The Great Barrier Reef, the world's largest coral reef system, is one of the world's seven natural wonders, a UNESCO World Heritage Area, and can be seen from outer space.
The Reef, located in the Coral Sea, off the coast of Queensland stretches from Budaberg to Thursday Island.
It is the world's biggest single structure made by living organisms and faces a myriad of challenges to its' survival in the face of climate change.
QUT researchers are at the forefront of real-world research aimed at preserving this wonder of nature.
QUT experts can tell the stories, explain the issues and help us all navigate the challenges to this incredible phenomena of nature.
Volcanoes, vulnerabilities and coral rubble stabilisation
Professor Scott Bryan from the QUT Faculty of Science and School of Earth & Atmospheric Sciences is co-lead of the Rubble Stabilisation sub-program of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP).
He is an internationally recognised, world-leading Earth Scientist. His coral reef-related research is focused on three main topics: 1) how volcanoes and coral reefs connect – pumice rafts providing a natural mechanism for reef connectivity and the ability to transport shallow marine communities across deep oceans; 2) the vulnerabilities of coral reefs to multiple hazards that can harm coral reefs; and 3) restoring reef foundations through rubble stabilisation.
Professor Bryan says that coral reefs are a long-term feature of our planet but like all communities have vulnerabilities and strategies to adapt and be resilient. The challenges are whether environmental changes happening today are too fast, too many and too extensive thereby challenging the resilience of coral reefs, and how can we actively intervene to help coral reefs to recover and maintain resiliency in sustainable, cost-effective and low-impact ways.
Professor Bryan can discuss pumice rafts and how they provide lines of communication for reef-building organisms for the Great Barrier Reef and across the southwest Pacific and is a natural process with the potential to restock damaged reefs, the multi-hazard environment the Great Barrier Reef lives in, and how we are developing underwater bioadhesives that have a range of applications in reef restoration.
Advanced materials to save the Great Barrier Reef
Professor Leonie Barner is a chemist and Principal Research Fellow at the QUT Faculty of Science, School of Chemistry & Physics.
Professor Barner - who is a polymer chemist and materials scientist - says that saving reef environments cannot be achieved without intervention using advanced but benign materials.
She, together with Professor Scott Bryan, is leading the bioadhesive team that is developing materials that support the replanting of corals into reefs as well as the stabilisation of coral rubble.
“Next to developing these crucial materials, it will be important to incorporate systems thinking and lifecycle assessment, i.e., assessments of the environmental impacts of reef intervention protocols,” Professor Barner says.
Professor Barner is a DAAD Research Ambassador.
Documenting, repairing, restoring the reef
Dr Brett Lewis is a coral researcher at the QUT School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, specialising in reef restoration, coral biology and high-resolution microscopy.
Brett has pioneered 2D and 3D microscopy and videography techniques for corals producing stunning and award-winning imagery featured in documentaries (Netflix, BBC), YouTube videos (Ze Frank), dozens of art exhibits and museums worldwide and has been used by global media outlets (ABC, BBC, National Geographic).
His passion for corals is now motivating him to develop new, environmentally friendly underwater bioadhesives that can be used to repair damaged reefs.
The outcome of his work is to make restoration efforts both more sustainable and accessible to island nations and developing countries, and to ensure coral reefs can continue to thrive in a changing world.
Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP)
Councillor at Australian Coral Reef Society (ACRS)
Modelling the future of coral reefs
Professor Michael Bode from the QUT School of Mathematical Sciences is a mathematician who works on modelling the future of coral reefs. His expertise is in forecasting the effects of global change and large disturbances – coral bleaching, tropical cyclones, and crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks.
Michael works with government and non-governmental organisations to predict the consequences of management interventions on the Great Barrier Reef, such as marine protected areas, coral restoration, and fishery management.
The other 99% - how do organisms other than coral contribute to reef recovery?
Tanya Dodgen, a PhD student in Spatial Ecology at the QUT School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, is studying reef ecology, investigating coral reef rubble with a focus on its geographical distribution and how it plays into reef recovery. Her studies form part of the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) Rubble Stabilisation sub-program.
When calcifying reef organisms, particularly hard corals, die and break apart their skeletal fragments become rubble on the reef floor. Rubble is an important habitant within coral reef ecosystems, much like leaf litter and decaying trees on a forest floor. However, too much rubble is akin to walking through a forest with only dead trees. Disturbances such as cyclones and ship groundings can rapidly generate large amounts of rubble, making it difficult for reefs to recover.
Tanya's work uses satellite and photographic datasets to understand how much rubble is present across the Great Barrier Reef and to describe the circumstances under which rubble should be the target of reef restoration. She also does field work around the organisms that grow within rubble environments to understand their role in either helping or hindering coral recovery.
Prior to commencing her PhD Tanya worked in science communication as the outreach officer for Virtual Reef Diver. She also worked at the University of Queensland in learning design, contributing to the production of online courses such as Making sense of climate science denial. She continues to work in science outreach as an ambassador for Wonder of Science, a program that sends PhD students to classrooms across Queensland to facilitate science workshops.
Tanya Dodgen | PhD Student | Research profile (researchgate.net)
Collaborative planning and adoption of sustainable practices for the Great Barrier Reef
Dr Angela Guerrero is an environmental social scientist who has expertise in environmental planning and social-ecological research. She is interested in understanding how collaboration and social interactions shape environmental and social outcomes. In the context of environmental planning she studies how different groups, like government agencies, non-profit organisations, and local communities, work together, and the factors that makes them successful. She also looks at how these group’s connections with ecological systems can affect the success of environmental planning.
