Oceans InstituteUNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA MARCH 2010

www.uwa.oceans.edu.au

The UWA Oceans Institute is an exciting new initiative developed to represent the breadth of research into the oceans at UWA and to facilitate the development of interdisciplinary inter-institutional research programs.

The goal of the UWA Oceans Institute is to address large scale questions about the functioning of the eastern Indian Ocean that will inform government, industry and community. This will enhance sustainable economic growth and conservation in the marine environment.

The institute initiates research into marine engineering, oceanography, ecology, management and conservation. Presently over 80 UWA researchers and postgraduate students are co-housed in the UWA Oceans Institute.

The UWA Oceans Institute is also developing stronger collaborative links with the Commonwealth marine research providers: the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and; the Commonwealth Science and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO).

Recently, a Research Collaboration Agreement was signed with AIMS to provide closer ties between researchers at both institutes through co-supervised postdoctoral positions and PhD scholarships. AIMS is presently co-housed in the Oceans Institute building in Crawley.

Professor Gary KendrickDirector UWA Oceans Institute

In this issue

p3 Centre in Focus The Centre for Marine Futures

p5 Best paper at EMAC 2009: Hemalata Wadhwa’s break out paper

p7 Visual experienceWA Premier’s Fellow Professor Shaun Collin explains his group’s work

p8 Keep up to date: New research projects, PhD students and publications

The UWA Oceans Institute

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www.oceans.uwa.edu.au

INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

The University of Western Australia is one of the premier research training centres for Oceanography in Australia. Professors Ivey, Pattiaratchi, Lowe and Jones focus on physical oceanographic processes from the macro-scale, like the dynamics of the Leeuwin Current and internal wave dynamics on the shelf break, to the meso- to microscale, like effects of current and waves on nearshore coastal structures and biota.

Professor Anya Waite co-ordinates biological oceanographic research that includes the effect on productivity and particle flux of Leeuwin Current eddies and the role of oceanography in supporting coral communities in Ningaloo Reef.

Oceanographic support through WA-IMOS and the national ocean glider facility is coordinated out of UWA by Professor Chari Pattiaratchi.

Leaders in Oceanography

Professor Anya Waite using plankton nets to gather samples.

Marine EcologyMarine Ecology is an emerging strength within the UWA Oceans Institute. The researchers include Professors Euan Harvey (fish ecology), Jessica Meeuwig (fish ecology and fisheries), Kimberly Van Niel (spatial ecology) David Sutton (microbial ecology) and Gary Kendrick (seagrass and macroalgal ecology). The Centre for Marine Futures also is a member of the Oceans Institute and has expanded the State’s capacity for ecologically-focused applied marine research.

Recently arrived Premier’s Fellows Shaun Collin and Malcolm McCulloch strengthen the discipline expanding areas of expertise to include neurobiology and the effect of ocean acidification on coral reefs respectively.

Offshore and Coastal EngineeringOffshore and Coastal Engineering is a jewel in the research crown of the University.

The Centre for Offshore Foundation Systems under the leadership of Professor Mark Cassidy provides world class services in offshore foundation systems, mechanics of seabed sediments and pipeline and deepwater offshore engineering to the oil and gas industry.

Professor Krish Thiagarajan, WA-ERA facilities program leader, and his team research computational wave hydrodynamics, deep water oil and gas production structures, floating structure dynamics and naval architecture.

Marine Management and ConservationMarine management and conservation is headed by Dr Julian Clifton and Prof. Jessica Meeuwig. Disaster management (A. Professor Bryan Boruff) and maritime law (Prof. Stewart Kay) are other emerging areas of research linked with the UWA Oceans Institute.

These emerging areas add societal context and enhance the already existing strengths in Oceanography, Ecology and Engineering in the UWA Oceans Institute.

