Fish diet heats up marine biodiversity hotspot
Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen biodiversity pattern of coral reef fishes that suggests some fishes might be exceptionally vulnerable to environmental change. A new study shows plank
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au
Abstract: Interaction of tidal flow with a complex topography and bathymetry including headlands, islands, coral reefs and shoals create a rich submesoscale field of tidal jets,
vortices, unsteady wakes, lee eddies and free shear layers, all of which impact both the aggregation and dispersion of coral spawn, cyanobacteria and pollutants. A
unique and detailed view of the submesoscale variability in a part of the Great Barrier Reef lagoon, Australia, that includes a number of small islands has been obtained
by using a “stereo” pair of 2 m-resolution visible-band images that were acquired just 54 seconds apart by satellite WorldView-3. Near-surface current and vorticity were
extracted from those data using a cross-correlation technique and an optical flow method, each yielding a similar result.
The above-mentioned data were used to test the ability of the unstructured-mesh, finite-element model SLIM to reproduce the details of the currents in the region. The
model succeeded in simulating the large scale (> 1 km) current patterns, such as the main current and the width and magnitude of the jets developing in the gaps between
the islands. The smaller scales (< 500 m) were resolved by the model, although various discrepancies with the data were observed. However, the magnitude of the
vorticity and many vortices downstream of the islands were correctly reproduced. The smallest scales (< 50 m) were unresolved by both the model and image-derived
velocity fields.
This study showed that high resolution models are able to a signicant degree to simulate accurately the currents close to a rugged coast. Very high resolution
satellite oceanography stereo images oer a new way to obtain snapshots of currents near a complex topography that has reefs, islands and shoals and should be used to
assess the ability of models to resolve the macroturbulence in coastal flows.
Biography: Philippe is an engineer in applied mathematics. For his master’s thesis, he developed a spatio-temporal model of the spread of rotavirus, an infantile infectious disease.
After completing his master’s degree, Philippe began a PhD in fluid mechanics numerical modelling. His research focuses on the development of SLIM 3D, a 3d dg finite-element model for coastal flows. This model is suitable for complex topography regions, such as the Great Barrier Reef. When the benefits of this model are numerous, such as a better approximation of the coastline, an easy definition of the grid resolution and a high precision where it is needed, difficulties are also present in the mathematical algorithms, which gives many challenges to Philippe’s work.
Philippe is now working with the 2D version of SLIM, assessing it on the modelling of the submesoscale activity in the Great Barrier Reef.
Scientists have discovered a never-before-seen biodiversity pattern of coral reef fishes that suggests some fishes might be exceptionally vulnerable to environmental change. A new study shows plank
Scientists say stable seafood consumption amongst the world’s poorer coastal communities is linked to how local habitat characteristics influence fishing at different times of the year. In the co
An international group of scientists is predicting markedly different outcomes for different species of coral reef fishes under climate change – and have made substantial progress on picking the ‘
New research has found as climate change causes the world’s oceans to warm, baby sharks are born smaller, exhausted, undernourished and into environments that are already difficult for them to survi
Abstract: The vast majority of reef fishes have a life history consisting of a pelagic larval phase of typically 20 to 60 days, followed by larval settlement where they remain through their juvenile a
Abstract: Social networks have been and remain important across the Pacific Islands, and beyond, for building and maintaining social-ecological resilience. However, there is little quantitative infor
Abstract: The global conservation community is comprised of a range of organisations, processes, and professionals. Given the diversity of these actors, and the complexity of the systems that conser
Abstract: Seasons create a rhythm in nature and, by extension, in the lives of people who depend directly on natural resources. However, our understanding of how seasons affect the ways that people
Abstract: Oceanic shark populations have declined 77% over the past 60 years as a result of overexploitation in fisheries. However, sustainable shark management is limited to a few developed nations
Abstract: Vertigo3 is a new class of small, fast and agile ‘true-flight’ underwater glider, purposely designed for robotic, artificial intelligence-assisted broadscale marine surveys, and capable
Abstract: Recurrent marine heat waves are leading to widespread coral bleaching, transforming the structure and function of tropical coral reefs. Past bleaching events have highlighted large variatio
Abstract: Shallow-water tropical seascapes typically include a range of habitat types such as coral reefs, mangroves, macroalgal and seagrass beds. These habitats can occur in close proximity and are
ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies
James Cook University Townsville
Queensland 4811 Australia
Phone: 61 7 4781 4000
Email: info@coralcoe.org.au