Annual Report 2009
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2009 ANNUAL REPORT Cover Photo and above © Giles Winstanley / pelagicon.com CONTENTS ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR CORAL REEF STUDIES 09 ANNUAL REPORT 2 4 16 Vision 2 Director’s Report 4 Research 16 Aims 2 Management Structure 6 Researcher Profile: Overview 3 Governance 7 Professor Peter Mumby 33 Hon Virginia Chadwick 9 Graduate Training 34 Membership 10 Media and Public Outreach 44 Program Leaders 12 Business Leaders 15 47 56 66 International Coral Reef Publications 56 Performance Measures 66 Symposium 2012 47 Recognition of Excellence by Financial Statement 70 Symposium 2010 49 Centre Members 64 Acknowledgements 72 National Benefit Case Study 1 50 National Benefit Case Study 2 53 2009 ANNUAL report 1 Vision Global leadership in the provision of scientific knowledge necessary for sustaining the ecosystem goods and services of the world’s coral reefs. Aims The aims of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies are: Research The Centre’s research is world-best, innovative, and highly relevant to coral reef management and policy. Research Training and Professional Education The Centre attracts and trains outstanding coral reef scientists at all stages of career, to build human capacity and expertise in coral reef science world-wide. End-user and Community Linkages Transfer and exchange of knowledge, technologies and research outcomes by the Centre to end-users, industry and the wider community promotes co-operation and improves the management of coral reefs. National and International Linkages The ARC Centre, through its networks and activities nationally and internationally, represents a global hub for coral reef science collaborations. Management and Governance Centre management is collaborative, co-operative, multi-institutional, communicative and continuously improving. Commercial Activities Commercial activities and research contracts undertaken by the ARC Centre extend knowledge transfer, nationally and globally. 2 ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR CORAL REEF STUDIES © Giles Winstanley / pelagicon.com Overview The ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies was established in July 2005 under the ARC Centres of Excellence Program. Headquartered at James Cook University, the ARC Centre partnership includes the Australian Institute of Marine Science, the Australian National University, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, the University of Queensland, and the University of Western Australia which formally joined the Centre in 2009. The Centre has collaborative links to 345 institutions in 52 countries. Major research themes include adaptation to climate change, understanding and managing biodiversity, marine reserves, fisheries biology, genomics, conservation planning, social studies and governance and policy – in short, the basic and applied science that underpins the sustainable delivery of goods and services from the world’s coral reefs. 2009 ANNUAL report 3 DIRECtor’s REPORT Welcome to our 2009 annual report. A key Guinea and the Solomon Islands. Our website outcome for the year has been our commitment features a new list of links to 134 of the Centre’s to organize and host the next International publications featuring science undertaken within Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS) in Australia. the Coral Triangle (www.coralcoe.org.au/events/ Almost 3000 delegates attended the 11th ICRS ctiworkshop/pubscticountry10.pdf). In May, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, in 2008. The ICRS we provided expertise and advice at the World is the world’s largest and premier forum for Ocean Conference in Manado, Indonesia, where the dissemination and discussion of coral reef the six Coral Triangle nations launched an accord science, management and conservation. The for sustainable management of coral reefs ARC Centre made a major contribution to the across the region. During the year, the Centre 11th symposium, presenting 124 talks and provided briefings in Townsville on Coral Triangle posters during the 5-day event. We look forward research and on our capacity-building activities to co-hosting the 12th ICRS with James Cook to the Ambassadors and Consular Generals of University in the tropical city of Cairns in July Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon 2012 (see p.47). Islands, Timor-Leste, and the USA. The Centre’s publication output continued to We’ve had a very busy year providing advice grow rapidly this year, doubling since 2006. Our and services to governments, agencies and Non 224 publications in 2009 were co-authored by Government Organisations (NGOs) around the colleagues from 345 institutions in 52 countries, world. In February, Deputy Director Malcolm reflecting our extensive activities around the McCulloch and I joined colleagues