ProfessorVanessa Lucieer

Project Total: $0; The record of final Gondwana breakup and separation of Australia and Antarctica over the last ~90 million years is recorded on the seafloor immediately south of Tasmania. The tectonic separation created the Tasman Sea and the Southern Ocean, opening the Tasman Gateway and facilitating the onset of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The tempo and mechanics driving the separation were responsible for transforming ocean currents and contributed to stabilising the Antarctic ice-sheet. The details of the tectonic separation are not well understood due to a paucity of samples and geophysical data from this region. This science proposed for offshore southern Tasmania, will address this gap and investigate two bathymetric features in the South Tasman region; the South Tasman Seamounts (STS) and the LAtalante Depression (LAD). These features are the missing link in the Tasmania-Antarctica break up history. Bathymetric and other geophysical data collected over the STS and LAD will illustrate feature morphologies such as extinct mid ocean ridges or planated seamounts as evidence of paleo-tectonics and paleo-seamount height and sea level. Dredged rocks from these features will provide geochronology and geochemistry informing interpretation of the tempo of tectonic separation, and the mantle source, depth, and degree of melting. These data will be synthesised with existing knowledge and data. This research aims to: Understand the mechanism/s driving formation of the STS including the role of the Balleny Plume and tectonic rifting. Establish genetic and temporal relationships, if any, between STS, mainland Tasmania Cenozoic volcanism, Balleny Seamount chain and the LAD. Develop plate tectonic models to explain the evolution of the Tasmanian Gateway region, specifically the motions forming the LAtalante Depression between Tasmania, South Tasman Rise, and the East Tasman Plateau, as part of broader Antarctica-Australia tectonic rifting. Funded by: CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation - Grant-Marine National Facility; University of Tasmania ($19,842).

Project Total: $5,000,000; This proposal delivers a focused twoyear extension of the Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Science (ACEAS) to maximise national benefit from Australias recent major investments in Antarctic field programs. The project concentrates on quantifying climate risks arising from East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, with a particular emphasis on the DenmanShackleton glacier system, which has the potential to contribute up to ~1.5m to global mean sea level. Building on the established sevenuniversity ACEAS partnership funded by the Australian Research Council since 2020, the 20262028 program will prioritise the final analysis, synthesis and publication of unique datasets collected during the Denman Terrestrial Campaign and the Denman Marine Voyage, both supported by the Australian Antarctic Program. Activities will focus on integrated interpretation of marine and terrestrial observations, delivery of peerreviewed synthesis studies, and the development of new numerical modelling frameworks that link observations to future projections and downstream societal impacts. To provide scientific context and coherence, and ongoing national partnership, a limited level of broader ACEAS activity will be maintained to support cross-disciplinary synthesis across East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, where it directly informs the Australian Antarctic Science Decadal Plan priorities. The project will sustain critical capability through targeted support for early-career researchers, national-scale collaboration within the Australian Antarctic Program, and robust data stewardship in accordance with FAIR principles. The program will deliver highimpact scientific outputs, publicly archived datasets, and clear, authoritative communication of findings to policymakers, stakeholders and the wider community, strengthening Australias leadership in Antarctic science at a pivotal moment for understanding icesheet stability and sealevel rise. Funded by: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - Grant-Special Research Initiatives ($5,000,000); Australian National University ($40,000); University of Canberra ($35,486); University of New South Wales ($20,000); University of Western Australia ($20,000); Curtin University ($17,000); University of Tasmania ($130,000).

