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Australian Museum Report from RACAC to the Australian Museum Trust on the implementation of the Science Research Strategy, 2007-2012 for the period: 1July 2007- April 2008 1 Table of Contents Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………….4 Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………. …...8 Program 1 Addressing knowledge gaps and problems in understanding the biota in Australasian marine environments.……………………………………………………….....10 Program 2 Addressing knowledge gaps and problems in understanding the biota in Australian terrestrial and freshwater environments…………...…………………………..14 Program 3 Increasing our understanding of the genetic variation in key taxa (species) of the Australasian and Indo-Pacific biota………………………………………………………….………17 Program 4 Origin, evolution and biogeography of the biota of the Indo- Pacific and Australasian region. …………………………………………………………………...….21 Program 5 Understanding human impacts on the Australian biota…………………………………………….....24 Program 6 Investigating human cultures and communities over time in the diverse and changing environments of Australia and the Pacific Region………………………………27 Program 7 Linking intangible and tangible heritage……...……………………………………………………....30 Program 8 Investigating extant and extinct faunas and environmental systems in the context of recent geological history to better forecast future changes………………………….......33 Appendixes 1. Research Stocktake – a listing of research areas/projects 2. Research Grants – Funding from July 2007- April 2008 3. Publications – July 2007 to April 2008 2 Abbreviations SF: Senior Fellow RA: Research Associate VCF: Visiting Collections Fellow VRF: Visiting Research Fellow PGA: Postgraduate Award recipient CHSI: Cultural Heritage & Science Initiatives Branch Definitions Taxonomy/ Alpha Taxonomy is the science of finding, describing and categorising organisms, thus giving rise to taxonomic groups or taxa (singular: taxon), which may then be named. Phylogeography is the study of the historical processes that may be responsible for the contemporary geographic distributions of genetic diversity. A geographic information system (GIS) is an information system for capturing, storing, analyzing, managing and presenting data which are spatially referenced. 3 Executive Summary The reporting process was also useful in bridging silos since it brought the researchers’ work This is the first annual report on research together as part of the programs. undertaken at the Australian Museum following the adoption of the Australian Museum's Science Research and Collections Advisory Committee Research Strategy, 2007-2012. The purpose of this Strategy being to set out the priorities for 28th July 2008 research aligned with the Museum's vision, purpose, context, research strengths and capabilities taking into account both state and Key Drivers national priorities. Program 1: Addressing knowledge gaps and The Strategy provides a framework for research, problems in understanding the biota in balancing existing research and collection Australasian marine environments. strengths with emerging issues and priorities. The research undertaken primarily addressed The Strategy recognises the drivers, both internal issues such as documenting biodiversity, invasive and external, which shape and influence the species and other environmental impacts in Museum's research activities; of note, the loss of marine environments. It aligned with both State biodiversity, climate change, the impact of and Commonwealth initiatives designed to invasive species and better outcomes for native achieve an environmentally sustainable country vegetation and fauna, land, rivers and coastal with well managed marine ecosystems. waterways all of which have been identified as Commonwealth Government, international and significant issues both for New South Wales and charitable research funding was awarded to nationally. The depth and scope of the undertake many of the projects. Museum's collections and its specialist research scientists and collection managers place the Species groups studied drew on the specialist Museum in a unique position to make a expertise of the research and collection staff, to significant contribution to these scientific provide an improved understanding of current challenges. Key drivers of each research program species diversity and distributions, and were used are noted in the following section of this to inform marine planning. For example, summary. amphipods, which are noted for their diverse ecological roles and as indicators of This report was considered by the Research and biogeographic and environmental change, were a Collections Advisory Committee (RACAC) at a key group investigated. Similarly, research on its meeting on 20 May, 2008 which was preceded larval fish dispersal increases our understanding by a meeting with senior research and collection of the spatial scale at which marine populations staff who had coordinated the preparation of this operate, and is fundamental to management of report. RACAC commends this report to the them both for fishery purposes, and also for the Australian Museum Trust noting that while the design and operation of marine protected areas. implementation of this Strategy and reporting on its implementation are evolutionary processes, Many of these projects involve national and the report highlights good progress in meeting international collaborations to develop the goals of the Research Strategy. Research interdisciplinary teams. Some of the studies have activities and outcomes are aligned with been collection-based, using existing collection government priorities and projects undertaken data and also further building the collections. generally address well the external and internal drivers identified in the Strategic Plan. RACAC is pleased with the productivity of the researchers. 4 Museum facilities which have been integral to morphologists, ecologists, geneticists and research in this program include Lizard Island information technologists and utilize key AM Research Station, and the DNA and Scanning research infrastructure (e.g., bioinformatics, Electron Microscope laboratories. geographic information system (GIS), scanning electron microscope (SEM), DNA lab). Program 2: Addressing knowledge gaps and problems in understanding the biota in Program 3: Increasing our understanding of the Australian terrestrial and freshwater genetic variation in key taxa (species) of the environments. Australasian and Indo-Pacific biota. It is not possible to measure human impact on The research undertaken involved collaborations biodiversity, or understand the significance of with external researchers and institutions, this loss unless there is knowledge of what species nationally and internationally. As genetic research are present in the NSW and Australian is expensive, it has largely been funded by environments, and what their relationships are to external funding sources. each other. Taxonomic and systematic research in this program has provided keystone information Research addressed significant New South Wales required to identify, manage and ameliorate loss issues such as the loss of biodiversity and the early of biodiversity. identification of invasive species, and the National Research Priorities ‘An environmentally This program has also used taxonomic sustainable Australia’ and ‘Safeguarding Australia’. knowledge, collection-based distributional data and community/species-specific ecological and The Museum contributed to building genetic data to assist land managers and policy international resources by joining the makers in making informed conservation and ‘International Barcode of Life’ project that aims management decisions, at both a landscape, and to systematize genetic identifications by on a species-specific scale. collecting sequence information from the same gene in all animals. This research also provides the rigorous and relevant framework required to identify potential Genetic approaches to monitoring biodiversity and detect actual invasive species, as well as and assisting resource-use planning for providing baseline data enabling the ongoing biodiversity conservation have focussed on impact of climate change to be monitored, Australian taxa. Studies have drawn on the modelled and predicted. Museum’s expertise in particular species groups to investigate how genetics can aid the This program is thus contributing to the conservation of endangered species, to provide achievement of a key goal of the NSW baseline information on natural geographic Government (as identified in the State Plan boundaries to monitor changes in species ‘Better environmental outcomes’) as well as a distribution caused by climate change. National Research Priorities for ‘An environmentally sustainable Australia’ and Genetic research by its nature has a strong ‘Safeguarding Australia’. collection focus and can be used to enhance the value of the museum’s collections for Most of the research in Program 2 involves understanding and solving emerging issues. collaboration between Museum staff and external Problems related to individual species or whole (often international) researchers and/or ecosystems have been addressed in this year’s institutions and is largely funded from external research, generally by bringing interdisciplinary sources. teams together including morphologists and geneticists. Most projects are collection/specimen based, bring together interdisciplinary teams including 5 The research for this program is mostly Research activities in this program
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