Reef research showcased at global conference in Cairns
Published on 10 July, 2012
CQUniversity's research around the Keppel Islands off the Capricorn Coast will be showcased in three mini-symposium talks at the 12thannual International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Cairns this week.
The ICRS is held every four years and this year will be hosted by the ARC Centre for Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at the Cairns Convention Centre.
Dr Alison Jones, who is based at CQUniversity's Centre for Environmental Management, will speak about the influence of the 2011 flood on anemonefish populations.
A joint CQUniversity and Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) study which has determined a low salinity tolerance range for reef corals will be presented by Dr Ray Berkelmans.
"CQUniversity has been a key player in Great Barrier Reef coral research in the past few years with contributions to the fields of climate change adaption of key reef building corals, coral biodiversity mapping and now a salinity tolerance range for reef corals," Dr Jones said.
"This last study will allow reef managers to predict the impact of floods on reefs without having to conduct surveys because we now know how much freshwater they can stand and for how long."
Dr Alison Jones will present some of her research outcomes for the Keppel Islands to an international audience in Cairns this week. The conference will feature the ‘cream of the crop' in world reef experts but is also an important forum for marine science students to network and showcase their work. Dr Jones said it was a significant opportunity for CQUniversity to promote their work on a global scale.
"I am very privileged to be attending the ICRS conference. I've worked hard over the past few years to build my track record and am happy to see CQUniversity being recognised as having capacity in both globally and locally relevant marine research," she said.
Chris Maple, Keppel Bay's senior Queensland Parks and Wildlife Ranger will also discuss Dr Jones' research findings when he presents on bathymetry mapping and ‘coral refugia' in Keppel Bay.
Dr Jones said CQUniversity has a strong partnership with the Keppel Bay Islands Marine Park and Queensland Parks and Wildlife managers that have enabled good communication about real life research outcomes that are relevant to the Great Barrier Reef off the Capricorn Coast.
"We've been able to collect some really important baseline data on the reefs of the Keppel Islands over the last five years which has principally been a result of internal funding through CQUniversity, AIMS and the Australian Naval Institute," Dr Jones said.
"The type of work being conducted here will help to put CQUniversity on the map as a university recognised for its contributions to science that benefits the marine environment. We have the most accessible reef right at our back door."
The ICRS brings together renowned international experts to showcase recent research findings, detail knowledge on coral reef science, management and conservation, and to exchange ideas.
There will be close to 2,000 scientific talks on a range of major themes affecting the reef. The proceedings of the conference will be peer reviewed and published.
The conference will be held at the Cairns Convention Centre and will run until Friday.
Dr Alison Jones is available on 0408 068 128 or a.jones@cqu.edu.au
For more information visit www.icrs2012.com.