Ecosystem function

In order to be effectively applied, our knowledge of marine ecological biodiversity must be complemented by an understanding of how individual ecosystems function, and their responses to human impacts. This holistic view will greatly assist us in predicting changes in communities, and to develop protocols to manage these ecosystems.

Some projects are:

Modelling productivity, nutrient fluxes & other reef processes in coral reef ecosystems

This project aims to construct a computer-based model of reef processes to provide quantitative assessments of the effects of changes in water quality on reef health.

The model will expand baseline data on the primary productivity of various coral reef organisms, and will be used to determine the effects of elevated nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorous) and sediments on the primary productivity of reefal communities.

A study of the relationship between sediment and nutrient fluxes and the biotic community of an estuary

By measuring environmental levels of nutrients, sediment and other variables together with characteristics of the biota, we hope to be able to elucidate the associations between hydrographic parameters and biotic communities in an estuary.

This study may be applied to predict the impact of pollution transport on downstream biotic communities, and the pathways of pollution transfer.