Coral reefs 

Coral reef research at the University of Sydney has been recognised with awards and funding success. Dr Shawna Foo was awarded a 2022 DECRA where she will work with Prof Maria Byrne, researching corals inhabiting extreme environments and investigating factors that counter the negative impacts of ocean climate change. A/Prof Ana Vila-Concejo, Dr Tristan Salles and Prof Maria Byrne were awarded a DP to work on numerical models to project the future of the Great Barrier Reef in 2100. This funding success follows last year’s Vice-Chancellor research award to Prof Jody Webster for his research on coral reefs and the impactful campaign on “Unlearning Coral Reefs”. A/Prof Vila-Concejo and Prof Webster co-lead the Geocoastal Research Group at the School of Geosciences. 

Coral reef research at The University of Sydney is supported by our world-class One Tree Island Research Station, please see the video below to admire its beauty. 

Indigenous and oyster reef research 

Prof Pauline Ross received funding from ARC Discovery Indigenous funding  with Dr Laura Parker led from UNSW and NSW Fisheries, University of Washington in Seattle and University of Hong Kong. The goal of the project is to use cutting edge, multi scale approach to identify the capacity for transgenerational plasticity to rapidly project oysters against climate change and the epigenetic mechanisms which underlie it. The team have been working together for a long time to build resilience in oysters to climate change with five successive ARC grants since 2010.  Sydney University's strength on oyster reef research was also demonstrated with past funding awards including Philanthropic Gift from the Mapple-Brown Foundation and an ARC Linkage with the Sydney Institute of Marine Science. 

The School of Geosciences, and History and Philosophy of Science (HPS), supported by the Faculty, the DVC-R and the DVC-ISS, has recently hired Dr Mitchell Gibbs who will be undertaking research on the science behind First Nation practices, of Australia, on shellfish and as such, coastal systems. Dr Gibbs is a proud Thunghutti man through kinship from the Dunghutti nation who completed his PhD in oyster biochemistry under the supervision of Prof Pauline Ross, Dr Laura Parker (UNSW) and Prof Maria Byrne at the School of Life and Environmental Science. 

Critical minerals and Earth's dynamic topography 

Professor Dietmar Muller, Associate Professor Maria Seton, and Dr Sabin Zahirovic have secured funding for a Linkage and a Discovery project. The Linkage project with the Earth-Byte group called Lithodat is entitled “New digital deep-time exploration tools for a low-emissions economy” and focussed on new methodologies for exploring for critical mineral along subduction zones. The Discovery project entitled “Earth's Dynamic Topography Through Space and Time” is designed to apply recently developed “adjoint” modelling similar to that used in weather forecasting to assimilate observations into models of the plate-mantle system to better understand how deep Earth forces modulate the flooding and emergence of continents. 

Rivers and estuarine research 

Our colleagues from Engineering, Professor Steven Armfield, Associate Professor Michael Kirkpatrick and Dr Nicholas Williamson have secured funding to understand turbulent mixing in Australian rivers.  

This study aims to further the fundamental science of turbulent mixing in the context of flow in Australian rivers. The focus is on prolonged low flow conditions which when coupled with warm surface temperatures cause the water column to become thermally stratified which then suppresses turbulent mixing. The extreme scale of the river systems has made investigating the true dynamics of the strongly stratified mixing regimes particularly challenging. By taking world first in-situ measurements of turbulent mixing and undertaking high resolution numerical simulations this study will provide definitive data which will allow correct characterization of the mixing regimes and how they are associated with river flow conditions. 

ARC FUNDING DETAILS 

Discovery Early Career Researcher Award 2022 round 1 

Identifying factors that counter negative impacts of ocean climate change.  

Dr Shawna Foo (working with Prof Maria Byrne) 

Awarded $458,872 

This project aims to identify factors that counter the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs. This project expects to address key research gaps to ensure the persistence of these ecosystems. Expected outcomes of this project include identification of coral reefs that are buffered by adjacent systems, such as mangroves and seagrass, and characterisation of conditions (e.g. increased food availability) that allow coral reefs and associated organisms to persist under stress. Outcomes of this project should provide significant benefits such as adding to the interventions toolbox in alleviating the impacts of global change on coral reefs and identifying conservation strategies to help prevent the loss of these valuable ecosystems. 