from National world. Among this year’s publications is a Academies of Australia and nine other countries provocative multi-national study on planetary to write an Inter-Academy statement on ocean tipping points published in Nature, and a Policy acidification. The statement, timed in advance Forum article in Science magazine on missing of the Copenhagen United Nations Framework institutions for coping with trans-boundary issues Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) such as climate change and oceanic fisheries negotiations, summarizes the current state of the (see p.24). These trans-disciplinary studies will science, and is aimed at policy-makers. Deputy- be developed further by research programs 5, 6 Director Ove Hoegh-Guldberg was involved in and 7 in 2010. A new ISI Web of Science analysis Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change of journal publications and citations identifies our (IPCC) workshops in Venice and Geneva, and ARC Centre of Excellence as the premier climate provided UNFCCC briefings in Barcelona and change research institution in Australia, with Canberra. In September, I delivered a plenary James Cook University ranked 2nd in the world talk in Stockholm, at an international conference for citation impact (p.54). of environmental policy-makers, held under the auspices of the Swedish Presidency of the The ARC Centre’s fieldwork in 2009 was European Union. In Australia, Centre members undertaken in 23 tropical countries, with a major drafted sections of the national Climate Change ongoing focus in the Coral Triangle region to the Research Plan for marine biodiversity and north of Australia. The Centre expended over resources. The Plan provides a framework to $3 million this past year to support fieldwork guide research funding decisions for developing in the Philippines, Indonesia, Papua New effective adaptation strategies. In November, 4 ARC CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR CORAL REEF STUDIES the Centre was a major contributor to a underwater images to the global launch The membership of our Centre’s briefing on emission reduction targets, of a new ocean version of Google Earth Advisory Board will change in early 2010, provided to Australian Members of – which is designed to enable internet coinciding with the retirement from the Parliament and Senators, in Parliament users worldwide to explore more fully Board of Professors Mandy Thomas, House, Canberra. The Centre’s research the two thirds of the planet covered by Chris Cocklin and Max Lu (respectively, program summaries on pp.16-32 provide water. The Centre’s media coverage has the Deputy- and Pro-Vice Chancellors many more examples of similar activities continued to grow rapidly during 2009 – for Research at the Australian National in many countries throughout 2009. well over two thousand stories featuring University, James Cook University, the Centre’s research activities were and University of Queensland). I’d like Outreach activities during the year published or broadcast around the world to thank them all very much for their included our annual symposium, further in the past year (p.44). marvelous support. Sadly, one of our website development, and extensive inaugural Board members, the Hon. media uptake. This year’s 2-day The Centre welcomed a new node Virginia Chadwick died in 2009. A great symposium, entitled Securing Coral Reef in 2009, the University of Western champion for the Great Barrier Reef, Futures – linking ecosystems, societies Australia, following Deputy Director Virginia led the Great Barrier Reef Marine and economies was held in Brisbane in Malcolm McCulloch’s move there Park Authority from 1999-2007. In August, and was eloquently launched by Virginia’s honour we have established from Canberra to take up a prestigious Her Excellency, Ms Penelope Wensley, the The Virginia Chadwick Awards”, in Western Australian Premier’s Fellowship. “ the Governor of Queensland. Video recognition each year of five outstanding We’ve retained our node at the recordings of 35 talks, including a public publications written by ARC Centre of Australian National University, and forum, are posted at www.coralcoe.org.au Excellence graduate students. Please recruited Chris Fulton as a new Chief /events/symposium09/program.html. read our tribute to Virginia on p.9. Investigator. Membership of the Centre In October, members of the Centre met with Israeli marine scientists affiliated has been further enhanced by the award Lastly, I’d like to express my gratitude with the Inter-University Institute for of five prestigious ARC Fellowships to our many other friends around Marine Sciences, at a joint workshop during 2009 – two ARC Australian the world for their contributions to a hosted in Eilat by Professor Yossi Loya. Postdoctoral Fellowships (Natalie Ban, fourth outstanding year, especially my Our next coral reef symposium will be Nick