Conservation and
biodiversity group
Biodiversity
assessment in new areas
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The biodiversity
assessment team
applies an integrated approach to characterising and mapping
tropical marine biodiversity, and develops tools to enable
synthesis and recovery of extensive coral biodiversity data, to
support global coral reef management initiatives. The team’s
research focus is in areas that are poorly understood,
including the seabed of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area
and the Oceanic Shoals Bioregion which stretches across
Australia’s north, from the reefs of northern Western Australia
to Darwin. Much of the research of this team is conducted
below diveable depths.
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Contact
Ms Sue English,
Team Leader
Telephone: (07) 4753 4254.
Facsimile: (07) 4772 5852.
Email: s.english@aims.gov.au
Climate change
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The climate change team
monitors and quantifies historical and current climate change
and its impacts on coral reef and mangrove ecosystems, with the
view to predicting future impacts on these high diversity systems
and understanding the natural range of variability in the physical
environment.
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Contact
Dr
Janice Lough,
Team Leader
Telephone: (07) 4753 4248.
Facsimile: (07) 4772 5852.
Email: j.lough@aims.gov.au
Risk and recovery
| The risk and
recovery team
investigates the resilience of tropical marine ecosystems from
natural and anthropogenic disturbances by studying the underlying
ecological and evolutionary processes that determine it. The team uses GIS-based approaches to develop methods of mapping
risk to such ecosystems and provide decision support systems to
aid management of these resources, for example, through the design
of effective networks of Marine Protected Areas.
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Contact
Dr
Madeleine van Oppen, Team
Leader
Telephone: (07) 4753 4370.
Facsimile: (07) 4772 5852.
Email: m.vanoppen@aims.gov.
Status and trends
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The status and
trends team
monitors the condition of reefs in the Great Barrier
Reef World Heritage, a program that has been ongoing for more than
a decade. The team is also involved in the development of refined
survey methods and enhanced reporting for reefs in Australia and
globally. This research team is expanding into inshore
monitoring and provides monitoring services to external clients
such as Environment Australia.
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Tasks
 Monmap
Reef
monitoring
Contact
Dr
Hugh Sweatman, Team Leader
Telephone: (07) 4753 4470.
Facsimile: (07) 4772 5852.
Email: h.sweatman@aims.gov
December 18, 2008
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