Tourism staff benefit from reef research
[23 February 2010] Big Cat Green Island Reef Cruises’ Operations Manager, Neil Shelley, will soon be able to confidently tell guests how the reef is adapting to climate change, and how much a single shark sighting is worth to the tourism industry. He will be attending the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre’s (RRRC) upcoming Reef Science Seminar, which will cover these and many more issues relating to the Great Barrier Reef. [pdf 69.8 kb]
Great news for North Queensland's environment
[19 February 2010] On behalf of a large consortium of research providers and end users working in North Queensland, the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) welcomed today's announcement by Minister Peter Garrett on the future of the Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) Program in North Queensland. "e;This is fantastic news for everyone living and working in the region, including major industries such as the tourism industry,"e; said Sheriden Morris, Managing Director of the RRRC. [pdf 211.3 kb]
Delivering for the Torres Strait
[7 October 2009] The outcomes of the latest scientific research being conducted in the Torres Strait will be presented to the Torres community at a meeting on Thursday Island on 9 October 2009. Staff and scientists from the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) and the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC), along with stakeholders from other organisations active in the region, will discuss the implications of a range of research projects aiming to deliver benefits for the Torres Strait’s communities and ecosystems. [pdf 239.2 kb]
Does recreational fishing impact the sustainability of Queensland's shark populations?
[1 September 2009] A newly-published study has investigated whether recreational fishing could be affecting shark and ray populations in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. The study was conducted by Ann-Maree Lynch as part of her Honours research project through the Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre at James Cook University (JCU), and was jointly funded by JCU and the Australian Government's Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF). According to Dr Steve Sutton, a co-author of the study, there are growing concerns internationally over the decline of shark and ray populations, and the implications of these declines for marine ecosystems. [pdf 135.5 kb]
The Wet Tropics' heritage of ancient flowering plants revealed
[21 July 2009] The importance of North Queensland's Wet Tropics rainforests as an evolutionary refuge for many of the world's most ancient rainforest plant lineages may have been underestimated, a new study conducted by CSIRO scientists and funded by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) has found. [pdf 286.6 kb]
Research needs for sustainable growth in tropical north Queensland
[17 July 2009] Some of Australia's top climate change scientists are meeting on Monday in Port Douglas to scope tropical north Queensland's climate science priorities and challenges, in a two-day workshop jointly sponsored by the Queensland Climate Change Centre of Excellence, the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility and the CSIRO. The CSIRO has been responsible for providing the latest information about climate change to the Australian community, industry and government. Together with the Bureau of Meteorology, they are attempting to answer some fundamental questions about future climate and weather - particularly in the Australian tropics. These involve the behaviour of tropical cyclones, the El Nino Soutern Oscillation phenomenon, extreme temperatures and rainfall, and rising sea levels. [pdf 94.8 kb]
Planning for the impacts of sea level rise in North Queensland
[22 June 2009] The Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) is bringing a national series of information seminars to Cairns and Townsville to enable policy makers, planners and owners of coastal infrastructure to understand and plan for the impacts of sea level rise. The seminars, to be delivered jointly by the RRRC, the Australian Government's Office of Climate Change and the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre (ACE CRC), will summarise the present state of sea level science and describe the method of incorporating this knowledge into risk-based planning. [pdf 86.0 kb]
Climate change and local councils
(25 May 2009) Scientists will this morning brief local government mayors and CEOs about the effects of climate change in Far North Queensland. RRRC senior scientist Dr Suzanne Long will co-host an 'Essential Science' breakfast meeting at the Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils (FNQ ROC) meeting in Cairns today. "e;Climate change poses enormous planning and policy problems for local governments,"e; Suzanne said. "e;Through regular briefings like these we can aim to help keep our local councils well-informed and able to deal with these issues as they arise."e; [pdf 96.0 kb]
Senator Hogg visits Daintree rainforest
(7 May 2009) Senator The Hon. John Hogg, President of the Senate and Senator for Queensland made a flying visit to North Queensland's spectacular Daintree rainforest today. Accompanied by the RRRC's managing director, Sheriden Morris, Senator Hogg first visited James Cook University's Australian Canopy Crane Research Facility near Cape Tribulation, and talked with JCU researchers who receive funding through the MTSRF program. One of the major topics of discussion was the likely impact of climate change on the rainforest and surrounding communities, and the climate change mitigation and adaptation options that the MTSRF-funded research is working to develop. [pdf 31.7 kb]