From Strength to Strength

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THE UWA OCEANS INSTITUTE MARCH 2010

INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

Centre in Focus: The Centre for Marine Futures

The University of Western Australia’s Centre for Marine Futures was established in 2009 to conduct marine ecological research that supports marine conservation and management, as our use of WA’s marine environment grows rapidly.

The Centre builds on existing research strengths at UWA and its Associates include A. Prof Euan Harvey, Prof Gary Kendrick and A. Prof Kimberly Van Niel. The Centre’s activities focus on fish and fisheries ecology, benthic ecology and spatial ecology, with an emphasis on applied outcomes.

Western Australia’s marine environment contains the greatest diversity of ecosystems in Australia. It stretches for over 12,000 km, through some 20 degrees of latitude, from wave-battered temperate reefs dominated by kelp in the south to low energy, coral reefs and mangrove-fringed mudflats in the north. Effective management of this diverse range of marine ecosystems requires an understanding of the different habitats found along WA’s coast and the plants and animals that are associated with these habitats. Most importantly, we need to start building an understanding of the distribution and extent of these different habitats as well as the potential influences that human activities may have upon them.

Over the last 50 years, we know that marine habitats in many parts of the world have fundamentally changed. However, most people measure the oceans’ health against their recent memories and thus the true scale of global change remains unclear. Western Australia’s marine environment is in relatively good condition compared to most places in the world. However, if we are to manage the changes that are likely to occur as our use of the marine environment continues to grow, we need a clear picture of its current status.

The Marine Futures team celebrating the State Coastal Conference Award for Excellence in Marine Research.

Why Marine Futures?The Centre for Marine Futures is eponymously named from the “Securing WA’s Marine Futures” project, a Natural Heritage Trust funded initiative that evolved out of a shared, identified need for baseline information on the WA marine environment. The Marine Futures project brought together researchers, community members, industry and government managers to map locations from the Abrolhos Islands to Esperance and benchmark the benthic communities and fish associated with these habitats. Importantly, this project also created a basis from which to increase community awareness and understanding with respect to WA’s marine ecosystems and outreach was a major activity.

The Centre for Marine Futures and its associates are continuing this tradition, working with a range of research partners on projects that range from understanding the fish assemblages of the Pilbarra and Ningaloo to detecting change in the seagrass communities of Cockburn Sound and Geographe Bay and from consideration of seismic impacts on reef fish to dredging on benthic communities. Growing partnerships have us working internationally in Mozambique, Guam and Fiji as well as around Australia. In all of these projects runs the theme of using innovative remote and image based sampling techniques that allow us to work from the shallows to depths of more than 500m and from the tropics to temperate waters. Throughout our research activities, we remain committed to sharing the results of our work with the broader WA community, pulling back the blue curtain as we go.

Professor Jessica MeeuwigDirector CMF

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INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

A number of iconic reef fish along the west coast of Western Australia (extending from approximately Kalbarri in the north to Augusta in the south) have been identified as at risk, with a 50% reduction in catches recommended.

A team at UWA’s Centre for Marine Futures, led by Dr Kris Waddington, has recently developed a ecological model to investigate the effect of alternative management arrangements on Western Australian dhufish.

Dhufish were a focus of the study as they are an iconic species endemic to Western Australia. They are also overexploited.

The size and temporally structured model estimates fish biomass and egg production based on the existing size structure, growth, reproduction, and natural and fishing mortality.

Constructed to be interactive, the effect of alternative management strategies such as changes to size limits, seasonal closures of varying timing and duration, and spatial closures can be evaluated.

The model indicates that current observed declines in dhufish abundance could only be reversed by spatial closures. Changes to size limits and seasonal closures do little to increase biomass or egg production. This largely reflects the life history of these long lived, slow growing animals.

For more information or to access the models, visit www.marinefutures.fnas.uwa.edu.au/research/fisheries

Feature Project:The Dhufish model Projects in Brief

Providing a benchmark of the fish assemblages around Barrow Island:

As part of the infrastructure development associated with the Gorgon LNG plant on Barrow Island, the fish assemblages are being benchmarked so that potential impacts of the development can be evaluated. With the completion of two surveys to date, a third is underway in early 2010.

