AIMS at JCU in Townsville, Queensland | College & University

AIMS at JCU

Locality: Townsville, Queensland

Phone: +61 7 4781 4074

Address: Room 148, Building 017, James Cook University 4811 Townsville, QLD, Australia

Website: http://aims.jcu.edu.au/

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25.01.2022 Australia’s seabed is diverse and complex, spanning from the tropics of the Arafura and Coral Seas, to the chilly temperatures icing the Tasman Sea and the Anta...rctic. Each seascape is distinct in habitat, with some varying considerably in their sensitivity to outside impacts than others. Over the past decades, fisheries scientists have continued to develop more selective fishing gears to mitigate habitat impact from trawl fishing. In a recent paper published as a result from two FRDC-funded research projects, 2004-060 and 2008-079, researchers investigated modifications made to the traditional flat-rectangular otter board and three chain ground gears used by trawl fishers. The devices, a ‘batwing’ otter board and ‘soft-brush’ ground gear, focus on reducing the impact of trawling on the environment through developing fuel efficient and benthic friendly trawl equipment. Comparing the traditional otter board and ground gears, researchers estimate the batwing device removed up to 61 per cent fewer of all habitats, while the soft-brush ground gear failed to displace any habitat. The findings suggest habitat impacts across sensitive seascapes can be minimalised using simple modifications to traditional trawler equipment. The study is a first in the sector in its approach to understanding differences in impact between ground gears and commercial-sized otter boards under controlled conditions. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12562-019-01392-2 FRDC Project Code: https://www.frdc.com.au/project/2004-060 See more

25.01.2022 This school of bumphead parrotfish were spotted by our monitoring team on Mantis Reef on the far north of the Great Barrier Reef. Bumphead parrotfish are the wo...rld’s largest species of parrotfish, and graze on both living coral and algal covered surfaces on the reef. While grazing, they scrape off some of the limestone structure of the reef, crunching it down and eventually excreting it as sand. You can see this ‘deposit’ as a sandy cloud. Each fish can eat over five tons of reef material each year Sign up for Great Barrier Reef health updates here: https://bit.ly/2WyvboI : Kathy Connellan

24.01.2022 Congratulations to marine researchers Dr Emma Camp and Allison Broad who have received the 2020 Max Day Award

23.01.2022 Deck the prawns with boughs of salad How sustainable are Aussie wild caught prawns? 28 biological stocks are sustainable, while there are no stocks classifi...ed as depleting or depleted! https://www.smh.com.au//the-provenance-of-a-prawn-how-sust Which prawns will be on your plate this summer: Banana, Eastern King, Eastern School, Endeavour, Royal Red or Tiger?

23.01.2022 The Cawthron Institute is proud to be hosting Physiomar 2020 a triennial international meeting dedicated to the physiology of aquatic invertebrates (1-4 Septe...mber 2020) Call for special session topics now open! Registration + abstracts open Jan 2020 For more information: https://confer.eventsair.com/physiomar-2020/

22.01.2022 DID YOU KNOW? The clear, jelly-like sacs that you see along Australian beaches are not jellyfish. They're actually the egg sacs of predatory sand snails, lik...e the moon snail or conical sand snail. If you look closely, each sac contains thousands of tiny little eggs. Moon snail egg masses usually float near sandy areas, and they often wash up on beaches in the spring. They easily crumble when handled. These egg masses consist of tiny eggs in a jelly matrix. The matrix absorbs water and swells to form the distinctive crescent-shaped tube which can be three to five times larger than the snail that laid it. The egg masses break up in the water after a few days, releasing planktonic larvae from the eggs. : Museums Victoria #Bestof2019

20.01.2022 We know our oceans are warmingbut what does that mean for you? From rising sea levels to changes in marine ecosystems, the global implications are huge.