Improving rainforest revegetation outcomes
[24 April 2009] A free toolkit designed to assist rainforest revegetation projects will be launched at the 2009 Annual MTSRF Conference in Townsville on 28 April. Researchers funded by the MTSRF recently found that decades of tree-planting effort in cleared areas of rainforest may not have produced the desired outcome. [pdf 157.2 kb]
2009 Annual MTSRF Conference
[30 March 2009] Hundreds of questions about the Great Barrier Reef, the Wet Tropics and the Torres Strait will be answered in April when some of the findings of more than sixty scientific studies will be presented by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility. The 2009 Annual MTSRF Conference, organised by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, will be held from 28-30 April at Rydges Southbank, Townsville. [pdf 98.7 kb]
Corals battling since Cook
[24 April 2009] New research to be announced at the 2009 Annual MTSRF Conference has indicated that the corals of the Great Barrier Reef became affected by human activity as soon as the adjacent coast became settled by Europeans. University of Queensland researcher Professor John Pandolfi has looked back in time to consider the effects of human activity on coral reefs since the arrival of Captain James Cook in 1770. [pdf 93.5 kb]
Sharks held live-aboard dive boats rake in tourism dollars
[24 April 2009] The live-aboard dive boat industry in Cairns and Port Douglas is worth at least $16 million per annum to the region, according to scientific research results that will be announced at the 2009 Annual Conference of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility. The results also show that live-aboard divers travelling to Osprey Reef valued shark sightings more highly than sightings of other wildlife. [pdf 116.1 kb]
Planting for regrowth
[24 April 2009] Not all tree plantings are the same and researchers have today announced the best methods for particular outcomes at the 2009 Annual Conference of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility. Griffith University Associate Professor Carla Catterall is the leader of the team of researchers who have studied the topic 'Reforesting the landscape for biodiversity and carbon: Varied outcomes under different approaches'. [pdf 118.4 kb]
Tania Major presents Essential Science for North Queenslanders
[22 April 2009] North Queenslander and former Young Australian of the Year, Tania Major, will be presenting information that all North Queenslanders need to know at a series of engaging Essential Science Sessions to be held in Cairns and Townsville in May. Tania will attend the third Annual Conference of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) in Townsville in April to extract the most interesting and useful of the MTSRF scientific results and summarising them into a one-hour session aimed at the general public. [pdf 146.7 kb]
Knowledge is profit: Informed farmers make more money
[20 April 2009] Sir Francis Bacon famously wrote that 'Knowledge is power'. Now the results of a study of landholders on the Atherton Tablelands of North Queensland show that knowledge is also profit - informed farmers tend to make more money. The survey of rural landholders demonstrated that those who actively sought information about how to best manage their properties and businesses were more likely to be profitable than others. [pdf 99.1 kb]
Research Shows Herbicides a Concern to Reef
[9 April 2009] A comprehensive research program investigating pesticide residue run-off has revealed a suite of herbicides in rivers and creeks and in marine waters within the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. The runoff of pesticide residues were monitored in the Tully-Murray, Burdekin-Townsville and Mackay Whitsunday regions over four wet seasons (2005-2008), with a focus on key land uses within these regions. [pdf 161.0 kb]
Impacts of Climate Change on Green Sea Turtles
[30 March 2009] Climate change will cause additional pressure on already threatened sea turtle populations by skewing their sex ratio towards female, reducing available nesting space and altering their exposure to cyclones, according to new research results to be announced at the 2009 Annual Conference of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility. [pdf 157.2 kb]
Ciguatera Survey
[19 March 2009] Researchers are turning to the public to find answers to the devastating effects that a little known disease called ciguatera can have on North Queenslanders. James Cook University Associate Professor Kirsten Heimann said ciguatera has an enormous cost to human health and the economy and scientists are concerned that the largely undiagnosed disease may become more prevalent in North Queensland. [pdf 95.2 kb]
Tourists Have Say
[8 January 2009] The latest research indicates that improvements in customer service levels might help some north Queensland businesses struggling with the tourism downturn to become more sustainable. Researchers funded by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) surveyed 1167 English speaking tourists departing from Cairns International Airport domestic terminal between January and September 2008. Professor Bruce Prideaux of JCU, who headed the study, said results indicated that there were relatively low levels of satisfaction with retail trading hours and the variety of products available in shops. The results also indicated that visitors felt they were not receiving good value for money or the expected level of service at local restaurants. [pdf 1.5 Mb]
Seagrass Meadows Monitored
