Digital Commons Network^™

Bioturbation In Estuarine Sediments: Modelling Macrofauna-Mediated Oxygen Dynamics, Xiaoyu Fang

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The aim of this thesis was to provide a comprehensive examination of the roles of macrofauna in estuarine biogeochemistry by adopting a multidisciplinary field and laboratory-based approach and integrating species distribution modelling with biomass-dependent ecosystem function relationships. Eventually, an ecosystem management tool to provide insights into the ecological consequences of anthropogenic disturbance in estuaries was developed using the Western Scheldt as a model system. To establish a baseline understanding of the spatio-temporal patterns of macrobenthos (activities) and ecosystem functioning in the Scheldt estuary, a seasonal survey was carried out during four consecutive seasons in 2015 and 2016, sampling three habitats …

The Dietary Bioaccumulation And Detection Of Engineered Nanosilver In Fish, Nathaniel Clark

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Emerging contaminants, including engineered nanomaterials (ENMs), need to undergo environmental risk assessment, whereby they are tested for properties of persistence in the environment, toxicity or bioaccumulation. To date, little data exists for the bioaccumulation of ENMs in animals, particularly fish, with a focus on alternative methods to in vivo testing. Also, interpretation of data for hazard assessment is hampered by the lack of routine methods to detect the form of materials in the tissues following exposure. Therefore, there were three main aims to the thesis; the first was to determine the dietary accumulation of ENMs into fish, using a tiered …

Human Impacts On Oligotrophic Marine Ecosystems: Case Studies From Cyprus, Mediterranean Sea, Demetris Kletou

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Highly oligotrophic marine waters cover about a third of the Earth’s surface and have diverse communities that are affected by multiple stressors, such as ocean acidification, warming, marine litter, pollution, overfishing. The low nutrient Mediterranean Sea has high biodiversity and endemism but is heavily impacted by these human pressures and a recent major influx of invasive alien species that compete, predate and infect indigenous species. Aquaculture effluents and eutrophication alter water quality and add pressure on coastal ecosystems that are already subject to habitat loss and degradation due to coastal developments. This PhD dissertation reviews human impacts on highly oligotrophic …

Assessing The Exposure And Behavioural Response Of Grey Seals (Halichoerus Grypus) To Shipping Noise, Leah Trigg

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Marine mammals use sound to drive vital life functions such as communication, foraging and navigation, but the underwater soundscape upon which they rely is changing. Growth in global trade and manufacturing has driven a dramatic increase in the number and size of ships in the commercial fleet. These ships generate chronic underwater noise which has been associated with a number of negative ecological effects such as auditory damage, changes in behaviour and stress. As a result, regulatory bodies have recognised underwater noise as a pollutant. However, there is still a lack of data relating to the noise levels experienced by …

Applying Long Temporal Scale Plankton Data To Marine Strategy Development Under Climate Change, Jacob Bedford

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Assessing changes in the state of marine biodiversity is critical for underpinning sustainable marine management. As the cumulative effects of multiple anthropogenic pressures on marine ecosystems are increasingly understood, and the importance of marine ecosystems in providing goods and services to society is increasingly recognised, marine management frameworks are transitioning towards an ecosystem-based approach, explicitly addressing biodiversity change. Under the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD), biodiversity indicators are used to assess the state of marine ecosystems against defined targets. Plankton communities are a key component of these biodiversity assessments and indicators for both phytoplankton and zooplankton are used to …

Disease Ecology Of Two Emerging Amphibian Pathogens In Costa Rica, Felicity Jennifer Wynne

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The emergence of infectious diseases is increasing globally, whilst biodiversity is being lost at an unprecedented rate. The amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis) has driven the extinction of more species than any other known pathogen. This loss was particularly severe among Neotropical amphibians, with several infamous extinctions from Costa Rica. Although chytrid has been attributed to all enigmatic population declines in Costa Rica, its presence has only been investigated from a few populations. Alongside chytrid, another pathogen, ranavirus (Ranavirus spp.), is considered a significant threat to amphibian populations. Very little is known about ranaviruses outside of temperate regions, but its …

Driven To Distraction? Behavioural Impacts Of Anthropogenic Noise On The European Hermit Crab Pagurus Bernhardus From Individual To Group Level, Svenja Tidau

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Human activities are altering the planet at an unprecedented scale and pace, ranging from effects on global systems such as climate and carbon cycles to localised but globally wide-spread exposure to anthropogenic pollution such as noise. Anthropogenic noise is an example of human-induced rapid environmental change (HIREC) which can mask, distract and disrupt natural stimuli and sensory-cognitive processes. Since HIREC can alter the sensory environment of animals, and how they detect and process information from their biotic and abiotic environment to make accurate decisions, this process has been termed sensory pollution. While growing evidence shows detrimental effects on across taxa, …