As a Senior Research Fellow in the QUT School of Architecture and Built Environment, Dr Guerrero’s research in the Great Barrier Reef seeks to understand how social relationships and structures support farmers in the use of agricultural practices that benefit the health of the reef.
Dr Guerrero can discuss aspects related to collaborative planning for the Great Barrier Reef, and the factors that influence farmer adoption of sustainable farming practices.
angelaguerreroresearch.com | @aggwarrior | Google Scholar
Bringing AI expertise to Reef Restoration
Scarlett Raine is a Research Fellow in the QUT Centre for Robotics, pioneering the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to analyse underwater images and help monitor marine ecosystems more efficiently. With the increasing use of robotic underwater and surface vehicles to study coral reefs and seagrass meadows, vast amounts of imagery are generated. Traditionally, analysing this data has been challenging, time-consuming, and expensive, as it heavily relied on marine experts. Scarlett's innovative AI methods automatically identify marine species in these images, streamlining the process. This technology can monitor coral reef health, estimate blue carbon in seagrass meadows, and identify the best seafloor areas for coral restoration.
In her current research, Scarlett brings her expertise in AI to the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP), where she is working on the Deployment Guidance System (DGS). Her research on automated underwater image analysis will enable differentiation of substrate types in real-time, which will guide the automated deployment of corals to areas of the seafloor that provide optimal support and survival conditions. The DGS will enable broad-scale and targeted autonomous deployment of coral devices across the Great Barrier Reef, contributing to its adaptation and restoration.
Scarlett is available for comment on applications of AI, Computer Vision and Robotics for environmental monitoring and conservation, with a particular focus on coral reefs, seagrass meadows and coastal ecosystems.
Advanced robotics and computer vision technologies for environmental conservation
Dr Tobias Fischer is an ARC DECRA Fellow, Senior Lecturer at the QUT School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics, and Chief Investigator of the QUT Centre for Robotics. His research focuses on robotics and computer vision, particularly energy-efficient robot positioning techniques that enable robots to efficiently localise and navigate challenging environments.
In the Reef Restoration and Adaptation Program (RRAP) context, Dr Fischer brings his expertise to the Deployment Guidance System. His work will enable real-time differentiation of substrate types and identify suitable locations for deploying coral devices and larvae. This will facilitate broad-scale and targeted autonomous deployment of coral devices, significantly contributing to the restoration and adaptation of coral reefs.
Dr Tobias Fischer is available for comment on the application of advanced robotics and computer vision technologies for environmental conservation, particularly in the context of coral reef restoration and adaptation.
His insights can elucidate how artificial intelligence-driven automated underwater image analysis and autonomous deployment systems can enhance the resilience and recovery of coral ecosystems.
Engineering solutions development and technology delivery
Garima Samvedi is the principal robotics engineer for the Robotics and Autonomous systems team under the QUT Research Engineering Facility (REF). She has close to 15 years’ experience in robotics and AI with her speciality being field robotics (autonomous cars, mining machines and drones). She leads a team of nine robotics and AI engineers who form core capability in delivering multiple AI projects at QUT and are an extremely sought after capability to deliver key industry projects.
With extensive experience in research engineering at UQ and QUT along with industry experience from Boeing and Caterpillar, Garima brings industrial engineering practises to uplift research deliverable along with research thought process of curiosity, flexibility and "giving it a go" to challenging bespoke problems in robotics and AI.
Garima is leading engineering solutions development and technology delivery of three key projects (Coral Growout Robotic Assessment System (CGRAS), CSLICS, CSLICS desktop) under RRAP 1.0. She has successfully delivered solutions to challenging problems in agriculture robotics, collaborative drone operation, automated mining machines, robots in manufacturing and autonomous ground vehicles for defence industries at QUT and throughout her career.
She uses her leadership and knowledge of how to enable robots to operate in challenging environments paired with understanding how humans interact with robots in their operational space to develop successful robotics solutions that can be transitioned into industries and operate to help humans.
Land management and nature-based solutions
Felicity Deane is an Associate Professor at the QUT School of Law. She has been researching climate change and environmental regulation for the last 15 years. Her research has included projects that consider the regulation of land use practices in areas of international significance including the Great Barrier Reef. Her work focuses on the intersection of environmental integrity, land management and nature-based solutions, with an emphasis on exploring different forms of regulation (including market-based approaches) for environmental protection.
Felicity’s research contributions have considered farming practices (with a focus on sugar cane farming), self-regulation and market-based instruments to support the Great Barrier Reef's resilience against threats like climate change and land-based pollution.
Over the past 10 years her research has included collaborating with various stakeholders, including government bodies, industry leaders, and academic institutions, to ensure effective and sustainable outcomes for the reef's preservation.
Infrastructure and logistics planning in the reef restoration industry
Associate Professor Paul Corry is Associate Professor of Operations Research at the QUT School of Mathematical Sciences.
A QUT team led by Paul is developing strategic and tactical operations planning tools including a logistics simulation model to understand the required infrastructure, equipment, and investment for a wide range of reef restoration scenarios at varying scales. This work is helping to identify the most cost-effective options for deployment, with iterative updates to algin with continually evolving science, technology, and priorities.
Paul brings significant experience in infrastructure and logistics planning to the reef restoration industry, gained from numerous industry sectors including mining, freight, transport, healthcare, agriculture, and maritime operations. This experience includes both academic research and commercial consulting.
Main image: Georgette Douwma/iStock/Getty Images
Contact the QUT media team at media@qut.edu.au to connect with QUT reef experts. Ph: 07 3138 2361 After hours: 0407 585 901
