Science based solutions to protect tropical ecosystems

As northern Australia's leading eDNA experts, we use genetic clues to revolutionise how to detect invasive and threatened species.

We’ve contributed to biosecurity surveillance, environmental impact assessments, tracking fish communities in Australian waterways, locating threatened species, and advancing eDNA science itself, while working with Traditional Owners, community groups, governments, councils and regional bodies. We also lead advances in eDNA techniques and offer commercial and research services.

Building strong collaborations with Traditional Owners is key to reshaping the way we approach dugong research, monitoring, and management. Their insights and involvement are essential for a more holistic and effective management strategy that respects both cultural and ecological sustainability.

We're facilitating transparent knowledge exchange and enhancing rapport and relationships between science and Traditional Owner groups across the Great Barrier Reef.

Climate change threatens the health of seagrass meadows in multiple ways, and inshore seagrasses in shallow waters are at greater risk of being exposed to very high temperatures than those in deeper waters. We are working with Traditional Owners to deploy temperature loggers to measure thermal risk to inshore seagrass, and developing a model to predict areas of seagrass most at risk of thermal stress from high temperatures.

Findings can be used to respond to high-risk temperature events, understand what is causing changes in seagrass meadow condition, and underpin management strategies such as prioritising areas for restoration.

We use multiple lines of evidence including water quality monitoring, tracing, modelling, and proxy-based data analysis, to a better understand of the catchment-to-marine connection.

While growers are making changes to farming practices, understanding pollutant sources, transport, and fate is critical for adopting more progressive practices, while identifying 'hotspots' is essential for targeted management strategies. Our research provides important insights to guide these efforts effectively.