20.01.2022 They're not going to nap all day or knock things off your table, but these #fish are strangely enough... acting like your cat. Thank you to scientists at University of Plymouth for their #research and footage. #oceanx

19.01.2022 Mangrove Jack are a long-living species that can reach up to 1 metre in length. They are found in tropical and sub-tropical waters. There are five management zo...nes for the species. Stock are classified as negligible in New South Wales, undefined in Northern Territory and East Coast Queensland, recovering in Gulf of Carpentaria and sustainable in Western Australia. https://www.fish.gov.au/report/225-Mangrove-Jack-2018 Undefined stock: not enough information exists to determine stock status; negligible: catches are so low the likely fishing mortality rate is expected to result in a low likelihood of the stock becoming overfished.

19.01.2022 Dive into recent reports about the Great Barrier Reef The Australian Institute of Marine Science recently released their reports on the condition of reefs in... the far northern Great Barrier Reef. In December 2019, the Reef monitoring team surveyed the health of 23 reefs across the Princess Charlotte Bay sector (http://bit.ly/2OqId51) and Cape Grenville sector (http://bit.ly/2UmqoIc). Sign-up for their future updates: http://bit.ly/2UmqoIc Australian Institute of Marine Science Creech Reef See more

18.01.2022 This is the fifth dive of the Great Australian Deep-Sea Coral and Canyon Adventure expedition in the southern ocean. Today SuBastian will be doing an explorator...y dive to investigate deep-sea coral communities. The team will be sampling corals while also taking water samples. The estimated maximum depth will be around 1200m. To find out more about this research cruise, visit the expedition webpage: https://schmidtocean.org/cruise/coralandcanyonadventure/ #DeepCoralAdventure #OzOceans2020 See more

17.01.2022 From 11 to 15 October 2020, leading fisheries experts will meet in Adelaide for one of the largest international fisheries conferences, World Fisheries Congress... 2020 (WFC2020). WFC2020 will bring together research, industry and management across marine and freshwater fisheries worldwide, under the overarching theme ‘Sharing our oceans and rivers a vision for the world’s fisheries’. It’s a pivotal opportunity to help shape the future of our fisheries, says WFC2020 chair Gavin Begg. Over the past two decades, we have seen significant progress in the sophistication and complexity of fisheries management measures when a science-based approach is adopted, he says. WFC2020 will provide an important platform for sharing international perspectives on the sustainability, conservation and management issues we are tackling globally, helping to create a vision for the future of our fisheries. The role of technology in the future of fisheries will also be a key issue tackled at WFC2020, says Gavin Begg, who is also the research director, Aquatic Sciences, at the South Australian Research and Development Institute (the research arm of Primary Industries and Regions SA). Advances in technology have seen its use become increasingly popular in the study of environments and species, which has the potential to transform our understanding of aquatic systems, he says. Sessions at the WFC2020 will explore the range of new technologies and interdisciplinary partnerships that are paving the way to next-generation data advances. This includes applications of robotics in data collection and monitoring, through the use of remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), autonomous unmanned vehicles (AUVs), drones, sailing drones and acoustics, as well as machine learning, artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies. https://www.frdc.com.au//FIS/world-fisheries-congress-2020 Find out more about the WFC2020: https://wfc2020.com.au/

17.01.2022 In the spirit of Christmas, we've fished out this joyous video from last year's Seamount Corals Survey on CSIRO's Investigator . . . Santa brought more than 2...0,000 specimens from the deep ocean to biologists and Parks Australia marine park managers sampling coral communities south of Tasmania. With more than 200 of the taxa undescribed, the booty was sleighed to museums around Australia for identification. Read more about their incredible journey. https://www.nespmarine.edu.au/seamounts/landing-page

17.01.2022 Via Zoom ONLY Shut up and Write for Monday, Tuesday Wednesday and Friday. Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://jcu.zoom.us/j/93136423597 Password: 022092... Shut up and Write! turns writing from a solitary, to a social experience. The sessions will be held on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesdays and Fridays starting at 9am. The sessions will use the Pomodoro Technique (a pomodoro is a 25 minute stretch of focussed concentration) with 5 minutes between sessions. No booking is required, attendance is not recorded. Please note attendance in a session does not count for professional development hours unless you are running the sessions, please see https://www.jcu.edu.au//Workshop/leadership-and-initiative for more information. Shut up and Write! For more information on Shut up and Write format please see https://thesiswhisperer.com/shut-up-and-write/ Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://jcu.zoom.us/j/93136423597 Password: 022092

16.01.2022 While #AustraliaBurns it can sometimes feel that there is nothing we can do, but recent research shows that when the world comes together behind the best available science, we can make a difference.