[7 January 2009) Shallow seagrass meadows in Trinity Bay, off the coast of Cairns, have been identified as one of three likely trouble spots in Queensland for these important marine plants. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) chief executive officer Sheriden Morris said that a recent preliminary study and a seagrass monitoring program were important components of ensuring that the seagrass meadows were used and managed sustainably. “Ongoing long-term monitoring programs are essential because they allow managers to detect changes in the health of the resource – in this case, seagrasses – and then, if necessary, adapt management practices to improve health,” Sheriden said. A study co-funded by the Australian Government’s $40 million Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF), which is managed by RRRC, has identified three areas as suffering considerable pressure due to localised negative impacts caused by poor water quality flowing out of rivers and urban and industrial development. [pdf 1.8 Mb]
Marine Scientists Search for Ways to Help Preserve the Great Barrier Reef
[10 December 2008] As the International Year of the Reef draws to a close, the Great Barrier Reef is ranked among the healthiest of all coral reefs globally. Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Chief Executive Officer Sheriden Morris said the Status of Coral Reefs of the World 2008 report released today was the most authoritative report on the world’s coral reefs. “The report presents regional assessments of the health of coral reefs throughout the world, detailing the threats they face, and recommendations for action,” Sheriden said. “While we are pleased the Great Barrier Reef is considered relatively healthy, there are still problems to be addressed, and we must remember that a lot of world-class research and management has gone into achieving this result.” [pdf 1.5 Mb]
Conserving Tropical Biodiversity Despite Climate Change
[18 November 2008] A meeting of world leaders in the field of biodiversity and climate change is being held in north Queensland’s Daintree region this week. The meeting has been convened by Associate Professor Steve Williams, Director of the Centre for Tropical Biodiversity and Climate Change (CTBCC) at James Cook University, which is rapidly becoming a nationally and internationally significant research centre on climate change impacts. Twenty-one international and Australian experts are working to help address the significant threat that climate change poses for biodiversity worldwide - including Queensland’s Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, which is recognised as a global biodiversity hotspot. [pdf 63.4 kb]
Working Together for the Torres Strait
[26 September 2008] The latest scientific research being conducted in the Torres Strait was presented to the Board of the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA), plus leading community leaders and representatives from Federal Government agencies at a meeting on Thursday Island on Friday 26 September 2008.
Members of the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) today met with key Torres Strait management agencies to highlight some of the important outcomes from the latest research projects being conducted in Australia's most northern region. [pdf 50.6 kb]
Smart Women in the MTSRF
[9 September 2008] The Smart Women – Smart State Awards 2008 have recognised two researchers funded by the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) in north Queensland.
Dr Kirsten Heimann won the award for achievements in research science, while Amanda O’Malley won the inaugural Green Award for her PhD project. Both women are based at James Cook University (JCU) in Townsville.
Fifteen awards were presented at the Smart Women – Smart State ceremony in Brisbane on 2nd September 2008. These awards are well-regarded and this year nominations included women who have made innovative contributions to their communities, those who have excelled at secondary school and university level, as well as those working in industry, business, the community and the public sector. [pdf 65.4 kb]
World leading Australian research to save the Great Barrier Reef from climate change
(25 July 2008) The Great Barrier Reef is under threat from climate change, but there is hope: scientists and managers are working together to try to keep the Reef healthy. That was the clear message delivered this morning by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and the Minister for Climate Change and Water, Senator Penny Wong, in Port Douglas, far north Queensland. The Prime Minister and Climate Change Minister were guided by Ms Sheriden Morris, CEO of the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre, as they inspected some healthy and unhealthy reefs at the Low Isles, just offshore from Port Douglas. “Climate change is already affecting the Reef,” Ms Morris said. “While it is easy to be overwhelmed by the array of environmental and economic problems that are being caused by climate change, it’s important to remember that there are things we can do to mitigate or avoid these risks.” “Right now we’re developing an innovative tool that is going to be critical in our fight to save the Great Barrier Reef - the Reef Atlas,” she said. [pdf 51.2 kb]
Protected Fish Stage a Comeback
(24 June 2008) Dramatic evidence that protected fish populations can bounce back rapidly from the impact of years of heavy fishing has been obtained by a team of marine scientists working on Australia’s Great Barrier Reef (GBR).
A spectacular recovery in coral trout numbers on unfished reefs has been reported by researchers following the imposition of a strict no-fishing policy across 33 per cent of the total GBR area in 2004, to form the world’s largest network of no-take reserves.