Development Of Autochthonous Probiotic Candidates For Tilapia Aquaculture, Rungtawan Yomla

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

This programme of work sought to develop autochthonous probiotic solutions for tilapia aquaculture. Initial work began with the isolation of isolate 34 bacterial cultures from the tilapia intestine, which were tested for probiotic potential in vitro. Fifteen isolates displayed positive probiotic properties in in vitro assays. The selection of high potential probiotic candidates was based on multi-parameter properties using the Z−score method, which ranked isolates identified as Bacillus sp. CHP02 (Z score = 1.48), Bacillus sp. RP01 (1.14) and Bacillus sp. RP00 (1.09) as having the greatest potential. These isolates, along with Enterobacter sp. NP02 (0.50), were then assessed for …

Phaeovirus Infections In Kelp, Dean Andrew Mckeown

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The latent dsDNA viruses of the genus Phaeovirus (family Phycodnaviridae, clade Nucleo-cytoplasmic Large DNA Viruses; NCLDVs) employ genome integration in their brown algae hosts (class Phaeophyceae). The only phaeoviruses described in detail infected the order Ectocarpales, though Phaeovirus major capsid protein (MCP) occurs in 4 kelp (order Laminariales) species. Phaeoviruses are a major knowledge gap because brown algae are ecologically and economically important and have independently evolved complex multicellularity. This study aimed to investigate kelp Phaeovirus morphology, evolution, host range, distribution, host impacts, and genomics. Microscopy of Laminaria digitata gametophytes revealed particles and cell morphology typical of Phaeovirus infections. This …

Marine Invasive Species: Fluorescence Applications For Ballast Water Regulatory Compliance And Use Of Freshwater As A Biosecurity Tool For Biofouling, Maria Cecilia Trindade De Castro

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The present thesis addresses the role of shipping as an unintentional and very efficient pathway for spreading aquatic non-native species around the globe, through two major vectors: ballast water and biofouling. The challenge with ballast water is that a myriad of organisms are transported across natural barriers before dispersal, transcending biogeographic regions and this wholesale movement of marine life contributes to the spread of diseases and to the homogenization of coastal habitats. The United Nations nominated the issue as one of the four greatest threats to the oceans, causing extremely severe environmental, economic and public health impacts. This research is …

Microplastic Abundance, Distribution And Composition In The Atlantic And Arctic Oceans, La Daana Kanhai

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Microplastics are ubiquitous, persistent particles that are capable of posing a threat to organisms that inhabit or depend upon marine ecosystems. Understanding the origin, transport pathways and fate of these particles in the ocean is fundamentally important when evaluating the risks associated with such particles to marine organisms. In the Atlantic Ocean, the Canary and Benguela Upwelling Ecosystems are regions of high primary productivity which sustain large commercial fisheries. The influence of oceanic phenomena such as upwellings on microplastic abundance, distribution and composition remains unknown. Any microplastics that are present within such upwelling ecosystems can potentially interact with the associated …

Ever-Widening Circles: Consolidating And Enhancing Wirlomin Noongar Archival Material In The Community, Clint Bracknell, Kim Scott

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Returning archival documentation of endangered Indigenous languages to their community of origin can provide empowering opportunities for Indigenous people to control, consolidate, enhance and share their cultural heritage with ever-widening, concentric circles of people, while also allowing time and space for communities to recover from disempowerment and dislocation. This process aligns with an affirming narrative of Indigenous persistence that, despite the context of colonial dispossession, can lead to a positive, self-determined future. In 2007, senior Noongar of the Wirlomin clan in the south coast region of Western Australia initiated Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Inc., an organisation set up to …

Being A Bad Vegan, Lelia Green

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

According to The Betoota Advocate (Parker), a CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation) paper has recently established that “it takes roughly seven minutes on average for a vegan to tell you that they’re vegan” (qtd. in Harrington et al. 135). For such a statement to have currency as a joke means that it is grounded in a shared experience of being vegan on the one hand, and of encountering vegans on the other. Why should vegans feel such a need to justify themselves? I recognise the observation as being true of me, and this article is one way to …

High-Rise Apartments And Urban Mental Health—Historical And Contemporary Views, Danica-Lea Larcombe, Eddie Van Etten, Alan Logan, Susan L. Prescott, Pierre Horwitz