The fish and benthic assemblages of the Cape to Cape region:

The marine ecology group has just completed the 2009 sampling of the proposed Ngari Cape to Cape marine park, funded through the South West Catchments Council.

The initial work began in 2006 and has been repeated each year since, with an expansion of the project to include baited cameras as well as diver operated cameras for fish. Last year’s sampling also marked the first time seasonal variability was assessed with both March and October field trips.

This work was designed to test the benefits of marine sanctuaries and likely holds the record for “before” sampling, given the delays in establishment of the park. Work will continue in 2010 to complete a five year study

Understanding marine reserves in Fiji:

Jordon Goetze, now working with the CMF, recently completed his honours research project in the Kubulua district of Fiji. It investigated the impact of artisanal fishing on reef fish and if permanent Marine Reserves are effective management tools for these species.

By using baited remote underwater stereo-video systems (stereo BRUVs) to study fish assemblages of two Marine Reserves off Vanua Levu Island Jordan’s research indicated that

artisanal fishing in the Kubulua district has led to a reduction in the abundance of targeted species in fished areas.

He also found that given sufficient time, large Marine Reserves were effective for protecting these species, while smaller Marine Reserves were less effective.

Despite the challenges of working on coral reefs with sheer drops from 1 m down to 500 m, Jordan and his colleagues collected 180 stereo BRUV samples, capturing 11,722 individuals from 341 species and 44 families.

Studies such as this are important for identifying the most effective means of managing these artisanal fisheries, which will provide sufficient food and employment opportunities for the local people in the future.

Fish FactsThe sunfish is the world’s heaviest bony fish growing up to 2300kg and 3.3 metres long. It produces more eggs than any other vertebrate.

The first Sunfish, Mola mola observed on baited remote underwater stereo-video. Recorded at Flinders Closure at a depth of 460m, this specimen was measured at just 1.1 metres long.

Locals help Jordan lower a BRUV.

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THE UWA OCEANS INSTITUTE MARCH 2010

INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

Coral Triangle InsightDr Julian Clifton, a member of the School of Earth and Environment, now part of the Oceans Institute has co-edited a book entitled Marine Conservation and Research in the Coral Triangle: the Wakatobi National Park which will be published in April 2010.

Together with colleagues from the Queensland State government and the University of Essex, UK, he has drawn together peer-reviewed contributions from over twenty researchers representing Australia, New Zealand, the UK and the United States.

“It offers the first detailed insight into the status of the marine environment in the Wakatobi and its implications for regional marine management and conservation, most of which has received little prior attention in the literature.”

The Coral Triangle contains over three quarters of the total number of known coral species and more than half of the world’s coral reefs, whilst providing resources to support the livelihoods of around 120 million people. The Wakatobi National Park in southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia is centrally located within the Coral Triangle, encompassing 13,000km2 and including a diversity of reefs, seagrass and mangrove habitats whilst also being home to around 100,000 people.

The book highlights recent research focusing upon coral reef growth, loss and recovery, coastal fish assemblages, the connections between seagrass, mangroves and associated habitats and descriptions of the bird populations of the national park.

The book also enables the reader to appreciate the human dimension of resource usage in this global epicenter of marine biodiversity through a detailed examination of resident communities’ socio-cultural, political and economic characteristics.

Hemlata Wadhwa has been awarded Best Student Paper Presentation at the 9th Engineering Mathematics and Applications Conference (EMAC 2009). Held at the University of Adelaide from 6– 9 December, she presented her work on ‘Hydrodynamic forces on an oscillating disk under a free surface’.

