Three outstanding young scientists are receiving $21,000 to help save Australia’s ecosystems. The Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales announced the grant recipients today after assessing 49 applications from across Australia.
“These research projects will lead to tangible outcomes for the management of Australian ecosystems.” explained Associate Professor Peter Banks, President of the Royal Zoological Society.
Grant recipient, Dr Peter Macreadie of the University of Technology Sydney, is looking at the effects of climate change on marine ecosystems by examining seagrasses in Lake Macquarie and Tuggerah Lakes.
“This project will increase our understanding of the importance of genetic variability for achieving resilience in seagrass habitats and provide essential information for managing Australia’s estuarine ecosystems in preparation for climate change.” said Michael Kennedy, Director of the Humane Society International that is providing the funds for this research.
Gwenael Cadiou, from the University of Technology, aims to understand the linkages between different habitats and management zones within the marine park by determining fish movements among habitats and in and out of Sanctuary zones in the Jervis Bay Marine Park.
Ms Leonie Gale, CEO from the Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife is excited to be providing funding. “This research is world-first and essential. The carefully crafted, quantitative study of fish movements across marine parks will allow us to better understand how the parks are operating.”
The Paddy Pallin Foundation will be providing funds for research by Dr Nelika Hughes from the University of New South Wales. Dr Hughes will be examining the potential use of fire to regenerate urban remnants of Sydney’s endangered Eastern Suburbs Banksia Scrub ecological community. The scrub is highly fragmented and degraded and faces many threats, foremost of which are inappropriate fire regimes and damage by rabbits and rats.
“This research will gather information applicable to our broader understanding of the effects of fire and pests on Australia’s urban bushland remnant vegetation and invertebrates,” said Rob Pallin from the Paddy Pallin Foundation who initiated the grant program.
The next round of the Paddy Pallin Science Grants will open in May 2011, visit www.rzsnsw.org.au for details.