Project Total: $0; The Macquarie Island region is a topographically significant and dynamic region that lies at the confluence of several oceanographic fronts supporting a productive and diverse ecosystem as well as a specialised fishery. The importance of this region has been recognised through the designation of the Macquarie Island, Australian Marine Park (AMP); the only sub-polar AMP and one of only three AMPs nationally to contain a Sanctuary Zone. In addition, the Macquarie Island AMP includes the globally significant World Heritage Area and in 2023 the AMP was expanded to cover the entire EEZ. This project will fill key knowledge gaps identified by Parks Australia on the ocean environment, distribution and nature of seafloor features, habitats and natural values within the Macquarie Island MP. This will be achieved by targeted mapping and collecting marine imagery of the seafloor along the Macquarie Ridge and associated seamounts. The project will also examine the oceanographic fronts, the Subantarctic and Polar Fronts, that set the physical and biogeochemical environment for the ecosystem. The outputs of the project will enable the development of baselines and lay the foundations for a robust monitoring program to ensure that Marine Park management and monitoring objectives can be met. Funded by: CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation - Sea time on RV Investigator; University of Tasmania ($27,637).

Project Total: $2,276,655; The University of Tasmania, through the Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS), is preparing a response to a Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW) Approach to Market for the Maugean Skate Program Sediment Monitoring Project. This project forms part of the Australian Governments broader Maugean Skate recovery initiative and seeks to address priority knowledge gaps relating to environmental conditions in Macquarie Harbour, particularly sediment processes and habitat condition relevant to harbour oxygen dynamics and Maugean skate recovery. The proposed IMAS-led project will deliver an integrated sediment and benthic monitoring program combining methodology design, implementation, analysis, and reporting. Core components include quantification of sediment oxygen demand and associated benthic processes; assessment of sediment condition, sulphur cycling, and contaminant status (including metals and bioavailability associated with historical mining inputs); acquisition and integration of updated bathymetric and spatial environmental data; targeted assessment of prey availability relevant to Maugean skate ecology; and consolidation of environmental datasets to support broader recovery planning and environmental modelling. The work aligns strongly with existing IMAS capability and current Macquarie Harbour research activities, including the Oxygenation Offset Program for Macquarie Harbour (OOPMH) Science Project and IMAS long-standing Maugean skate research program. The proposed delivery model would bring together complementary IMAS expertise in marine ecology, sediment biogeochemistry, marine spatial science, and environmental monitoring, alongside specialist collaborators including CSIRO, Marine Solutions, and targeted technical advisors. IMAS would act as lead institution and contract manager, coordinating project governance, stakeholder engagement, field delivery, technical integration, and reporting. The project is expected to run over approximately 1821 months and represents a significant applied environmental research and delivery opportunity supporting Commonwealth environmental management and species recovery objectives in Macquarie Harbour. Funded by: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - Tender ($2,276,656); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $0; This project examines the interaction of volcanism, the marine biosphere and the oceans. It focuses on the Jan. 15th 2022 eruption of Hunga Tonga volcano. This eruption provides a unique opportunity for a step-change in modelling of submarine eruption, caldera formation, models for critical metal mineralisation, tsunami genesis ,and a test case for the recovery of faunal communities after impact. Funded by: CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation - Grant-Marine National Facility; University of Tasmania ($14,173).