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

High-rise apartment buildings have long been associated with the poor mental health of their residents. The aims of this paper are to examine whether this connection is necessarily so, by reviewing the evidence relating to the relationships between high-rise living and social wellbeing, occupant’s stress levels, and the influence they have on mental health. From selected literature, psychological stress and poor mental health outcomes of the populations that live in high-rise apartments are indeed apparent, and this is particularly so for apartments in poor neighbourhoods. Yet many apartments in developed cities are in affluent areas (particularly those with views of …

The Prospect Of 'Chindia' As A World Power, Jonathan D. James

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

A significant global development in the first decade of the 21st Century has been the rise of several nationshitherto not considered key players in the international scene. The following up and coming nations have recentlybeen grouped respectively as BRIC and BASIC: Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC); and Brazil, South Africa,India, and China (BASIC) (Wilson & Purushothaman, 2003). Noticeably, the two nations featured in both thesegroupings are China and India. China’s and India’s meteoric rise to the global arena, and the sheer magnitude oftheir populations, has led some scholars to assert that there is an ‘irresistible’ shift of global power …

Psychometric Properties Of The Perma Profiler For Measuring Wellbeing In Australian Adults, Jillian Ryan, Rachel Curtis, Tim Olds, Sarah Edney, Corneel Vandelanotte, Ronald Plotnikoff, Carol Maher

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction This study evaluated the psychometric properties of the PERMA Profiler, a 15-item self-report measurement tool designed to measure Seligman’s five pillars of wellbeing: Positive emotions, Relationships, Engagement, Meaning, and Accomplishment. Methods Australian adults (N = 439) completed the PERMA Profiler and measures of physical and mental health (SF-12), depression, anxiety, stress (DASS 21), subjective physical activity (Active Australia Survey), and objective activity and sleep (GENEActiv accelerometer). Internal consistency was examined using Cronbach’s alpha and associations between theoretically related constructs examined using Pearson’s correlation. Model fit in comparison with theorised models was examined via Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results Results indicated …

Engaging And Partnering With Aboriginal And Torres Strait Islander Parents And Caregivers, Simone White, Peter Anderson, Graeme Gower, Matt Byrne, Maria Bennet, Alison Quin, Anna Darling

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The Engaging and partnering with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander parents and caregivers two-year project has culminated in a unique interactive website (see www.yourstoryourjourney.net) that houses a number of learning and teaching tools, strategies and resources designed to support all those working to improve the educational success of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in schools, Australia’s First Nations peoples. It is intended to be used in teacher education programs (pre-service and in-service), by teachers and school leaders, and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. The resource has been created to help all educators form relationships and partnerships with …

Home Childbirth Among Young Mothers Aged 15-24 Years In Nigeria: A National Population-Based Cross-Sectional Study, Emmanuel O. Adewuyi, Vishnu Khanal, Yun Zhao, Lungcit David, Olasunkanmi D. Bamidele, Asa Auta

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Objective To estimate the prevalence and identify factors associated with home childbirth (delivery) among young mothers aged 15–24 years in Nigeria. Design A secondary analysis of cross-sectional data from the 2013 Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS). Setting Nigeria. Participants A total of 7543 young mothers aged 15–24 years. Outcome measure Place of delivery. Results The prevalence of home delivery among young mothers aged 15–24 years was 69.5% (95% CI 67.1% to 71.8%) in Nigeria—78.9% (95%CI 76.3% to 81.2%) in rural and 43.9% (95%CI 38.5% to 49.5%, p < 0.001) in urban Nigeria. Using the Andersen’s behavioural model, increased odds of home delivery were associated with the two environmental factors: rural residence (adjusted OR, AOR: 1.39, 95% CI 1.06 to 1.85) and regions of residence (North-East: AOR: 1.97, 95% CI 1.14 to 3.34; North-West: AOR: 2.94, 95% CI 1.80 to 4.83; and South-South: AOR: 3.81, 95% CI 2.38 to 6.06). Three of the enabling factors (lack of health insurance: AOR: 2.34, 95% CI 1.16 to 4.71; difficulty with distance to healthcare facilities: AOR: 1.48, 95% CI 1.15 to 1.88; and < 4 times antenatal attendance: AOR: 3.80, 95% CI 3.00 to 4.85) similarly increased the odds of home delivery. Lastly, six predisposing factors—lack of maternal and husband’s education, poor wealth index, Islamic religion, high parity and low frequency of listening to radio—were associated with increased odds of home delivery. Conclusions Young mothers aged 15–24 years had a higher prevalence of home delivery than the national average for all women of reproductive age in Nigeria. Priority attention is required for young mothers in poor households, rural areas, North-East, North-West and South-South regions. Faith-based interventions, a youth-oriented antenatal care package, education of girls and access to health insurance coverage are recommended to speed up the reduction of home delivery among young mothers in Nigeria.

