer
From 2005 to 2022, the main node of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies was headquartered at James Cook University in Townsville, Queensland (Australia)
Abstract: Conservation planning is essential for cost-effective and accountable investment in protected areas and other approaches to preserving nature. With extensive and diverse threats to biodiversity and limited funds and staff to mitigate threats, prioritizing conservation actions is essential. Existing conservation planning software, including Marxan, C-Plan, and Zonation, have been used extensively for conservation-related research, but also for real-world applications that have led to gains for conservation. However, these tools are limited in various ways in addressing the full complexity of day-to-day management decisions. Thus, a new software package is being developed at James Cook University, with a ground-breaking approach to address limitations for real-world problems. The new software is being designed initially for use by managers of islands in north-western Western Australia and the Great Barrier Reef. The software will include new solvers for selection of the most cost-effective solutions, and uses a new approach to the model of the ecosystem. The first results using two different types of solvers will be presented.
Biography: Jana arrived from a cold Europe where she completed her masters and PhD in plasma physics. After working in several European fusion centres – Italy, Spain, Germany, Netherlands but most of all in her home institute in Prague, she took off for postdoc positions in India, and ANU Canberra. Now, she is part of Program 6. With her unusual background, she is exploiting her programming skills which she gained during her research, and her strong analytic skills, as the mathematics and mathematical logic is one of the foot-stones of her education and lifestyle.
New DNA techniques are being used to understand how coral reacted to the end of the last ice age in order to better predict how they will cope with current changes to the climate. James Cook Univer
A new study on the effects of climate change in five tropical countries has found fisheries are in more trouble than agriculture, and poor people are in the most danger. Distinguished Profess
James Cook University researchers have found brightly coloured fish are becoming increasingly rare as coral declines, with the phenomenon likely to get worse in the future. Christopher Hemingson, a
Researchers working with stakeholders in the Great Barrier Reef region have come up with ideas on how groups responsible for looking after the reef can operate more effectively when the next bleaching
Abstract: As marine species adapt to climate change, their heat tolerance will likely be under strong selection. Individual variation in heat tolerance and its heritability underpin the potential fo
Abstract: The Reef Ecology Lab in KAUST’s Red Sea Research Center explores many aspects of movement ecology of marine organisms, ranging from adult migrations to intergenerational larval dispersal
Abstract: Macroalgal meadows are a prominent, yet often maligned component of the tropical seascape. Our work at Ningaloo reef in WA demonstrate that canopy forming macroalgae provide habitat for ad
Abstract: Sharks are generally perceived as strong and fearsome animals. With fossils dating back at least 420 million years, sharks are not only majestic top predators but they also outlived dinosa
Abstract: Connectivity plays a vital role in many ecosystems through its effects on fundamental ecological and evolutionary processes. Its consequences for populations and metapopulations have been
Abstract: Evolution of many eukaryotic organisms is affected by interactions with microbes. Microbial symbioses can ultimately reflect host’s diet, habitat range, and even body shape. However, how
Abstract: The past few years have seen unprecedented coral bleaching and mortality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) but the consequences of this on biodiversity are not yet known. This talk will expl