Hemlata started the UWA Graduate Diploma Program in Oil and Gas Engineering in August 2006 and joined the PhD program in the same field in January 2008. Her research interests include Fluid Dynamics and Subsea Facilities. Hemlata is supervised by Oceans Institute Professor Krish Thiagarajan, who also contributed to the paper. It is a great success in Hema’s early career and it shows her commitment to achieve research excellence.

The paper that was presented will, in the long run, help to improve the installation of subsea structures by ships equipped with cranes or other lifting machinery. The complex shape of subsea structures results in variation of hydrodynamic forces near the surface and in the fully submerged condition. These forces are represented by a handful of semi-empirical coefficients, usually determined by experiments.

A benchmark reference is the case of a circular disk submerged in water, and oscillating in sinusoidal axial motion. Hema and Krish conducted experiments at the Hydrodynamics Laboratory, UWA by controlled oscillation of a disk in a tank of water. The hydrodynamic forces they measured were used to determine the inertia (or added mass) coefficient. This data when compared with classical results (by Sir Horace Lamb) for the same coefficient showed significant differences.

Hema and Krish successfully extended the classical theory for a disk moving steadily in water by adding a sinusoidal perturbation to the disk motion. The resultant formulation (after pages of grueling calculus and algebra) revealed a simple correction to the classical formula, which showed good correlation to the experiments.

The revised formulation and detailed comparison will be the subject of a forthcoming paper at the ANZIAM Journal.

UWA Student wins best student paper at EMAC 2009

Waktobi

The coral triangle refers to the tropical waters of Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Solomon Islands.

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www.oceans.uwa.edu.au

INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

Pattiaratchi is leading the packWinthrop Professor Chari Pattiaratchi has been named on a list of WA’s up and coming scientists and innovators.

WA Chief Scientist Professor Lyn Beazley highlighted Chari’s work with the Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders as being vital and highly significant as the world grapples with the role that oceans play in climate in a recent newspaper article.

The article ran as part of a series in The West Australian over the New Year period identifying the ‘Future Leaders’ for the next decade.

The series included as separate articles, politicians, business entrepreneurs, sportsmen and scientists who will emerge as leaders in their field over the next decade.

Under the scientists, Ocean Institute’s Prof Chari Pattiaratchi was named by The West as “a scientist at the top of their game at the start of the new decade”.

Mun Woo, Professor Chari Pattiaratchi and Ben Hollings with a slocum glider.

Visiting Professor to add knowledgeProfessor David Prandle, one of the leading coastal physical oceanographers in the world will be based at the UWA Oceans Institute as the ANNIMS Visiting Fellow for 2010 from 6 April to 20 June.

With a very wide experience working in coastal systems including estuaries, he is a pioneer in the development of coastal observation systems and has published widely in a range of subjects including large inter-disciplinary projects.

David is currently Professor at the University of Wales’ School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor. He has published over 100 refereed journal papers (many as first/single author), over 100 conference papers, six books and four strategy documents.

His latest book has just been published by the University of Cambridge Press entitled: Estuaries: Dynamics, Mixing, Sedimentation and Morphology.

The ARC-NZ Research Network for Vegetation Function Working Group 65: Evolution of Seagrasses, was held between 8th and 11th of December at the Kings Park Research Centre.

This working group addressed the role of reproduction and dispersal in seagrasses and the influence this has had on the genetic population structure survival and evolution of seagrasses.

The specific aims of this working group were to:

Evolution of Seagrasses1. Compare and contrast the unique

strategies that seagrasses exhibit for pollination, seed dispersal and recruitment;

2. Identify how these strategies interact with the hydrodynamic environment to result in recruitment success; and

3. Assess the influence that these strategies have on the genetic population structure, survival and evolution of seagrasses to a completely submerged existence.