Project Total: $181,818; This Bass Strait Benthic Habitat Mapping Project will contribute key components to RERI Project 14 - Mapping seabed geomorphology and marine benthic mapping of habitat values in the Bass Strait region (covering the Gippsland Declaration Area and the proposed Northern Tasmania Declaration Area) (RERI 14). Outputs from the RERI 14 project will be used to support environmental impact assessments and decision making under the EPBC Act for proposed offshore windfarms, and other offshore renewable energy developments in the region. Funded by: Geoscience Australia ($272,467); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $822,843; The statutory review of the Management Plans for Australian Marine Parks (AMPs), including the Coral Sea, is scheduled for 2028. To support this, data synthesis from the Marine and Coastal (MAC) Hub and other external work must be completed by 2026. This synthesis will integrate research findings from 2017 onwards into Parks Australia's processes in 2027. The MAC Hub has focused on understanding the status and trends of natural values within AMPs and improving socio-economic value estimates. Key NESP-funded projects, such as 4.20 and 4.21, are developing monitoring protocols and data frameworks for sentinel parks, which will receive more frequent monitoring. This project will consolidate park-level data to support the review process at the network level. National marine data platforms like SQUIDLE+, GlobalArchive, AODN, and Seamap Australia will provide essential summaries for user-friendly reports. These synthesis reports will offer network-level assessments, science outputs, and summaries of natural and socio-economic values, contributing to the AMP management plan reviews and potentially informing national State of the Environment and State of Parks reports. Funded by: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - Grant; CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation; University of Western Australia; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $14,790; The worlds reef habitats are changing due to climate change and a range of human impacts, but many of the flow on impacts to the fish and invertebrates supported by reef habitats are unknown and have been difficult to investigate at policy-relevant scales. Assessing such impacts not only requires data on reef habitats and associated biodiversity, co-located through space and time, but also an understanding on which elements of the habitat are most important for other reef life. Although change in reef fish communities, for example, have been linked to loss of foundation species like coral and kelp, the strength of observed impacts likely depend on how this loss is measured, i.e. the resolution of the habitat metrics used and the spatial scale of investigation. This project will use existing data from the National Reef Monitoring Network (NRMN), which include standardised underwater visual census observations of fishes and invertebrates that are co-located with habitat data and span tropical and temperate shallow reefs globally, as well as collect compatible new data that fill spatiotemporal data gaps. The NRMN habitat data have traditionally been underutilised but represent an opportunity to delineate patterns in reef habitat using finer-scale descriptors than habitat biotope or the total cover of all foundation taxa, to better recognise the differing life histories and contribution to ecosystem function of benthic species. Initial assessments will utilise in situ species-level habitat data and seafloor image-derived data from temperate and tropical reefs to assess the effect of using different habitat metrics to predict fish and invertebrate species abundances using structural equation modelling. Subsequent analyses will assess seafloor image data from tropical seas and assess the application of habitat metrics at different spatial scales, ultimately aiming to provide ecologically meaningful methodology for habitat classification. All analyses will contribute to assessments of change in reef communities across the globe. Funded by: Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment - Grant ($20,790); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $1,137,877; Parks Australia is implementing a management effectiveness framework for Australian Marine Parks (AMPs). This system will support the management of 48% of Australia's EEZ. The Marine and Coastal Hub has supported the development of Parks Australia's (PA) Management Effectiveness (ME) system. The ME system is designed to allow Parks Australia to test the effectiveness of the Australian Marine Park (AMP) system and ensure that AMPs are effectively and appropriately managed. PA have identified priorities for research to assist in the implementation of the ME system, to identify scientific outputs needed for network management and adapt to new issues in the marine environment through the Australian Marine Parks Science Plan. This project will deliver several of the key science needs identified in the plan and will draw on the combined expertise of the partners and scientists within the Marine and Coastal Hub to generate the outcomes which build onto extensive work previously delivered. The project will deliver the following four outputs required for the 2028 National AMP management plan review: Output 1: Test effectiveness of management arrangements through the development of monitoring protocols for tier 1 & 2 priority monitoring sites to assess management effectiveness. Output 2: Address emerging and increasing activities and pressures through improved knowledge transfer system, workflows for values and pressures assessments to enhance understanding of the status of AMPs, including the identification and characterization of the pressures and activities impacting them. Output 3: Identified and defined impacts and management options for emerging industries. Output 4: Increasing Parks understanding of the entire system, integrating AMPs data and approaches across different jurisdictions and agencies, and fostering collaborations to create this product. Funded by: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - Grant; University of Western Australia; James Cook University; CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation; Department of Primary Industries NSW; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $1,698,490; Parks Australia is launching a management effectiveness framework for Australian Marine Parks (AMPs), covering 48% of Australia's Exclusive Economic Zone. Key to the success of this framework is robust biological and ecological data to assess management performance. The project will collect data to measure natural value trends to allow for evaluation of management performance at various levels on the continental shelf regions of four AMPs, selected based on previous partnerships between Parks Australia and NESP. This project aligns with Parks Australias science plans, supporting adaptive management and addressing emerging threats. It follows best practices in marine sampling and monitoring protocols to systematically collect data that will offer trusted scientific evidence for decision-makers, aiding in effectively safeguarding the ecological integrity of these marine ecosystems. Funded by: Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water - Grant ($666,278); University of Tasmania ($176,044).

