Impacts of changing detrital source biodiversity on estuarine ecosystems

Funding: 2008: $14,692
2009: $13,892

Funding or Partner Organisation: Australian Research Council (Other funds for ARC projects)
Australian Research Council (ARC Linkage International)

Start year: 2008

Summary: Detritus, non-living organic material, is the major carbon pathway in estuaries, promoting biodiversity and contributing to the sustainability of fisheries and vital ecosystem services. Since industrialisation, detrital-source biodiversity has been changing in estuaries because of human impacts to aquatic macrophytes (e.g. global seagrass declines) and aquatic plant invasions. We propose to determine for first time the role of detrital biodiversity in estuaries and forecast impacts of human-induced changes to detrital composition in estuaries in Australia and in the USA. Outcomes of our rigorous field experiments can be used to improve decision support systems and management policies that will ensure sustainability of estuarine ecosystems.'',

Keywords: ecology, soft sediment, biodiversity, detritus, macrobenthos, microphytobenthos,

FOR Codes: Marine and Estuarine Ecology (incl. Marine Ichthyology), Natural Resource Management, Living resources (flora and fauna), Land and water management, Coastal and Estuarine Flora, Fauna and Biodiversity, Coastal or estuarine biodiversity

Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.