The participant included Gary Kendrick (UWA, Australia), Michelle Waycott (JCU, Australia), Tim Carruthers (University of Maryland, USA), Renae Hovey (UWA, Australia), Paul Lavery (ECU, Australia), Don Les (U of Connecticut, USA), Ryan Lowe (UWA, Australia), Robert J. Orth (VIMS, USA), Elisabeth Sinclair (Kings Park and Gardens, Australia), Kor-jent Van Dijk (JCU, Australia) and Jennifer Verduin (Murdoch Uni., Australia) with input from PhD students Jillian Ooi Lea Sim, Leonardo Ruiz Montoya, John Statton, David Rivers and Oriol Mascaro y Vidal.

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THE UWA OCEANS INSTITUTE MARCH 2010

INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

Ocean Evolution Compelling VisionThe new ‘Marine Neuroecology and Behaviour Group’ at UWA, headed by Professor Shaun P. Collin, WA Premiers Fellow is set to advance our understanding of the way in which marine animals perceive their environment.

Working on a diverse group of organisms from slime eels to sharks to reef teleosts to marine mammals, his large group is investigating the influences of light, sound, water currents, electric fields and pollutants on species biodiversity, migration, aggregations and feeding.

His group has a particular interest in the physical contrasts of light between WA’s shallow reef environments such as Ningaloo Reef and the deepwater canyons off Perth. The intensity and spectral composition of the light environment is a strong determinant of the limits of vision in these two environments.

Current Projects

Vision in myctophidsThis program investigates how deep-sea lantern fishes or myctophids are able to vertically migrate up and down the water column (over a range of 1000 m).

We are interested in how their eyes are able to perceive bioluminescent flashes of light and the visual cues that determine prey specificity and intraspecific communication.

Eye EvolutionWe are in search of Australian hagfishes, slime eels that are considered the “scavengers of the deep” feeding on the carcasses of dead whales and other marine mammals as they float into the abyss.

We believe the hagfishes represent a missing link in the evolution of the vertebrate eye, something that puzzled Charles Darwin in his theory of natural selection.

Shark SensesSharks and rays are apex predators possess a well developed battery of senses to sample their physical environment.

Our interest is how these majestic predators feed, migrate long distances, aggregate to reproduce and how we might be able to protect them from over exploitation and reduce negative interactions with humans.

PICTURED ABOVE: The lantern fish, Diaphus raphinesque with its silvered scales and ventral row of photophores (Courtesy S. P. Collin).

PICTURED ABOVE: The hagfish (Courtesy Meish Goldish).

PICTURED ABOVE: The inner ears of a range of shark species (Courtesy M. Mills and S. P. Collin).

The group uses a range of techniques including anatomy, electrophysiology, molecular genetics and behavioural tests to understand whether animals use colour cues to communicate and find

prey, how active they are in dim light or in the presence of bioluminescent signals and how the brain and pineal organ is able to set circadian changes in behaviour.

Dorsal view of the zebrafish, produced using 3D rendering of a series of brain slices using MRI at a resolution of 10µm (Courtesy of J.Ullmann and S.Collin).

www.oceans.uwa.edu.au

p8 INTERNATIONAL EXCELLENCE IN MARINE RESEARCH

NAME FUNDING BODY

C Pattiaratchi and S. Wijeratne, Sand transport modelling at Port Geographe Dept of Transport and Shire of Busselton

SEA_SERPENT project (Gorgon field) (Pile, Pattiaratchi, Booth, Scropeta)

University of Sydney, Unive of Western Sydney, UWA and University of Woolongong)

Chevron (Australia

Review of Physical oceanographic processes in the Sorrel basin, Western Tasmania Geoscience Australia

Extension of Australian National Facility for Ocean Gliders (ANFOG) to June 2013 EIF funding through IMOS

2010 PublicationsRefereed journalsSmale D A, Kendrick GA,Waddington, KI, Van Niel, K P, Meeuwig, JJ, and Harvey, ES. 2010. Broad-scale marine benthic community structure on sub tidal reefs along a latitudinal gradient in Western Australia. Est. Coast Shelf Sci. 86(1):83-92.