Project Total: $650,296; We seek to discover fundamental photobiological mechanisms underlying the ability of the extreme low-light algae that occur in sea ice to capture photons and successfully perform photosynthesis at record low irradiances. This will provide new insight into how photosynthesis, the only process capable of converting solar energy into living biomass, can operate on earth and elsewhere in the solar system, in places where the photon flux is barely sufficient to fix carbon. The project will explore the physiological acclimations, including changes in the pigment and light-harvesting compounds that broaden the spectrum over which light can be absorbed, that allow a cell to photosynthesise at miniscule photon fluxes. Funded by: Independent Research Fund Denmark - Grant; Aarhus Univeristy; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $1,989,625; This project involved a research voyage to conduct seismic reflection, marine geophysics and shallow coring to quantify the structure, volume, age and tsunamigenic potential of a gigantic slide off the western Tasmanian shelf. This grant application to the Marine National Facility is for ship time only. Funded by: CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation - Grant-Marine National Facility; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $560,303; Seagrass meadows are a dominant marine ecosystem of tayaritja (Furneaux group of Islands) in the north-eastern waters off Tasmania, with historical coarse mapping indicating extensive beds of Posidonia, Amphibolis, Hetreozostera and Zostera seagrass. The beds of Posidonia and Amphibolis are potentially some of the largest and deepest extents found in temperate waters of Australia. Lack of data on the distribution and ecological value of these seagrass habitats represents a significant knowledge gap in understanding Australian wetland natural assets that provide a range of ecological, social, cultural and economic values. This project aims to map the extent and ecological composition, population structure and blue carbon value of the seagrass beds around tayaritja in partnership with the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. This project will help managers and the Aboriginal communities to understand the significance of these seagrass meadows and understand how they may be monitored. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Grant-National Environmental Science Prgm (NESP) ($560,303); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $141,333; Brief project description: The key aim of this project is to work closely with Parks Australia to design and implement a process that: (i) identifies the knowledge, data and data product needs of decision makers; (ii) articulates the pathways and tools required to deliver data and data products that meet their decision making needs; and (iii) demonstrates empirical methods for estimating condition of priority marine park values, and wherever possible, management effectiveness of AMPs. Where roadblocks are identified that currently prevent the delivery of suitable data, we will identify and recommend how to resolve these roadblocks in a way that supports a seamless end-to-end process from data collection to knowledge transfer and decision support. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Grant-National Environmental Science Prgm (NESP) ($141,333); University of Tasmania ($21,552).

Project Total: $325,772; This project aims to fill in key information gaps in our knowledge of the extent and distribution seabed habitats for continental shelf regions of temperate Australia, with a focus on collecting and collating new observation information in temperate marine parks. The project will also develop data workflows, building on the previous mapping, that will allow the national ecosystem map in temperate regions to be rapidly updated as new information becomes available. The work builds on seabed mapping programs led through previous NESP Hubs and regional projects led by research institutions and State agencies, with seabed data collated and managed through initiatives such as SeaMap Australia and AusSeaBed. While detailed habitat mapping has been substantially advanced by State governments in many coastal regions (i.e. mostly with State jurisdictions), Commonwealth waters of the continental shelf typically lack detailed habitat maps and, at best, have coarse resolution bathymetric layers. The project will improve our understanding of the distribution and extent of habitats on the continental shelf in temperate Australia, with a particular focus on rocky reefs which represent important natural values in the Australian Marine Park networks. Funded by: Department of Agriculture Water and the Environment - Grant-National Environmental Science Prgm (NESP) ($325,772); University of Tasmania ($49,000).

