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Marine Studies Institute
November 2022 Newsletter
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Recent Events
Maritime Boundaries Multidisciplinary Event
MSI hosted a successful hybrid online and in person event on 28 September with over 60 attendees and panellists from international law & fisheries, geomorphology and first nations from the Torres Strait.

Each panelist explained their perspective on the impact of climate change on maritime boundaries followed by a Q&A with the audience (both present and online). MSI plans to host other, similar events in 2022 and 2023 including: One Tree Island, Microbes in the Ocean, Marine Boundaries, and Deep Oceans.
These will be coordinated together with the primary researchers at USyd.

Watch the recording on the MSI YouTube channel here.
DFAT workshop with Philippines
Expert Elicitation Workshop

In collaboration with Geosciences Australia (GA), Prof Elaine Baker hosted a delegation from the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), Philippines and facilitated a marine expert elicitation planning workshop on 4-5 October 2022. Participants from PCSD, GA and MSI identified key assessment parameters for understanding the status of priority marine sites in Palawan.

Australian Seabed Study Tour

Additionally, we also hosted an Australian Seabed Study Tour
which included delegates from Geoscience Australia, the Australian Hydrographic Office, University of Sydney, James Cook University, and University of Tasmania and delegates of the Australian Embassy in Vietnam, the Vietnam Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, and Vietnam Ministry of Defence.

The study tour focussed on methods and techniques that Australia employs to understand seafloor geomorphology including bathymetric data processing and seafloor geomorphic feature classification.
One Tree Island
One Tree Island Research Station (OTIRS) is excited to welcome back our first High School Group for many years. Ana Vila Concejo, Lachie Perris and Jody Webster took a group of students from Wenona Girls High School on a week-long remote science expedition to introduce the students to fieldwork in marine and coral reef science. 

Don't forget to follow us on Twitter to read about MSI's recent updates!
MARS 5004 
 
MARS5004 Coastal Management Fieldschool

This is a fieldtrip focused unit which provides students with immersive learning opportunities in local coastal settings.  Visits to different sites within the Sydney area including Narrabeen, Gamay (Botany Bay) and Royal National Parks provide in-depth case studies.
Ongoing Activities
  • We held our annual MSI board meeting last week on 10th November 2022, where we discussed our vision for MSI, our recent activities, and planning for 2023!
 
  • Gamay/Botany Bay Project - Work continues on scoping the ecosystem modelling component. 
 
  • Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) - MSI scientists are part of the ecoRRAP sub-program which is gathering critical information on the processes driving coral reef recovery dynamics in support of the various intervention programs which are part of RRAP. The work involves the establishment of long-term monitoring sites across the GBR and into the Torres Straits. Since January 2022, year two visits have been made to the Torres Straits, Central GBR, Southern GBR and a case study site at Moor Reef. The team is conducting high resolution-large area 3D mapping along with surveys of coral health and recruitment as well as fish diversity and activity. 
 
  • NESP 2 Marine and Coastal Hub - MSI scientists and collaborators from other institutions have secured funding for one of 10 scoping projects. A workshop on the role of below-ground processes for macrophyte restoration was undertaken with a diversity of stakeholders, which concluded in a NESP Report. The project also involved seagrass restoration trials in NSW and WA which involved local community groups including Traditional Owners. This is now evolving to the second stage of the Hub’s Research Plan for 2023. 
 
  • The AUSMAP volunteer Project - MSI representatives are involved in AUSMAP, a citizen science project tracking plastic pollution along Australia’s coast and waterways, won the Australian Museum 2021 Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science. MSI is seeking student volunteers to help with translating data into maps of plastic pollution hotspots, the Australian Microplastic Assessment Project aims to communicate the scale and nature of this growing problem. 
 