Population Data Centre Profile - The Western Australian Data Linkage Branch, Steve Hodges, Tom Eitelhuber, Alexandra Merchant, Janine Alan

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Established in 1995, the Western Australian Data Linkage Branch (DLB) is Australia’s longest running data linkage agency. The Western Australian Data Linkage System (WADLS) employs an enduring linkage model spanning over 60 data collections supported by internally developed and supported software and IT infrastructure. DLB has delivered, and continues to deliver, a range of significant data linkage innovations, many of which have been adopted elsewhere. A current restructure within the Western Australian Department of Health (which we will refer to as the Department of Health) will provide an improved funding model geared toward addressing issues with staff retention, capacity and …

The Sources And Fate Of Plastic Entering The Marine Environment, Imogen Napper

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

Plastics can come in many forms and bring a wide range of societal benefits in healthcare, agriculture, transport, construction and packaging. However, plastic is a large proportion of marine litter and an internationally recognised pollutant. Marine litter results from the indiscriminate disposal of waste items that are either directly or indirectly transferred into aquatic environments. This debris can cause harmful effects for wildlife, commercial fisheries, maritime industries, tourism and human well-being (Chapter 1). Over the past decade, increased scientific interest has produced an expanding knowledge base for plastic contamination in the environment. However, fundamental questions and issues remain unresolved. This …

Bioturbation In Estuarine Sediments: Modelling Macrofauna-Mediated Oxygen Dynamics, Xiaoyu Fang

School of Biological and Marine Sciences Theses

The aim of this thesis was to provide a comprehensive examination of the roles of macrofauna in estuarine biogeochemistry by adopting a multidisciplinary field and laboratory-based approach and integrating species distribution modelling with biomass-dependent ecosystem function relationships. Eventually, an ecosystem management tool to provide insights into the ecological consequences of anthropogenic disturbance in estuaries was developed using the Western Scheldt as a model system. To establish a baseline understanding of the spatio-temporal patterns of macrobenthos (activities) and ecosystem functioning in the Scheldt estuary, a seasonal survey was carried out during four consecutive seasons in 2015 and 2016, sampling three habitats …

Variation In Sexual Dimorphism In A Wind-Pollinated Plant: The Influence Of Geographical Context And Life-Cycle Dynamics, Gemma Puixeu, Melinda Pickup, David L. Field, Spencer C. H. Barrett

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Understanding the mechanisms causing phenotypic differences between females and males has long fascinated evolutionary biologists. An extensive literature exists on animal sexual dimorphism but less information is known about sex differences in plants, particularly the extent of geographical variation in sexual dimorphism and its life‐cycle dynamics.

Here, we investigated patterns of genetically based sexual dimorphism in vegetative and reproductive traits of a wind‐pollinated dioecious plant, Rumex hastatulus, across three life‐cycle stages using open‐pollinated families from 30 populations spanning the geographic range and chromosomal variation (XY and XY₁Y₂) of the species.

The direction and degree of sexual …

Introducing The First Whole Genomes Of Nationals From The United Arab Emirates, Habiba S. Alsafar, Mariam Al-Ali, Gihan Daw Elbait, Mustafa H. Al-Maini, Dymitr Ruta, Braulio Peramo, Andreas Henschel, Guan K. Tay

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) provides an in depth description of genome variation. In the era of large-scale population genome projects, the assembly of ethnic-specific genomes combined with mapping human reference genomes of underrepresented populations has improved the understanding of human diversity and disease associations. In this study, for the first time, whole genome sequences of two nationals of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at >27X coverage are reported. The two Emirati individuals were predominantly of Central/South Asian ancestry. An in-house customized pipeline using BWA, Picard followed by the GATK tools to map the raw data from whole genome sequences of …

Capacitive Sensor And Its Calibration: A Technique For The Estimation Of Solid Particles Flow Concentration, Usama Abrar, Liu Shi, Nasif R. Jaffri, Qin Li, Mian W. Omar, Hassan R. Sindhu

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The precise and accurate measurement of flow rate in the batch flow of the solid particles is of primary importance in many process industries for the improvement of the efficiency of the system. Many techniques developed for the measurement of mass flow rate. The capacitive sensors has a significance of being non-invasive, higher accuracy and low cost for mass flow measurement despite the fact that many factors adversely affect the performance- including non-uniform flow, multiphase flow, temperature, pressure, and moisture in the solid particles. This paper covers preliminary investigations of the offline estimation of mass flow concentration based upon the …