Discovery Indigenous 2022 round 1 

Oyster adaptation to climate change via transgenerational plasticity 

Dr Laura Parker; Professor Pauline Ross; Dr Wayne O'Connor; Associate Professor Steven Roberts; Associate Professor Thiyagarajan Vengatesen 

Awarded $541,352 

We are in an age of rapid climate change, where the need to understand the adaptive potential of marine organisms in warmer, more acidified oceans is increasingly urgent. This is especially true in Australia where changes are significant. This project uses a cutting-edge, integrated interdisciplinary approach to measure the capacity of oysters to adapt and persist to climate change via transgenerational plasticity, describe the epigenetic mechanisms which underlie it and develop an immediate breeding method to protect vulnerable oysters and other marine organisms against climate change. The research outcomes will transform Indigenous-led oyster reef restoration projects and future-proof an iconic food source and national industry. 
 

Discovery Projects 2022 round 1 

The Great Barrier Reef in 2100.  

Associate Professor Ana Vila-Concejo; Dr Tristan Salles; Associate Professor Giovanni Coco; Professor Maria Byrne; Associate Professor Fernando Mendez 

Awarded $524,000  

Our research aims to answer fundamental geomorphic questions about the future of coral reefs, focusing on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). We will develop cutting-edge, fully open-source numerical models to quantify the eco-morphodynamic evolution of the GBR under IPCC climate-change scenarios. Our geomorphic numerical models will consider biotic/abiotic feedbacks including synergistic effects of multiple stressors such as waves, temperature, acidification and sediment transport, at individual reef scales. We will model the future of the GBR’s ecosystem-services, allowing for a quantum leap in the geomorphic knowledge and understanding of coral reef ecosystems. Expected outcomes include a gamechanger tool for future management of the GBR. 
 

Earth's Dynamic Topography Through Space and Time.  

Dr Rhodri Davies; Professor Dietmar Muller; Professor Malcolm Sambridge; Professor Saskia Goes; Professor Nicholas Rawlinson 

Awarded $407,000 

A key component of Earth’s topography remains enigmatic. This so-called dynamic topography is transient, varying in response to convection within Earth’s mantle. This project aims to use a data-driven computational approach to: (i) reconstruct the evolution of dynamic topography over the recent geological history of our planet (Cenozoic Era, 0-66 million years ago); and (ii) uncover the mechanisms controlling its spatial and temporal evolution. This transformational new understanding will connect the evolution of our planet's surface environments to its deep interior, revealing the impact of dynamic topography on sea level change, flooding, river networks, groundwater systems, habitat development and the distribution of economic resources 

Dynamics of Suppressed Mixing Regimes in Australian Rivers. 

Professor Steven Armfield; Professor Simon Mitrovic; Associate Professor Michael Kirkpatrick; Dr Nicholas Williamson 

Awarded $469,000 

This study aims to further the fundamental science of turbulent mixing in the context of flow in Australian rivers. The focus is on prolonged low flow conditions which when coupled with warm surface temperatures cause the water column to become thermally stratified which then suppresses turbulent mixing. The extreme scale of the river systems has made investigating the true dynamics of the strongly stratified mixing regimes particularly challenging. By taking world first in-situ measurements of turbulent mixing and undertaking high resolution numerical simulations this study will provide definitive data which will allow correct characterization of the mixing regimes and how they are associated with river flow conditions. 
 

Linkage Projects 2021 round 1 

New digital deep-time exploration tools for a low-emissions economy.  

Professor Dietmar Muller; Professor Brent McInnes; Dr Maria Seton; Dr Sabin Zahirovic; Dr Fabian Kohlmann 

Awarded $415,676 

Demand for critical minerals will soar as renewable energy generation increases, but exploration companies currently cannot take full advantage of available exploration data in an Earth evolution context. This project will generate new knowledge in big and complex geodata analysis using an innovative data mining approach. It will enable Lithodat, a small enterprise, to perform cloud-based plate tectonic reconstruction, visualisation and spatio-temporal analysis of geodata for resource exploration. The outcomes include an enhanced capacity to generate ore prospectivity maps and an improved understanding of their tectonic, geochemical, and geophysical signatures, benefiting Lithodat and their clients in the search for new mineral deposits.