  • MSI continue to collaborate with the Australian National Maritime Museum in support of their activities for the UN Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development and co-supervision of a research pathways master's student.  
Staff Spotlight

Dr Tommy Fellowes
Postdoctoral Fellow
Marine Studies Institute
University of Sydney

 

Tommy is a postdoctoral research associate with the Geocoastal Research Group and Marine Studies Institute at the School of Geosciences. He is a coastal and marine geoscientist who studies eco-morphodynamics, hydrodynamics and climate change impacts on coral reefs, sandy beaches, and in estuaries and bays. His current workexplores the structural stability of low-lying coral islands that support legal maritimejurisdictions in a rapidly changing ocean and climate.


Current Projects
 

Structural Vulnerability of coral reef features that support Australia’s maritime jurisdiction. This project established in 2020 is in partnership with Geoscience Australia. Many of these features are not stable and are being increasingly impacted by climate change pressures (e.g., sea-level rise and ocean acidification, marine heating, etc.). This project will investigate the timelines of vulnerability and will aid in determining when action might be needed to maintain these important features.
 

Morphodynamics of beaches in estuaries and bays (BEBs).This project was established in 2016 and has several BEB sites across the Sydney region (~24 in 2020) that are frequently surveyed using RTK-GPS. We have also deployed hydrodynamic instruments to determine wave processes on these beaches. This project has links with researchers in New Zealand, Spain, the UK and the USA.
 

Morphodynamics of embayed (headland) beaches.This project was established in 2016 at Bondi Beach and quickly grew to include 6 beaches in eastern Sydney (Bondi through to Malabar). These beaches are surveyed ~monthly using RTK-GPS. This project has links with researchers in New Zealand, Spain and the UK.

Ms Frances Anggadi
Marine Studies Institute
University of Sydney


Frances Anggadi is at the University of Sydney, undertaking doctoral research on State practice relevant to understanding the legal impacts of climate change on maritime zones, and collaborative research with the Marine Studies Institute to examine particular implications for coral reef islands.  Frances holds a Bachelor of Arts / Bachelor of Laws from the University of Sydney, a Master of Laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science, and previously worked at the Australian Attorney-General’s Department (2003-2020) serving in various roles including as Principal Legal Officer in the Office of International Law advising across all areas of public international law.  Frances has recently published on aspects of sea-level rise and international law in Ocean Development and International Law, International and Comparative Law Quarterly and Environmental Research Letters.

CASE Ocean School Outreach Program
A recent outreach lecture to students from the CASE Ocean School, where students visited the University of Sydney on 21st and 30th September as part of their holiday program. MSI Introduced Marine Studies at Sydney University with a presentation, after which the students were given a tour of the campus. 
#Coast2Cast Podcast
In early 2021, Ana Vila-Concejo (University of Sydney) and Giovanni Coco (University of Auckland), decided to interview coastal scientists, engineers and oceanographers from around the world about research and non-research topics. The idea was that, as COVID madness continued, students and scientists around the world could still "meet" coastal scientists and hear directly from them.
 
Listen to #Coast2Cast in
Spotify, via PodBean or directly from the Coast and Ocean Collective.
 

If you'd like to be added to the mailing list, please email Ana Vila-Concejo.
Listen to the podcast
Job Opportunities
The Water, Wetlands & Coastal Science branch is currently seeking to appoint six Senior Scientists to provide advanced technical, scientific and analytical support for the Water & Wetland and Coastal & Marine scientific programs.
Skillsets include hydrological and hydraulic floodplain modelling, erosion and inundation modelling and mapping, risk and exposure assessments under potential climate change and sea level rise scenarios.
 
4 x Permanent (ongoing) and 2 x Temporary full-time opportunities for up to 2 years with possibility of extension.

Lidcombe or other locations by negotiation
 
For more details: 
  
·        DPIE Internal Job Board
·        SEEK
 
If you are interested and require further information about the role, we highly recommend you contact:
 
Dr Michael Hughes, for positions in the Water and Wetlands Science Team, via michael.hughes@environment.nsw.gov.au or (02) 9995 6293
 
Dr David Hanslow,  for positions in the Coastal & Marine Science Team, via  david.hanslow@environment.nsw.gov.au or (02) 4927 3108
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Marine Studies Institute
Email: sydney.msi@sydney.edu.au
Phone: 02 8627 0450
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