Fine-scale temperature variability of Moreton Bay sea-country
Theme: Earth science and resources; Environmental management; Marine biology and ocean science
Description:
Quandamooka Country (Moreton Bay, Queensland) is a globally significant urban seascape, with outstanding cultural and natural values. The Bay is a high-latitude, semi-enclosed marine habitat close to a major developed city, Brisbane. This sea-country is unique due to its proximity to a high population-density urban setting, while still supporting vital habitats, including coral reefs, kelp forests, seagrass meadows, mangroves, and salt marshes. Sustainable management of this unique urban seascape is vital in ensuring the long-term persistence of its exceptional biodiversity and traditional cultural value.
The proposed research project invites an honours student to delve into the intricate spatial and temporal variability of in situ and remote sensing temperature data collected from both within and outside Moreton Bay, located in southeast Queensland, Australia. Spanning from mid-2021 to early 2025, in situ temperature data was collected as part of a previously funded research project entitled, "Sustainable Urban Seascapes Moreton Bay (SUSMB)" and was collected from multiple coral reef areas both within and outside of Moreton Bay. This temperature dataset provides a unique opportunity to explore multi-scale temperature dynamics during periods of significant environmental disturbances, including a flood in 2022 and a cyclone in 2025. Along with analysing temperature data collected from SUSMB, this project will also incorporate other temperature datasets from the region (i.e., NOAA Coral Reef Watch Satellite Monitoring data, Healthy Land and Water in situ data, eReefs modelled environmental data) to explore trends between varied datasets. Temperature plays a vital role as a key environmental variable that influences coral community dynamics, affecting growth rates and mortality. By conducting a detailed analysis of this comprehensive temperature datasets, the student will gain insights into the variability and trends that characterize these marine environments, thus enhancing our fundamental understanding of the environmental conditions that govern coral ecosystems.
Additional Information:
The preferred honours student has a solid background in coding, such as in R studio. Ideal commencement would be the first semester of 2026. The student would work within our lab group, Marine Ecosystems Monitoring Lab, and would thus need a sound understanding of coral and/or seagrass biology and ecology.
Contact: Dr Nicholas Hammerman