Physical and coupled ecological processes within Australia’s northwest reef ecosystems

Professor Ryan Lowe

WAMSI North West Marine Science Symposium

21 Feb 2013

Continuing and new reef research programs in the NW region

Pilbara reefs

• Aim: To assess the role that physical processes (e.g., waves, tides and extremes) play in regulating reef ecology in the NW

- Ningaloo (wave-dominated)- Pilbara (waves and tides; cyclones)- Kimberley (tide-dominated)

Ningaloo Reef• Continuing programs

started 5+ years ago focused on the southern and middle sections (14 journal articles, support from ARC and WAMSI 1)

• Extensive physical studies (field and modelling)

• New work: ARC Future Fellowship project (2012-2016) and NCB (2013-2016)

Temperature anomaliesHydrodynamic models

Community production calcification-driven biogeochemical changes

Zhang et al., JGR, 2012

Falter et al., PLoS One, 2013

Zhang et al. (2011), Ecological Modelling

Also nutrient dynamics…

ARC Super Science Scheme (2011-2014)

Physical and biogeochemical processes in Kimberley macrotidal reefs

Reef terraceElevated lagoon

(Napo Cayabyab)

Physical processes and drivers of reef community productivity

ARC Future Fellowship (2012-16) and WAMSI Kimberley (2013-15)

Pilbara region• NCB project (2013-2016) - Physical monitoring programs and numerical modelling (fine-scale

connectivity, thermal heating, biogeochemistry)

• WAMSI Dredging Science (2013-2015) - Sediment transport, deposition and resuspension processes in reefs and

other sensitive coastal environments

Current collaborators on these reef projects

PhD Students: Andrew Pomeroy, Mark Buckley, Renee Gruber, Napo Cayabyab

UWA OI: Jim Falter, Greg Ivey, Zhenlin Zhang, Malcolm McCulloch, Gary Kendrick, Marco Ghisalberti, Carlos Duarte

CSIRO: Graham Symonds

AIMS: Richard Brinkman

International: Ap van Dongeren, Dano Roelvink