14.01.2022 Nomination applications open to be presented at ICRS2020! Help recognise your ICRS (International Coral Reef Society) colleagues for their research and conserva...tion accomplishments. These Society Awards are only available to ICRS members, so please encourage your colleagues to join (https://icrs.memberclicks.net/membership-application#/) In 2020, ICRS will present the Darwin Medal, the most prestigious award, to a senior ICRS member who is recognised worldwide for major scientific contributions throughout their career. The Medal will be presented at ICRS2020 in Bremen, Germany and the recipient will give a plenary address. Nominations for the Darwin Medal close on January 15, 2020. Please nominate colleagues at all career levels for the following annual awards. Nominations for all awards listed below close on February 15, 2020. - Eminence in Research Award - Mid-Career Award - Early-Career Award - World Reef Award - Coral Reef Conservation Award - ICRS Fellows - Honorary Members Complete nomination criteria, information, and award descriptions can be found here: http://coralreefs.org/awards-and-honors/nominations/ Submit complete nominations or questions to ICRS Honors and Awards Committee Chair, Dr. Lisa Rodrigues ([email protected]) Previous recipients of all ICRS Awards and Honors: http://coralreefs.org/awards-and-honors/recipients/

14.01.2022 NEW PAPER: Welfare implications of pain and emotion in fish "Our most detrimental interaction with fishes is through commercial fisheries and aquaculture, an in...dustry that feeds billions of humans and employs millions more. [...] These industries are important to many of us; however, we need to change these systems to address both welfare and sustainability. For fisheries this means a reduction in the number of fishes killed, by addressing overfishing and wasteful capture methods, and reducing the length of time fishes suffer during capture. For aquaculture this means keeping fishes in more natural environments at lower densities, reducing transport and handling impacts, and choosing species that cope better with farming." Animal Studies Journal: https://ro.uow.edu.au/asj/vol8/iss2/12/ Citation: Brown C and Dorey C (2019) Pain and Emotion in Fishes Fish Welfare Implications for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Animal Studies Journal, 8(2), 2019, 175-201. doi: 10.14453/asj.v8i2.12 Image: Aquatir/Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0) https://bit.ly/2Enj3Pe