A team led by Professor Garry Russ of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies and James Cook University, Dr Hugh Sweatman of the Australian Institute of Marine Science and supported by the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF), has found coral trout numbers rebounded by 31-75 per cent on a majority of reefs which had been closed to fishing for as little as 1.5 to 2 years.
[pdf 174.9 kb]
Understanding and Managing the Threats to our Reef, Rainforest and Torres Strait Environment
(28 April 2008)Many of Australia’s leading environmental and social scientists will be joining industry leaders in Cairns for a four day conference on the environmental risks facing our Reef, Rainforest and the Torres Strait.
The 2008 Marine and Tropical Science Research Facility (MTSRF) Conference is being held from Monday 28th April until Thursday 1st May 2008. The Conference will provide an opportunity to share information and explore solutions to the threats facing the unique natural systems of North Queensland. [pdf 102.0 kb]
Science in Parliament - The Great Barrier Reef in 2050
(17 March 2008) The Reef & Rainforest Research Centre Ltd (RRRC) has been successful in securing a Forum at Science in Parliament in Canberra on the future of the Great Barrier Reef which is conducted through the Federation of Australian Scientific and Technological Societies(FASTS).
The title of the Forum is ‘The Great Barrier Reef in 2050’ and is being held this Wednesday 19th March 2008 at 4:00pm (for approximately one hour) in the Main Committee Room of the House of Representatives. [pdf 91.1 kb]
Environmental Scholarships for North Queensland
(28 February 2008) Federal Environment Minister, Peter Garrett, today announced nine scholarships for research projects into environmental challenges facing north Queensland.
The students will receive funding of $720,000 over three years under the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility Graduate Scholarship Scheme – part of the $100 million Commonwealth Environment Research Facilities (CERF) program.
“These research projects will give us a better understanding of the environmental pressures on the Wet Tropics rainforest, the Torres Strait and the Great Barrier Reef,” Mr Garrett said. [pdf 32.5 kb]
A Call For Recreational Fishers To Help Research
(December 2007) Marine and Tropical Science Facility researchers from James Cook University have caught, tagged and released nearly three thousand reef fish this year in the Keppel Island Group with the assistance of the Keppel Bay and Gladstone Sportfishing Clubs. The majority of fish tagged in 2007 were Longfin Rockcod, but Coral Trout, Stripey Snapper, Red Emperor, Blue Tuskfish and Estuary Cod were all represented in the total catch. Now the researchers need your help [pdf 261.4 kb]
Reef Shark Sightings Worth Up to $1,375.00
(17 December 2007) Dr Alastair Birtles from James Cook University and his team (Peter Valentine, Natalie Stoeckl, Matthew Curnock, Arnold Mangott and Susan Sobtzick) have started a four year study that is looking at the social and economic values of iconic marine animals that tourists encounter when visiting the Great Barrier Reef. Part I of the study has focused on dive-tourism in the northern region, and has found that Key Species have High Economic Values when left alive in their natural environment. Preliminary figures suggest that visitors who scuba dive spend approximately $6,000 AUD in the region. Almost 90% of that expenditure (approximately $5,321 per person) is directly attributable to the dive-boats since most of these visitors would not have come to the region if they had not had the chance to go scuba diving. [pdf 237.3 kb]
Customised Model for Fighting Weeds in the Wet Tropics
(14 December 2007) A summary of research results of a project conducted with support of funding from the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) represented in North Queensland by the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre(RRRC). This vital research will provide information to support environmental managers to make informed decisions about the current and future threat of pest weeds in the Rainforests of the Wet Tropics. Predicting the pattern of spread is an essential tool for curbing the destructive impact of weeds in the Wet Tropics. MTSRF researchers have developed a model that simulates the growth and dispersal of the nationally-recognised weed Miconia calvescens. [pdf 237.4 kb]
Plant Surveys Are Keys to Successful Management of Lowland Rainforest
(16 November 2007)Researchers are collecting information about biodiversity in the Wet Tropics to provide a solid foundation for studies into threats from weeds and feral animals and the impacts of climate change. Focusing on lowland rainforest, they have already completed baseline surveys of 15 of the 16 major regional ecosystems in the Tully, Murray and South Johnstone catchments. Among the communities studied were five previously unsurveyed types of rainforest. Many of the sites revealed rare and threatened species of plants, some of which had not been recorded previously in those locations. [pdf 243.0 kb]
Turtles at Risk from Erosion and Disease
(16 November 2007)The green turtle population in the northern Great Barrier Reef (GBR) and Torres Strait region is the largest green turtle population in the world, with an estimated 50,000 females breeding there each year. Recent research by Queensland’s Environmental Protection Agency (QEPA) suggested this population may be in the early stages of decline. Indicators of this decline included a reduction in the average size of the breeding females, low nesting success and poor hatchling production of these Green turtle populations. [pdf 243.1 kb]
Farming Future Research
(2 November 2007) Researchers conducting the first ever representative survey of the region’s farmers expect feedback will paint a more accurate picture of the progress landholders are making toward better farming practices.
