The NMSC has an active research program in the areas of biodiversity of marine and estuarine habitats, patterns and biological processes in marine communities, human induced impacts on marine systems, fisheries and marine park management, pollution, and marine resource economics and management.

Biodiversity of marine and estuarine habitats projects

• Documenting biodiversity for the mid-north coast region (estuaries, shores, subtidal habitats)
• Surveys of coral reef communities of the east coast of Australia
• Measuring natural scales of variation for different marine and estuarine communities in space and time
• Measuring the effects of pollution on the biodiversity of marine benthic organisms (motile invertebrates, corals, fish)
• Developing rapid assessment methods to identify biodiversity hotspots at a local and regional scale
• Identifying indicators of change in biodiversity for short and long-term monitoring of human impacts
• Spatial and temporal scales of recruitment of invertebrates
• Ecology of Intermittently Closed Estuaries
• Amphipods as indicators of biodiversity in sublittoral habitats
• Sampling of the Marine Benthos – Determining spatial scales of inhabitant communities for the purpose of sand aggregate extraction

Patterns and biological processes in marine communities projects

• Biology and ecology of molluscs
• Reproductive biology of marine invertebrates
• Biogeography of coral spawning patterns: ongoing research on coral spawning patterns and gametogenic cycles at reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef region, sub-tropical reefs at Moreton Bay, Solitary Islands and Lord Howe Island, French Polynesia and other Indo-Pacific regions
• Coral larval ecology and dispersal potential: field and experimental studies on the settlement competency and longevity periods of coral larvae from the Great Barrier Reef and Lord Howe Island, funded by an ARC Large Grant
• Evolution of Scleractinian corals: comparison of sperm ultrastructure for phlygenetic analysis
• Coral embryology: morphological and ultrastructural analysis of scleractinian coral embryogenesis and collaborative work with molecular biologists on gene expression during development
• Effects of hormone manipulation and contaminants on spawning of bream
• Triploidy and hybridisation in abalone
• Growth and mortality in diploid and triploid rock oysters
• Effects of habitat complexity and wave exposure on fish and benthic communities
• The biogeography and taxonomy of ampithoid amphipods
• Reproductive ecology of giant sea anemones in the Solitary islands Marine Park
• Reproductive ecology of coral reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia
• Utilisation of magnetotaxis in larval copepods and monogeneans for host finding and its physical basis
• Recruitment, settlement behaviour and reseeding of scleractinian coral larvae on natural and artificial substrata of eastern Australia
• Pathology of Fast Spreading Coral Disease in Australian Subtropical Marine Parks
• Evaluation of genetic strains in the aquaculture of silver perch

Human induced impacts on marine systems projects

• Coral bleaching and temperature and nutrient pollution stress: field and experimental studies on the Great Barrier Reef of the effects of elevated sea temperatures and eutrophication on coral bleaching, reproductive processes and somatic tissues
• Ecotoxicology of oil pollutants on coral reefs: effects of oil hydrocarbons and oil dispersants on fertilization rates, larval development and somatic tissues of scleractinian corals
• The effects of experimentally elevated nutrients and reduced salinity on scleractinian coral reproductive success
• The impact of four wheel drives on the ecology of beaches
• Human impacts in marine benthic habitats in Antarctica
• Effects of sand extraction on subtidal soft-sediment communities
• The impact of threatening processes on two shorebirds in northern NSW and implications for conservation and management

Fisheries and marine park management projects

• Size selection in commercial prawn industries
• Assessing the effectiveness of marine park zoning using mud crab populations
• Recreational fishing survey design and execution

Marine resource economics and management research

• Research in fisheries management has included using rights based management and developing self management regimes for commercial fishers
• The economic viability and sustainability of fisheries
• Economic and social impact assessment of commercial fishing management strategies
• Adjustment of commercial fisheries, including the costs of establishing marine protected areas
• Reviewing the role of fishery subsidies in international trade

Values in the marine economy

• Comparing the marine economy and its contribution to national GDP for Australia, Canada and the United States (APEC)
• Estimating the expenditure of recreational fishers in coastal townships of NSW and of Sydney anglers visiting rural NSW
• An economic profiling survey of the Australian Recreational Fishing Tackle Industry

Capacity development of marine scientists and managers

• Contributing to the development of marine scientists and managers through education and professional development
• Workplace assessment of marine managers and performance enhancement

For more information on any of the research conducted at the National Marine Science Centre, email info@nmsc.edu.au.

Updated: 27 July 2010