13.01.2022 At Toomulla Beach near Townsville, in Queensland’s north, a former prawn farm is being given new life, farming two crustacean species that are emerging onto the... Australian aquaculture scene: Moreton Bay Bugs (Thenus australiensis) and Ornate Tropical Rock Lobsters (Panulirus ornatus). While it will not be Australia’s only Moreton Bay Bug farm, it will be a world first for Tropical Rock Lobster aquaculture. Tasmanian aquaculture company Ornatas is behind the effort to establish a new aquaculture industry for these species in Australia, establishing a hatchery in Tasmania and grow out facility at Toomulla Beach, respectively. We aim to grow a whole new industry for Australia, bringing jobs and economic growth to this regional community and supplying the world with healthy and high-value lobster to meet market demands says Scott Parkinson, CEO Ornatas Pty Ltd. Scott says he expects the first farmed Tropical Rock Lobsters to be available to Australian consumers and the lucrative China market, where the premium product is in high demand, by 2022. "The plan is to produce about 150 tonnes of this delicacy over the next five years to sell to local restaurants and retailers," he says. Approximately 800 tonnes of the highly prized Tropical Rock Lobster is expected to be available by 2029. A long-term partner with the University of Tasmania (UTAS) in the research and development of both Moreton Bay Bugs and the Ornate Tropical Rock Lobster, Ornatus has invested over $25 million into commercialising lobster breeding, knowledge and grow out technology developed by the University, to help develop the emerging industry. Greg Smith is leading the research team at the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), which is part of UTAS, as director of the ARC Research Hub for Commercial Development of Rock Lobster Culture Systems. The first phase of the research has included completing the full life cycle of broodstock through to the egg, larval and adult stages, and breeding from the offspring of the Southern Rock Lobster (Jasus edwardsii) and Eastern Rock Lobster (Sagmariasus verreauxi), as well the Ornate Tropical Rock Lobster and Moreton Bay Bugs. The next phase will focus on optimising the rearing of juveniles for market using onshore grow-out facilities, initially using raceway systems, and selection of the best-performing animals. We need to work out the best way to transport juveniles from the hatchery to grow-out facilities, and their feed requirements. There are no feed formulations for these species. Elsewhere they use trash fish, but that won’t fly in Australia, Greg Smith says, we will also evaluate the potential social and economic impacts of production and the development of a new aquaculture industry for Australia. The hub has welcomed a second round of funding from the Australian Research Council (ARC), a $5 million grant over five years from 2020, which will support world-leading IMAS research into lobster aquaculture and the development of the world’s first sustainable onshore lobster aquaculture industry. As industry partner, Ornatas will meet the $5 million grant and in-kind support from its Tasmanian and Queensland facilities. The hatchery technology that has been developed at UTAS over more than 15 years, with early work funded by the FRDC, will be overseen by Rock Lobster hatchery manager Anna Overweter, a UTAS graduate with over eight years with the University as a live feed technician. While production is expected to begin in Queensland within months, Ornatas will also invest in a purpose-built, pilot-scale lobster hatchery co-located at the IMAS Taroona research facility. Find the story at FISH Magazine: https://www.frdc.com.au//make-way-for-farmed-bugs-and-lobs

13.01.2022 Coral scientists are getting closer to understanding what makes a coral super" able to withstand high temperatures and it may have to do with what’s inside a coral’s cells: https://oceantoday.noaa.gov/fullmoon-scienceof/welcome.html #NOAACoral20th

13.01.2022 Deadly climate change consequences for sea life. Read more: https://wef.ch/2tpBmBL

13.01.2022 Blue Carbon Lab are seeking #PhD candidates! #microbiology #wetlands #bluecarbon #genomics #biogeochemistry #climatechange #ecosystems #fish #decommissioning #e...cology #oceans #conservation Great team, great collaborators, great project. Pls share !

12.01.2022 The FRDC is calling for Expressions of Interest (EOI) that address research, development & extension (RD&E) priorities nominated by the FRDC’s Advisory Groups: ...Research Advisory Committees (RACs), Industry Partnership Agreements (IPAs) and FRDC Subprograms. Applications close 11.59pm 16 February 2020. Nominated RD&E Priorities for Investment can be found here, along with instructions on how to apply: https://www.frdc.com.au/en/research/call-for-applications See more

12.01.2022 Despite the range of sizes, all these crown-of-thorns starfish are the same age (about 7 months). Determining the age of these coral eating starfish has been d...ifficult in the past. But now we’re exploring DNA-based technology to determine the age of individual crown-of-thorns starfish. But why does age matter? AIMS@JCU PhD student Sarah Kwong, who is developing these genetic methods, said knowing the age structure during an active crown-of-thorns starfish outbreak could help scientists trace back to the year when those starfish had successfully settled on reefs. This could help us understand the factors and conditions that drive outbreaks, she said. The genetic based method we are exploring builds on our important work with eDNA as a novel tool for managing outbreaks of these notorious coral predators.