University of Queensland researcher Nick Emtage says that as the stewards of much of our regional landscapes, many landholders have already made significant voluntary improvements to the way they farm. The need now is to find out how to better support the activities in the future.
[pdf 143.0 kb]
New Managing Director Announced for the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre
(17 October 2007) Ms Sheriden Morris announced as the New Managing Director of the Reef Rainforest Research Centre. [pdf 130.5 kb]
Have your say on our rainforests
(21 August 2007) James Cook University researchers want to hear locals' views on the management and protection of the rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Three thousand surveys were distributed to communities between Townsville and Port Douglas, seeking feedback, with Cairns households due to be surveyed in September and October. [pdf 83.2 kb]
New Fisheries Research Centre for JCU
(3 August 2007) James Cook University has strengthened its commitment to the tropical marine environment with the formation of the Fishing and Fisheries Research Centre. The new Centre will focus on research that provides information in support of sustainable management of tropical fisheries and marine environments. Using the skills and expertise developed over the past twelve years, the new Centre will continue its work on important fisheries issues through research projects funded by the Australian Government's Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, and the Queensland Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries. [pdf 24.5 kb]
North Queensland benefits from $7.6 million research funding
(3 August 2007) More than $7.6 million will fund world-class environmental research efforts to protect North Queensland's unique reefs and rainforests, the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull announced today in Cairns. The funding will support fifty research projects based in Cairns and Townsville during 2007/2008 through the Australian Government's $40 million five-year Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF). [pdf 36.5 kb]
$100,000 to Control Feral Animals
(3 August 2007) Landholders in an area from Babinda to Mossman in Far North Queensland will benefit from a $100,000 feral pig and dog control programme announced today by the Australian Government. Minister for the Environment and Water Resources, Malcolm Turnbull, said the funds would allow for more comprehensive feral pig and dog control activities in northern portions of the Wet Tropics. [pdf 34.7 kb]
Locals' views on rainforest sought
(19 June 2007) James Cook University researchers are encouraging locals to have their say on the management and protection of the rainforests of the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Four thousand survey forms are being distributed to communities from Townsville to Cairns, seeking residents' views on the World Heritage Area. [pdf 80.5 kb]
Researchers, Industry, Government to Review Status of North Queensland Ecosystems
(16 April 2007) Many of Australia's leading environmental scientists, mathematicians and social scientists will converge in Townsville this week to review the state of North Queensland's key ecosystems. The researchers are developing new ways for Australia to look after its priceless natural assets such as the Wet Tropics rainforests and Great Barrier Reef which are under pressure from the effects of climate change, increased use and rapid economic growth in the region. [pdf 34.8 kb]
DPI&F On The Hop Over Seagrass
(5 April 2007) Comprehensive seagrass surveys have been completed as part of a program to monitor the state of this vital fish habitat area between Hinchinbrook Island and Cape Bowling Green. [pdf 110.0 kb]
Floods Muddy Waters off the Great Barrier Reef
(19 March 2007) For the first time in several years, large fresh water flood plumes carrying sediment, nutrients, other pollutants and debris from the mainland have traveled to the outer reefs of the Great Barrier Reef, threatening vulnerable corals. [pdf 48.3 kb]
Corals Get Respite from COTs
(16 February 2007) Recent 'early warning' surveys undertaken by the Australian Institute of Marine Science suggest a crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak is not an imminent threat to corals on the Great Barrier Reef. [pdf 42.8 kb]
$570,000 for JCU Research
(19 December 2006) Federal Member for Herbert, Peter Lindsay, presented MTSRF funding of more than half a million dollars to JCU Vice Chancellor Professor Bernard Moulden today. The payment is the first installment of over $2 million in MTSRF funding that JCU will receive this financial year. [pdf 48.2 kb]
