The Connolly LabProfessor Rod Connolly PhD (Adelaide)
Coast and Estuaries division - Australian Rivers Institute, and School of Environment, Griffith University Research Focus:
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Ecosystem & Socio-economic Resilience Analysis & Mapping for Tanna Island and Vanuatu National level
A Project with Griffith University's Climate Change Response Program Videography by PhD student Tyson Martin |
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Nature Climate Change paper
Ocean Predators Affect Carbon Sequestration The loss of top level ocean predators, such as sharks, can have far-reaching consequences for our ability to offset climate change impacts. The abundance of ocean predators can affect carbon capture, accumulation and preservation in vegetated coastal habitats such as mangroves, saltmarsh and seagrass. Intact predator populations are critical to maintaining and even growing reserves of ocean carbon. Policy and management need to be improved to reflect these realities. · Coastal wetland habitats occupy <1% of the seafloor · Yet sequester > half the ocean’s stored carbon, ‘blue carbon’ · They store carbon 30-50 times faster than tropical rainforest · And can store for very long times (100s to 1000s of years) · They store another $5.4 billion worth of carbon every year · But we can lose a lot of that by mis-managing ocean predators! |
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Australian Research Council: Discovery Project
We have a Discovery Project funded by the Australian Research Council investigating how the resilience of marine ecosystems is influenced by connectivity among ecosystem components. The project tests ecological theories about the response of ecosystems to environmental disturbance and leads to practical outcomes that will influence natural resource management. The project is led by Prof. Rod Connolly in collaboration with Prof. Thomas Schlacher (University of the Sunshine Coast). |
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Solomon Islands - science of sustainable fishing
Dr Chantal Huijbers leads a project using stable isotope analysis to trace the dependence of of fisheries species on coastal habitats such as seagrass and mangroves. |
Paul Maxwell awarded PhD for marine resilience research
Paul graduated with his PhD entitled "Ecological resilience theory: application and testing in seagrass ecosystems". Paul used underwater surveys and mathematical modelling to identify critical feedback loops and measure resilience in seagrass meadows exposed to severe environmental disturbance.
Example paper: Phenotypic plasticity promotes persistence following severe events: physiological and morphological responses of seagrass to flooding (2014) Maxwell PS, Pitt KA, Burfeind DD, Olds AD, Babcock RC, Connolly RM. Journal of Ecology.
Paul graduated with his PhD entitled "Ecological resilience theory: application and testing in seagrass ecosystems". Paul used underwater surveys and mathematical modelling to identify critical feedback loops and measure resilience in seagrass meadows exposed to severe environmental disturbance.
Example paper: Phenotypic plasticity promotes persistence following severe events: physiological and morphological responses of seagrass to flooding (2014) Maxwell PS, Pitt KA, Burfeind DD, Olds AD, Babcock RC, Connolly RM. Journal of Ecology.
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Watch Rod's talk about resilience at TEDx
Rod's TEDx talk is about resilience in marine ecosystems, highlighting student Paul Maxwell's focus on feedback loops as key to understanding and measuring resilience.
See Paul's paper: Phenotypic plasticity promotes persistence following severe events: Physiological and morphological responses of seagrass to flooding (2014) Maxwell PS, Pitt KA, Burfeind DD, Olds AD, Babcock RC, Connolly RM. Journal of Ecology. And related: Synergistic effects of reserves and connectivity on ecological resilience (2012) Olds AD, Pitt KA, Maxwell PS, Connolly RM. Journal of Applied Ecology. |
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Catalyst TV episode on the effects of the Moreton Bay floods
Rod and colleagues recently showcased their work on a national segment of ABC TV program Catalyst. They focused on their research into the effects and outcomes of a major flood in southeast Queensland and the response of seagrass and corals to massive sediment input.
The show can be watched on the ABC Catalyst site.
Rod and colleagues recently showcased their work on a national segment of ABC TV program Catalyst. They focused on their research into the effects and outcomes of a major flood in southeast Queensland and the response of seagrass and corals to massive sediment input.
The show can be watched on the ABC Catalyst site.
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Sample acidification alters stable isotope ratios of sulfur in aquatic plants and animals
This feature article by Connolly and Schlacher in Marine Ecology Progress Series (2013) shows that acidification of samples prior to sulfur isotope analysis results in invalid ratios and should not be used. |
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Water Sciences collaboration (CRN)
Rod collaborates with a team of prominent ecologists in the federally-funded Collaborative Research Network led by Prof. Thomas Schlacher, University of Sunshine Coast.
Their projects include: 1. carbon transfer from ocean to land, in Australia and the Pacific islands, 2. marine reserves and food security in coral reef seascapes.
Rod collaborates with a team of prominent ecologists in the federally-funded Collaborative Research Network led by Prof. Thomas Schlacher, University of Sunshine Coast.
Their projects include: 1. carbon transfer from ocean to land, in Australia and the Pacific islands, 2. marine reserves and food security in coral reef seascapes.
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Monitoring ecosystem health using report cards
Rod led this review of the report card monitoring of water quality and ecosystem health relating to Gladstone in Queensland, Australia. The work is a collaboration between Australian Rivers Institute, Central Queensland University and University of Queensland (photo Patrick Ward). Download Review of Report Cards |
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