Research

Nitrogen and Phosphorus Over-enrichment (Eutrophication)

• Seagrass denitrification: importance for global nitrogen budgets
• Balancing estuarine and societal health in a changing environment
• Unravelling the transformation pathways and fate of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in shallow coastal sediments

Ocean Acidification

• Unravelling the drivers of shallow CaCO3 sediment dissolution in an acidifying ocean
• Future carbon cycling - predicting and understanding coccolithophorid calcification in a changing ocean
• Catchment and floodplain (mangrove) sources of alkalinity to Great Barrier Reef

Climate Change

• Balancing estuarine and societal health in a changing environment
• Future carbon cycling - predicting and understanding coccolithophorid calcification in a changing ocean
• Dimethylsulphide (DMS) Production in Corals, Sediments and Benthic Microalgae

Greenhouse Gases

• Unravelling the drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in estuaries
• Seagrass denitrification: importance for global nitrogen budgets
• Fugitive emissions from coal seam gas
• Balancing estuarine and societal health in a changing environment

Hypoxia

• Unravelling the nitrogen cycle in the periodically anoxic Yarra Estuary, Melbourne

Waste management

• Waste to profit: closing the loop between production and disposal of waste

Rivers and catchments

• Catchment and floodplain (mangrove) sources of alkalinity to Great Barrier Reef

Estuaries

• Seagrass denitrification: importance for global nitrogen budgets
• Unravelling the drivers of shallow CaCO3 sediment dissolution in an acidifying ocean
• Unravelling the transformation pathways and fate of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in shallow coastal sediments
• Balancing estuarine and societal health in a changing environment

Seagrasses, Mangroves and Salt Marshes

• Seagrass denitrification: importance for global nitrogen budgets
• Unravelling the drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in estuaries
• Mapping Ecosystem Processes and Function across Shallow Seascapes

Muds and Permeable Sands

• Unravelling the drivers of shallow CaCO3 sediment dissolution in an acidifying ocean
• Unravelling the transformation pathways and fate of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen in shallow coastal sediments

Coral reefs

• Unravelling the drivers of shallow CaCO3 sediment dissolution in an acidifying ocean
• Dimethylsulphide (DMS) production in corals, sediments and benthic microalgae

Coastal Ocean

• Future carbon cycling - predicting and understanding coccolithophorid calcification in a changing ocean
• Catchment and floodplain (mangrove) sources of alkalinity to Great Barrier Reef

Stable Isotopes

Stable isotopes provide information on the trophic transfer, assimilation and fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus within, and between, ecosystems. Read more on the facilities and research projects for Stable Isotopes.

Process Measurements

We commonly use process measurements in our work. For benthic processes we have a selection of cores and chambers of various sizes that are used in field and/or laboratory incubations to measure processes such as benthic production, respiration, N-fixation, denitrification, anammox, DNRA and dissolved inorganic and organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus fluxes. Examples of cores and chambers.

Field Instruments

The Centre has a range of field instruments for automated continuous high-temporal resolution measurements in the field.

Experimental Manipulations

Our manipulative experiments utilise mesocosms and/or chambers in the laboratory and the field to investigate global change impacts such as nutrient enrichment, temperature, ocean acidification, grazing pressure and hypoxia etc. on biogeochemical processes. The experiments can include use of stable isotope tracers to assess the impact of global changes on the trophic transfer, assimilation and fluxes of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus within, and between, ecosystems.

Material Mass Balances and Ecosystem Modelling

We commonly use material budgets as a tool for studying the flow of carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in coastal systems.

• Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Budgets
• Unravelling the drivers of greenhouse gas emissions in estuaries
• Balancing estuarine and societal health in a changing environment

Comparative Studies

We commonly use comparative studies as a tool to better understand the cycling of C, N and P in coastal systems. In some studies we substitute 'space' for 'time' to better understand how a system will respond to global change. For these studies we will use systems of similar structure, but with different levels of disturbance. In other studies we are interested in how the structure of a system influences its function. These studies will use systems with different structure, but similar levels of disturbance .

• Comparative Studies of Coastal Systems
• Seagrass denitrification: importance for global nitrogen budgets
• Unravelling the drivers of shallow CaCO3 sediment dissolution in an acidifying ocean