Project Total: $0; Australia is a leader in east Antarctica, yet we have only a very limited understanding of the biodiversity of terrestrial, lake and coastal ecosystems of this area. This project aims to expand and enhance knowledge of the biodiversity of AAT and to make this information highly visible and accessible. BEAUT will survey areas in AAT that have not been visited or sampled, extend knowledge of our station areas, and consolidate historical biodiversity information. Field campaigns will utilise Australia's icebreaker RSV Nuyina, as well as deploying teams to coastal oases in east Antarctica and subantarctic Islands. Knowledge of biodiversity in space and time is vital for area protection and management, and will be made available through IDEA (Integrated Digital East Antarctica), including identification guides, a biodiversity atlas and database, and will contribute baseline data to EAMP (East Antarctic Monitoring Program). Funded by: Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth) - Grant-Australian Antarctic Science; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $22,302,208; The Centre will revolutionise predictions of the future of East Antarctica and the Southern Ocean. Changes in the Antarctic will be profoundly costly to Australia, including sea-level and fisheries impacts; but the speed and scale of future change remains poorly understood. A new national-scale and interdisciplinary Centre is required to understand the complex interactions of the ocean, ice sheets, atmosphere and ecosystems that will govern Antarctica's future. The Centre will combine new field data with innovative models to address Australia's Antarctic science priorities, train graduate students, develop leaders, engage the public, and enable major economic benefit as Australia adapts to climate change in the coming years and beyond. Funded by: Australian Research Council - Grant-Special Research Initiatives ($20,000,000); Australian National University ($975,664); University of New South Wales ($975,664); University of Melbourne ($87,720); University of Canberra ($87,720); University of Western Australia ($87,720); Curtin University ($87,720); University of Tasmania ($2,697,796).

Project Total: $217,278; Developing the Seamap Australia (www.seamapaustralia.org) platform to specifically meet the needs of users in Government and industry. This will be achieved through a workshop to identify knowledge gaps and stakeholder needs for efficient management, and developing the web platform based on user priorities. Expected outcomes include support for multidimensional management, increased efficiency and effectiveness of management decisions, and advanced higher research. Funded by: Department of Environment and Energy (Cwth) - Our Marine Parks Grant ($217,278); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $111,738; The work will conduct a high-resolution survey of rocky reefs in the 0- 40 m depth range on the rapidly warming east coast of Tasmania. It will produce data to create a high-resolution bathymetric map from which seafloor habitats can be defined. The acoustic survey will include water column data that allows for 3D estimates of vegetation cover to be quantified. Remotely operated vehicle video surveys will be used as a source of validation for acoustic discrimination and species identification. The data will be applied in models explaining the distribution and dynamics of reef associated species that are impacted by climate change (marine heatwaves) and invasive marine pests (Long spined sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii). Funded by: Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania - Abalone Industry Reinvestment Fund ($111,738); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $59,000,000; Ross Sea Region Ecosystem Dynamics (RSRED) will provide a foundation for projecting the response of the Ross Sea Region (RSR) ecosystem to 2C of warming , addressing three fundamental questions: (i) what are the key vulnerabilities of RSR marine and terrestrial ecosystems in a warming world; (ii) what ecosystem components are appropriate sentinels for detecting change; and (iii) what are the key processes connecting the inland cryosphere, coastal, shelf, slope, and open-ocean ecosystems? Funded by: Research Trust of Victoria University of Wellington - Antarctic Science Platform; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $45,532; The work will conduct a high-resolution survey of rocky reefs in the 0- 40 m depth range on the rapidly warming east coast of Tasmania between Eddystone Point and Tasman Island. It will produce data to create a high-resolution bathymetric map from which seafloor habitats can be defined. The acoustic survey will include water column data that allows for 3D estimates of vegetation cover to be quantified. Video surveys will be used as a source of validation for acoustic discrimination and species identification. The data will be applied in models explain the distribution and dynamics of reef associated species that are impacted by climate change (marine heatwaves) and invasive marine pests (Long spined sea urchin Centrostephanus rodgersii). These results will provide Tasmanian managers with vital data to underpin decision support tools for fine-scale ecosystem-based management, including ecosystem-based fishery