12.01.2022 What's happening on the Reef? Over the past fortnight sea surface temperatures in most areas were average, there’s low level thermal stress accumulation, and... there’s currently no significant tropical low systems and none expected to develop. Watch our first Reef health update for 2020 and get more info: http://bit.ly/2XDfAaG Great Barrier Reef Marine Park See more

12.01.2022 Feeding seaweed to cows and creating an industry out of it? Say what? Hear us out. Livestock farming is the world’s third-largest source of greenhouse gas after... the energy and transport sectors. Scientists have found that common Australian red seaweed virtually eliminates methane emissions in livestock when it's included in feed. We've partnered with sustainable aquaculture company CH4 SA and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation to research the production of commercial quantities of red seaweed. If commercial production systems and processes can be established, CH4 estimates red seaweed production could be worth $140 million a year within three years. Revenue from processing the seaweed could add a further $250 million per year to the economy and support 1,200 South Australian jobs. There’s strong potential for this to be a key growth sector for our state.

12.01.2022 LED lights in fishing nets could help save turtles and dolphins via NowThis

12.01.2022 Why we should all love whale poo. #OurBluePlanet

11.01.2022 Save the date!! ACRS Student Writing Retreat, 13-17 April 2020. Applications open early Jan 2020, scholarships available.... For more info: australiancoralreefsociety.org/grants/writing-retreat/

10.01.2022 PhD OPPORTUNITY: The importance of offshore oil and gas structures for fish populations Deakin University's Blue Carbon Lab, located in Melbourne, Victoria, is ...offering a fully-funded PhD project to assess the importance of offshore oil and gas structures for fish populations. The successful candidate will test the following questions: 1. Can fisheries production/enhancement be reasonably quantified from offshore oil and gas structures at local scales? 2. What fish biomass is supported by oil and gas structures globally? 3. What methods can calculate the contribution of oil and structures to fisheries in sustainably fished compared to heavily overfished regions? To apply, send your CV and cover letter to Mel Wartman. Applications details available at http://www.bluecarbonlab.org/opportunities/

10.01.2022 Last year saw the rise of climate change protests, with Greta Thunberg, school strikes and Extinction Rebellion generating global news coverage. Using Altmetric... data for 2019, we've compiled our annual list of the 25 most talked-about climate change-related papers that were published the previous year. The infographic below shows which ones made it into the Top 10. https://www.carbonbrief.org/analysis-the-climate-papers-mos See more

09.01.2022 Applications are now open Australia-wide for year 11 and 12 students to try life as a marine biologist this Easter on Tasmania's Maria Island. Four Tasmanian an...d five interstate students can win free University of Tasmania scholarship places. Fifteen non-scholarship places will also be offered. More info @ bit.ly/2Guh2lv See more

09.01.2022 Have some down time and keen to check out extraordinary scenes under the waves? Every episode of Al McGlashan's gripping underwater feature 'Life on the Line: T...he Story of the Southern Bluefin Tuna' is available to stream on Channel 9's free streaming service Ninenow! The Aussie documentary follows Al, keen angler and 'Fishn' with Mates' star, as he explores the spectacular underwater journey of the Southern Bluefin Tuna and unlocks the secrets of the global migratory species near demise and steady return! Find out more about the FRDC-funded documentary here: https://www.frdc.com.au/project/2017-098

09.01.2022 Run little crab, run! #BluePlanet2

08.01.2022 Do whales feel empathy for other species? Nature | PBS explores the research.

08.01.2022 Coral spawn collected in spectacular fashion After an action packed evening on the #GreatBarrierReef, the research team led by Professor Peter Harrison from S...outhern Cross University have successfully captured millions of coral eggs and sperm. Next step - rearing of coral larvae #SpawningGBR JCU: James Cook University, Australia UTS: University of Technology Sydney Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef QUT (Queensland University of Technology) Visit Queensland, Australia

07.01.2022 Postdoctoral fellowship available to work on #BlueCarbon ARC Discovery grant. Please RT! #Biogeochemistry #microbes #climatechange #postdoc #academicjobs #academia #jobs #research #science #oceans

