Introduction from the Science Leader - June 2014

The Tropical Ecosystems Hub newsletter for June 2014 contains examples of the NERP research from six quite different projects and all geographical nodes. The common element in these examples is the connectivity between Hub researchers and research users to generate and transfer new knowledge of practical value for the protection and conservation of these major environmental assets.

From the Great Barrier Reef, Hub researchers are developing decision support tools for managers to reduce the vulnerability of coral in times of environmental change using scenarios of both acute and chronic pressures; while others work with communities to determine management priorities and actions that strike a balance between economic growth, environmental protection and community wellbeing. From the Torres Strait, a collaborative project between Hub researchers from the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the University of Queensland combines ocean temperature and satellite data to predict environmental effects, including coral bleaching. And from the Wet Tropics, researchers examine the merits of weed containment and eradication in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. From the Water Quality node, researchers are studying the coral fossil record to determine changes to the Great Barrier Reef that have occurred prior to human settlement that can be related to changes in climate; and there is a report from a recently published paper that establishes the extent to which turbidity from flooding affects offshore habitats and productivity. We now approach the final six months of the program and it is pleasing to see project outcomes influencing considerations of policy and management in our tropical ecosystems.

Dr. Peter Doherty, AIMS

For more information, contact Dr. Peter Doherty (p.doherty@aims.gov.au)