management. The new survey data will provide a step change in the resolution of seafloor data for decision-support tools and be an exemplar nationally as a way forward for knowledge-based management of complex marine ecological systems. Funded by: Department of Premier and Cabinet - Climate Research Grants Program ($45,532); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $1,000,001; This project will develop an innovative, scientifically-supported, cost-effective methodology to differentiate the nature of the different gases, including greenhouse gases C02 and CH4, that rise from the seafloor into the ocean column as bubble clouds, using marine wideband frequency technology. Funded by: New Zealand Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment - Endeavour Fund - Smart Ideas Grant; National Institute for Water & Atmospheric Research; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $499,646; Marine spatial planning (MSP) has emerged in recent years as a tool for sea use management and helps with the difficult issue of managing multiple users accessing the same space. A process that brings together multiple users of the marine environment to make informed and coordinated decisions about how to use marine resources sustainably, MSP has been heralded as a means by which to reduce conflict over marine and coastal resources, and to assist regarding decisions about the impacts that one use may have on another, as well as the cumulative effects of a multi-use marine environment. Geographical information systems (GIS) have become an essential tool for informing the management of marine areas, especially through MSP. GIS allows the identification of regions of high and/or conflicting usage. A key step prior to the start of an MSP process is to define and analyse existing conditions, to collect and map appropriate information about the biophysical environment as well as human activities. This project addresses this key step. While much marine spatial data is already available through e.g. SeaMap (a national program to collate seafloor habitat data), there is a wealth of other information about the Tasmanian marine environment. Additional biophysical data may include e.g. currents or wave height. Human activity/use data may include e.g. dwellings, harbours, shipping lanes and fishing. This project will draw together spatially-resolved datasets required for ecosystem-based marine management using MSP, for Tasmanian State waters, and will identify gaps which may support future data collection campaigns. Furthermore, this project will investigate the development of simple overlay tools to identify trade-offs at various scales and resolutions of interest, and provide planning for database longevity to continue to assist ecosystem-based decision-making into the future. Funded by: Fisheries Research & Development Corporation - Grant-Annual Open Call Round ($499,646); University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $3,835,474; Our research will reveal how deep water benthic habitats are related to geomorphic features on the seafloor. Using advance marine sonar and deep under water video technology we will examine how different habitats are distributed across a variety of geomorphic structures within the Coral Sea Marine Park. The seafloor habitats in this marine park are poorly understood and given the recent release of the Australian Marine Park (AMP) rezoning it is particularly important to understand the variability of these habitats. We can use this data to compare to seamount habitats in temperate locations such as the Huon AMP. Funded by: CSIRO-Commonwealth Scientific & Industrial Research Organisation - Grant-Marine National Facility; University of Tasmania.

Project Total: $4,246,930; Storm Bay is identified in the Tasmanian Governments Sustainable Industry Growth Plan for the Salmon Industry as a priority area for the possible expansion of salmonid marine farming. The Government's intention is that the proposed developments would be managed under an adaptive management framework with the following pre-conditions: * A staged development approach, with an initial limit on feed input that would provide for 30,000 tonnes of production * A comprehensive environmental monitoring program * The development of a biogeochemical model, to help to understand i) the information provided by the environmental monitoring and ii) the effects of any changes to farming operations in the region. The work proposed in this study will support the design and implementation of an effective, efficient and reliable monitoring program, providing expert advice on sampling locations, timelines and strategies and testing this data over 3-4 years to refine and improve the program. This monitoring program will deliver observational data to directly assess environmental performance and to assist the skill assessment of the integrated 3D model being developed by CSIRO. A second key element of the proposal is to develop a lease scale module for predicting near scale effects; this would be nested and relocatable in the CSIRO modelling system. A comprehensive map of seafloor habitats and bathymetry will underpin the monitoring program and modelling efforts. Funded by: Fisheries Research & Development Corporation - Industry Partnership Agreements - IPA ($4,246,930); University of Tasmania.