07.01.2022 Aquaculture production worldwide has been growing at a rate of almost eight per cent for the past decade growth that is expected to continue at a similar rate... for many years to come, to support the world’s increasing food protein needs. The Australian aquaculture industry is coming of age with increasing scale and diversity, averaging about 4.3 per cent a year for the decade to 2017-18, but demand for seafood is gradually increasing. Popular programs such as Masterchef have increased consumer awareness of seafood provenance, quality, sustainability and traceability all strengths of aquaculture. In 2017-18, the sector accounted for 36 per cent of Australia’s total seafood production and represent 44 per cent of the value: 97,406 tonnes worth $1.41 billion from the total seafood production of 271,133 tonnes worth $3.2 billion. The sector will continue to be a driving force for growth in Australian seafood over the coming years. Find aquaculture forecasts for Australia at FISH Magazine: https://www.frdc.com.au//FISH-Vol-2/australian-aquaculture

07.01.2022 Exciting news- researchers have discovered a new coral reef along the Norwegian coast! This is the world's largest known reef of cold-water corals, and scientists used depth data and underwater vehicles to confirm corals at a depth of 900 feet deep. #oceanoptimism #MondayMotivation

06.01.2022 Seafood is almost synonymous with Christmas in Australia. Balmain Bugs and Moreton Bay Bugs are some fantastic sustainable species that can make a great additio...n to the Christmas seafood platter! Merry 'Bugmass'! https://www.fish.gov.au/report/153-BALMAIN-BUGS-2018 https://www.fish.gov.au/report/154-MORETON-BAY-BUGS-2018 See more

05.01.2022 @lirrf is pleased to announce a new #grant #opportunity for research into #plasticpollution based at Lizard Island Research Station. Applications close on 13 December 2019. For more info & application form: https://australianmuseum.net.au//plastic-pollution-resear/

04.01.2022 WORKSHOP ON READING AND WRITING DURING COVID-19? From Liz Tynan: I am aware that some people may be finding it hard at present to focus on reading and writing ...for their project. I am thinking about putting on a special Zoom seminar to discuss strategies for dealing with this issue. We do have some existing writing and communication workshops coming up in the schedule (SKIP, Academic and Thesis Writing Workshops, etc) but I wonder if a dedicated workshop designed to provide strategies for reading and writing while experiencing Covid-19 related challenges might be a good idea? Reply here if you wish, or send me an e-mail on [email protected] See more

04.01.2022 UPCOMING EVENT: 12th International Conference & Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management If you are a lobster researcher, manager or industry member, you may ...like to clear your calendar.The 12th International Conference & Workshop on Lobster Biology and Management will be held in Fremantle, WA, from 18-23 October, 2020. More info @ https://icwl2020.com.au See more

03.01.2022 Queensland fishers and fisheries scientists, Andrew and Renae Tobin, have a special message to those heading out on the water this holiday season. Come home to ...your family - be sea safe and wear your PFD! http://www.sesafe.com.au/ SeSafe project commenced in 2018 to raise awareness and improve safety performance in the fishing and aquaculture industry Australia wide. The project is funded by FRDC, project number project 2017-194, and the Australian fishing and aquaculture industry.

03.01.2022 Coral parenting put under the microscope New research by Townsville scientist and recipient of one of our annual Reef Guardian Research Grants Annika Lamb lo...oks at the best way to produce diverse corals that might be used to restore and maintain healthy reefs. She’s mixed the eggs and sperm of multiple corals together and is using genetic markers to identify the parents of the larvae that are produced. These parentage experiments are relevant to reef restoration if we can identify and then grow brood stocks that can generate diverse corals to choose from for restoration initiatives. Read the full story: http://bit.ly/2TjTdom Australian Institute of Marine Science Townsville See more

03.01.2022 Have your say about the Port of Townsville this Monday 25th November at the MI Bowls Club from 5pm to 7pm.

01.01.2022 Researchers discover a sea of fresh water under the ocean!

01.01.2022 David Attenborough has said industrial overfishing is more dangerous to the ocean than plastic.