This metadata is a brief overview of the National Environmental Research Program Tropical Ecosystems (NERP TE) Hub and a metadata parent record for all datasets and projects developed as part of this research program. The National Environmental Research Program (NERP) ran from July 2011 through to Dec 2014 and provided around $20 million each year for environmental research to improve our capacity to understand, manage and conserve Australia's unique biodiversity and ecosystems through the generation of world-class research, and its delivery to Australian environmental decision-makers and other stakeholders. The Tropical Ecosystems Hub was the largest of the five NERP Hubs with 240 scientists from five major research institutions undertaking 38 projects across North and Far North Queensland and the Torres Strait. Research addressed critical issues for management, conservation and sustainable use of the World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef and its catchments, tropical rainforests including the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area, and land and sea assets on which the resilient communities in the Torres Strait depend. The TE Hub also undertook a dedicated knowledge brokering and communication and engagement program to ensure information was delivered to the right people in the right way through research-user engagement and our suite of communication products and reporting tools. The NERP built on lessons learned from the Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) which concluded in 2010. The successor to the NERP is the National Environmental Science Program (NESP). Research products from the NERP TE Hub are available from the nerptropical.edu.au website and the eAtlas.

Long-term social and economic monitoring helps reef managers understand the current status of marine park users, industries and communities. It also helps build a picture of how industries and communities are likely to respond and cope with changes associated with environmental degradation, climate change, regulatory frameworks, and changes in culture. It can also assist in evaluating the effectiveness of management interventions.This project will establish and collect a unique data set that documents long-term social and economic trends in communities and users of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). In 2011-12 a number of existing datasets were collated and relevant information extracted. Additionally data gaps were identified, which then formed the primary survey questions. In 2012-13 and 2013-14 primary data will be collected via surveys conducted on mini iPads from Bundaberg to Cooktown. Outcomes of this project include: * Providing GBR management and industries with better access to social and economic information necessary for planning purposes. * Strong liaison with GBR stakeholders on the social and economic status of the region. * An annual snapshot of the social and economic indicators for the entire GBR region.

This project will continue a unique data set that documents long-term trends in coral reef communities of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). In 2012-13 and 2014-15 the LTMP will resurvey the ‘core’ reefs that have been surveyed since 1992. The AIMS LTMP has made intensive surveys of 47 ‘core’ reefs since 1992. The survey reefs are stratified by latitude and position across the GBR lagoon so as to give broad geographic coverage. Divers make intensive surveys on marked transects in one habitat on the selected reefs and the perimeters of the reefs are also surveyed by manta tow to assess densities of crown-of-thorns starfish and estimate reef-wide coral cover. Additional reefs are surveyed by manta tow to give broad-scale information on coral cover, bleaching, coral disease, etc., as well as crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks. Because of concern for their conservation status, reef sharks will also be counted during manta tow surveys. Outcomes of this project include: Updates on status and temporal trends in coral, fish and crown-of-thorns starfish populations on survey reefs, report on recovery rates and resilience of reefs after cyclones in 2009-2011, report on crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks on the GBR and publications on coral and fish dynamics in relation to management and environmental drivers.

The project aims to monitor and study dugongs, dolphins, and turtles along the coast of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) by conducting key tasks such as data collection, analysis, and reporting. This project will monitor and study dugongs, dolphins and turtles along the coast of the GBRWHA with the following key tasks: Determine the distribution and status of inshore dolphins in the northern Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) by identifying likely important habitats based on collaboration with Tradition Owners and published information, then conduct line transect surveys (along with biopsy samples) in the Cardwell area (Girringun) and Bathurst Bay (far northern GBR). Perform aerial surveys of Dugongs from the region from the southern boundary of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA) to Cooktown (2011/2012) and from Cooktown north in late 2013. Perform at least two field trips per year between 2011 and 2014 to collect samples of skin (turtle and dugong), feces (dugong) and marine flora (seagrass, algae and mangrove species) to examine foraging dynamics and ecosystem role of green turtles and dugongs in algal and seagrass based ecosystems of the GBRWHA (coastal zone from Bowen to Cardwell). The project will also work with Traditional Owners to improve conservation of these species of conservation concern and high cultural value. Change log: 2024-05-29 - added an interactive map link to the eAtlas maps showing the project activity (points and lines).