Smale, D.A., Kendrick, G.A., Wernberg, T. 2010. Assemblage turnover and taxonomic sufficiency of subtidal macroalgae at multiple spatial scales. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology 349:405-417.

Our MissionTo produce fundamental research that lays the foundation for sustainable management of Australia’s ocean resources.

Contact UsUWA Oceans InstituteThe University of Western AustraliaMBDP M470 35 Stirling HighwayCrawley WA 6009 Australia

39 Fairway (off Edward St) Crawley WA 6009

Tel: +61 8 6488 8116Fax: +61 8 6488 7278Email: oceans@uwa.edu.auWeb: www.oceans.uwa.edu.au

If you wish to be included on the mailing list or receive this publication by email or hard copy please contact us.

Visitors to the Oceans Institute January–March

New Research Projects

New PhD Students

NAME VISITOR ORGANISATION AND COUNTRY

RESEARCH SUBJECT HOST DATES

Dr Sophie Arnaud-Haond

and Tânia Aires

University of Montpellier II, France and

Marine Ecology and Evolution Group

CCMAR Faro PORTUGAL

Seagrass genetics Prof. Gary Kendrick 30 Jan –

10 Feb

Professor Russell Foster Department of Ophthalmology,

University of Oxford, UK

Non visual photoreception

and circadian rhythms

Prof. Shaun Collin 23 March –

6 April

Professor Menno Gerkema Zoology Laboratory, University of

Groningen, The Netherlands

Behavioiural chronobiology Prof. Shaun Collin 6–23 April

Professor Anna Metaxas Oceanography Department,

Dalhousie University

Dispersal of benthic

invertebrates

Prof. Anya Waite 1 March –

May 10

NAME TOPIC SCHOOL SUPERVISOR(S)

Samantha Childs

Community structure and species interactions in sessile benthic communities

Plant Biology Gary Kendrick Dan Smale

Asha de Vos Links between whale aggregations and physical processes

SESE Chari Pattiaratchi

Janelle Braithwaite

Critical habitat requirements for humpback whales

Plant Biology Jessica Meeuwig Curt Jenner Matt Hipsey Rob McCauley

Steve Linfield Depth refuges for reef fish in Guam Plant Biology Euan Harvey Jenny McIlwain

Gabriel Vianna

Reef sharks in Palau Plant Biology Jessica Meeuwig Mark Meekan David Pannell

Amy Newman The sensory systems of deep sea sharks with an emphasis on visual capabilities.

Animal Biology Prof. Shaun Collin Prof. Justin Marshall

Simone Niedermueller

Shedding light on the evolution of the vertebrate eye: photoreceptive systems in hagfish, lampreys and teleosts.

Animal Biology Prof. Shaun Collin A/Prof. Nathan Hart

Fanny de Busserolles

Vision in myctophids: seeing and being seen in the mesopelagic zone.

Animal Biology Prof. Shaun Collin Prof. Justin Marshall

Joao Paula Coimbra

The visual ecology of shorebirds: colour vision and retinal organisation.

Animal Biology A/Prof. Nathan Hart Prof. Shaun Collin

Eduardo Garza Gisholt

Vision and light detection in Chondrichthyes: A comparison of photoreception in pelagic and deep water species.

Animal Biology Prof. Shaun Collin A/Prof. Nathan Hart

Ryan Kempster

The role of electroreception in the feeding behaviour of elasmobranchs.

Animal Biology Prof. Shaun Collin

Jeremy Ullmann

Bioimaging and MRI of the teleost brain Animal Biology/Biomed Sciences

Prof. Shaun Collin

Carla Atkinson

Gustation in elasmobranchs Animal Biology/Biomed Sciences

Prof. Shaun Collin

Barbara Wueringer

Sensory strategies for prey capture in sawfish

Animal Biology/Biomed Sciences

Prof. Shaun Collin A/Prof Nathan Hart

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