Assessing The Utility Of Multiplexed Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry For Gluten Detection In Australian Breakfast Food Products, Haili Li, Utpal Bose, Sally Stockwell, Crispin A. Howitt, Michelle Colgrave

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune disorder triggered by the ingestion of gluten that is associated with gastrointestinal issues, including diarrhea, abdominal pain, and malabsorption. Gluten is a general name for a class of cereal storage proteins of wheat, barley, and rye that are notably resistant to gastrointestinal digestion. After ingestion, immunogenic peptides are subsequently recognized by T cells in the gastrointestinal tract. The only treatment for CD is a life-long gluten-free diet. As such, it is critical to detect gluten in diverse food types, including those where one would not expect to find gluten. The utility of liquid chromatography-mass …

False Image Injection Prevention Using Ichain, Mohiuddin Ahmed

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

The advances in information and communication technology are consistently beneficial for the healthcare sector. A trend in the healthcare sector is the progressive shift in how data are acquired and the storage of such data in different facilities, such as in the cloud, due to the efficiency and effectiveness offered. Digital images related to healthcare are sensitive in nature and require maximum security and privacy. A malicious entity can tamper with such stored digital images to mislead healthcare personnel and the consequences of wrong diagnosis are harmful for both parties. A new type of cyber attack, a false image injection …

Floral Display And Habitat Fragmentation: Effects On The Reproductive Success Of The Threatened Mass‐Flowering Conospermum Undulatum (Proteaceae), Nicola Delnevo, Eddie J. Van Etten, Margaret Byrne, William Stock

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

1. Fragmentation of natural vegetation is currently one of the largest threats to plant populations and their interactions with pollinators. Plant reproductive susceptibility to habitat fragmentation has been investigated in many species; however, the response of wild mass‐flowering species is poorly known, with research limited to mainly boreal plant species.
2. Here, we studied twelve remnant populations of the threatened mass‐flowering shrub Conospermum undulatum in the southwest Australian biodiversity hotspot, each presenting different population size, level of isolation, and floral display. We assessed the impact of fragmentation on (a) fruit and seed production; and (b) seed germination. To gain a deeper understanding …

Initial Field Testing Results From Building-Integrated Solar Energy Harvesting Windows Installation In Perth, Australia, Mikhail Vasiliev, Mohammad Nur-E-Alam, Kamal Alameh

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

We report on the field testing datasets and performance evaluation results obtained from a commercial property-based visually-clear solar window installation site in Perth-Australia. This installation was fitted into a refurbished shopping center entrance porch and showcases the potential of glass curtain wall-based solar energy harvesting in built environments. In particular, we focus on photovoltaic (PV) performance characteristics such as the electric power output, specific yield, day-to-day consistency of peak output power, and the amounts of energy generated and stored daily. The dependencies of the generated electric power and stored energy on multiple environmental and geometric parameters are also studied. An …

A Study Of The Food Environment At Australian Family Day Care, Ruth Wallace, Brennen Mills

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Overweight and obesity in childhood is a significant public health issue. Family day care (FDC) offers a setting where good eating habits can be nurtured in young children, yet often the food environment is unhealthy. This study aims to determine FDC educators’ knowledge and confidence about nutrition and the barriers and enablers to supporting healthy food environments. Australian FDC educators were recruited to a mixed methods study using self-administered e-surveys and qualitative in-depth interviews. The survey data (n = 188) revealed good knowledge about sugary foods, but poor knowledge of protein-rich foods. Nutrition knowledge was not associated with confidence …

Does Exercise Impact Gut Microbiota Composition In Men Receiving Androgen Deprivation Therapy For Prostate Cancer? A Single-Blinded, Two-Armed, Randomised Controlled Trial, Robert U. Newton, Claus T. Christophersen, Ciaran M. Fairman, Nicolas H. Hart, Dennis R. Taaffe, David Broadhurst, Amanda Devine, Raphael Chee, Colin I. Tang, Nigel Spry, Daniel A. Galvão

Research outputs 2014 to 2021

Introduction: A potential link exists between prostate cancer (PCa) disease and treatment and increased inflammatory levels from gut dysbiosis. This study aims to examine if exercise favourably alters gut microbiota in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for PCa. Specifically, this study will explore whether: (1) exercise improves the composition of gut microbiota and increases the abundance of bacteria associated with health promotion and (2) whether gut health correlates with favourable inflammatory status, bowel function, continence and nausea among patients participating in the exercise intervention.

Methods and analysis: A single-blinded, two-armed, randomised controlled trial will explore the influence of a …