Having ready access to the best available information, scientific knowledge and data is vital for evidence based environmental management and for science that builds on the prior work of others. The eAtlas is a web based knowledge and data management system for environmental research data. Its systems ensure that data is discoverable, publicly accessible and preserved for the future. This project will allow the eAtlas team to work with NESP TWQ researchers to: * Assist and support them with data management guidance and training. * Ensure that hub data is well documented, accessible and reusable now and into the future. * Visualize spatial data allowing its use by management without specialized GIS software. This project will also engage stakeholders to establish and implement refinements to the eAtlas systems to remove existing barriers to its broader use.

This project will examine the status, diversity and condition of mangroves and freshwater habitats in the Torres Strait. This will provide a baseline against which future changes can be assessed and will also enable planning for adaptation to potential sea level rise/increased storm surge. The project builds on Torres Strait Islanders’ knowledge and understanding of mangrove habitats, with scientists working in partnership with Traditional Owners. This project will: Undertake a baseline survey of the status and condition of mangroves and freshwater wetland habitats in Torres Strait based on a combination of aerial imagery and on-ground surveys, including documenting species present and identifying the presence of exotic species. Where feasible, document knowledge of selected communities about their uses of mangrove and freshwater habitats and provide management advice for these habitats, where required. Assess mitigation options for mangroves, protection/management/rehabilitation needs, and climate change-related adaptive strategies.

The eAtlas is a free public website (http://eatlas.org.au) that brings together environmental research data and knowledge from multiple organizations and research programs into one place. It ensures that research data is discoverable, well documented, accessible and reusable now and into the future. In goal of this project was for the eAtlas team to work with National Environmental Science Program Tropical Water Quality (NESP TWQ) hub researchers to: Assist and support them with data management. Ensure that data produced by the hub projects was published through the eAtlas. Provide online visualization of the hub's spatial datasets. The eAtlas also worked closely with the GBRMPA: Reef knowledge team on the development of a prototype information delivery system for the Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (RIMReP).

The Flinders CMR AUV survey was a pilot study undertaken in June 2013 as part of the National Marine Biodiversity Hub's National monitoring, evaluation and reporting theme. The aim of this theme is to develop a blueprint for the sustained monitoring of the South-east Commonwealth Marine Reserve Network. The particular aim of the survey was to contribute to an inventory of the distribution and cover of epibenthic biota in the reserve using IMOS AUV 'Sirius'. Data contained here represents a scored subset of the ~ 36,700 images collected at the Flinders CMR. Images were scored for proportion cover of visible macrobiota using 25 random points superimposed on each image. Taxon were biologically classified using CATAMI (http://catami.org/).

This project involved an assessment of all existing and potential sources of pollution to the Torres Strait marine environment. This was combined with information on water movement patterns to assess the hazard (and to some degree risk) of these pollutant sources to marine ecosystems and public health. This project was predominantly a desktop study with some field work to sewage treatment plants, and other point sources of potential pollutants. This project: 1. Collated information regarding Torres Strait water quality pollutant sources at a range of scales (regional to local). Developed a better knowledge of water circulation patterns in the Torres Strait region through the development of a fine-scale model based on the Slim model. Developed a hazard assessment of the sources of pollutants that affect marine ecosystems and public health in the Torres Strait region. This will form the basis of recommendations to management authorities to prioritise investment and political action to minimise pollution and public health/marine ecosystem damage. Established recommendations for a water quality monitoring program for the Torres Strait region, designed to assess the status of water quality and measure the effectiveness of pollution management actions.