CENTRE FOR RESEARCH ON ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS OF COASTAL CITIES
A COMMONWEALTH SPECIAL RESEARCH CENTRE
The University of Sydney
Theme 1B: Ecological patterns and processes in intertidal and subtidal soft-sediment habitats
Programme 1: Ecology in coastal habitats
Theme 1B: Ecological patterns and processes in intertidal and subtidal soft-sediment habitats

Local mangrove forests, salt marshes, mud-flats are habitats for a large variety of animals and plants about which relatively little is known. Apart from research into patterns and processes in these ecological systems and work on environmental impacts and restoration (see Programmes 2 and 3), members of the Centre are doing experimental work on the consequences of fragmentation of habitat, connections with and interactions between different estuarine habitats.

The Centre has many and diverse research projects on intertidal and subtidal soft sediments. To simplify your search, we have grouped projects and papers under this theme into two informal groups, but as in many informal groupings such as this, some research projects cross the boundary. They may therefore be listed in both groups.

Chemical recognition and fish shoaling - Honours Project

Feeding behaviours of the Black-Winged Stilt at Bicentennial Park - Honours Project

Fish only have a 3 second memory? Learning and Information use in Gambusia holbrooki - Honours Project

Processes involved in the breakdown of wrack in an urbanized estuary - Ph.D. project

Structure and function of mangrove forests and their associated mudflats

The importance of rain in the structure and functioning of intertidal sediments

For further information, see the following publications

Barros, F. (2002). Spatial variability in macrofaunal assemblages in shallow subtidal sandy habitats. Ph.D. thesis, University of Sydney.

Barros, F. (2001). Ghost crabs as a tool for rapid assessment of human impacts on exposed sandy beaches. Biological Conservation, Vol. 97, pp. 399-404.

Barros, F., A.J. Underwood & P. Archambault (2004). The influence of troughs and crests of ripple marks on the structure of subtidal benthic assemblages around rocky reefs. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 60(4), pp. 781-790.

Barros, F., A.J. Underwood & M. Lindegarth (2002). A preliminary analysis of the structure of benthic assemblages of surf-zones on two morphodynamic types of beach. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Vol. 82, pp. 353-357.

Barros, F., A.J. Underwood & M. Lindegarth (2001). The influence of rocky reefs on assemblages of benthic macrofauna in nearby soft-sediments. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 52, pp. 191-199.

Beck, M.W. (1998). Comparison of the measurement and effects of habitat structure on gastropods in rocky intertidal and mangrove habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 169, pp. 165-178.

Brookes, A.V. (2006). The management of intermittently closed and open lakes and lagoons in New South Wales. M. Quant. Mar. Ecol. thesis, University of Sydney.

Chapman, M.G. & P.B. Barnes (1997). Recreational use of Careel Bay, Report to Pittwater Council.

Chapman, M.G., K. Michie & T. Lasiak(2005). Responses of gastropods to changes in amounts of leaf litter and algae in mangrove forests. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Vol. 85, pp. 1481-1488.

Chapman, M.G. & T. Tolhurst (2004). The relationship between invertebrate assemblages and bio-dependent properties of sediment in urbanized temperate mangrove forests. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 304, pp. 51-73.

Chapman, M.G. & A.J. Underwood (2005). Biological monitoring of macrofauna in mangroves in Berowra Creek, Final Report for Hornsby Shire Council.

Chapman, M.G. & A.J. Underwood (1997). Concepts and issues in restoration of mangrove forests in urban environments. In: Frontiers in ecology: building the links, edited by N. Klomp & I. Lunt, Elsevier Science, Oxford, pp. 103-114.

Chapman, M.G. & A.J. Underwood (1997). Environmental studies of benthic assemblages in wetland habitats in Careel Bay, Final report to Pittwater Council.

Chapman, M.G. & A.J. Underwood (1997). Environmental studies of benthic assemblages in wetlands in Homebush Bay, Report No. 1: Assemblages in Bicentennial Park and reference locations, Report to the Olympic Co-ordination Authority.

Chapman, M.G. & A.J. Underwood (1997). Environmental studies of benthic assemblages in wetlands in Homebush Bay, Report No. 3: Remediation to improve tidal flushing adjacent to Haslam's Creek, Report to the Olympic Co-ordination Authority.

Chapman, M.G., A.J. Underwood & S. McCune (1997). Environmental studies of benthic assemblages in wetlands in Homebush Bay, Report No. 2: Assemblages in patchy and isolated mangrove forests, Report to the Olympic Co-ordination Authority.

Chapman, M. G. & A. J. Underwood (In press). Comparative effects of urbanization in terrestrial and marine habitats. In: Ecology of cities and towns: A comparative approach, edited by M. McDonnell, Cambridge University Press, Melbourne.

Chapman, M.G. and Tolhurst, T. J. (2007) Relationships between benthic macrofauna and biogeochemical properties at different spatial scales and among different habitats in mangrove forests. Austral Ecology 32: 775-788

Clynick, B.G. (1999). Mangroves as habitat for fish in Sydney Harbour. B.Sc. Honours thesis, University of Sydney.

Clynick, B.G. & M.G. Chapman (2002). Assemblages of small fish in patchy mangrove forests in Sydney Harbour. Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 53, pp. 669-677.

Crowe, T.P. (1997). The distribution of Terebralia palustris(Linne) with respect to microhabitat in mangrove forests of Darwin Harbour I Description of patterns. In: Proceedings of the sixth international marine biological workshop. The marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia, edited by J.R. Hanley, G. Caswell, D. Megirian & H.K. Larsen, Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory and Australian Marine Sciences Association, Darwin, pp. 425-433.

Crowe, T.P.& R.F. McMahon (1997). The distribution of Terebralia palustris(Linne) with respect to microhabitat in mangrove forests of Darwin Harbour II Experimental evaluation of behaviour. In: Proceedings of the sixth international marine biological workshop. The marine flora and fauna of Darwin Harbour, Northern Territory, Australia, edited by J.R. Hanley, G. Caswell, D. Megirian & H.K. Larsen, Museum and Art Galleries of the Northern Territory and Australian Marine Sciences Association, Darwin, pp. 435-443.

Cruz Motta, J.J., A.J. Underwood, M.G. Chapman & F. Rossi (2003). Benthic assemblages in sediments associated with intertidal boulder-fields. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 285-286, pp. 383-401.

Cummins, S.P., D.E. Roberts, P. Ajani & A.J. Underwood (2004). Comparisons of assemblages of phytoplankton between openwater and seagrass habitats in a shallow coastal lagoon. Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 55, pp. 447-456.

Dubula, O. & T.A. Lasiak (2003). Spatial variability in the mudprawn Upogebia africana in the south-east coast of South Africa. South African Journal of Marine Science, Vol. 25, pp. 275-282.

Dye, A. & F. Barros (2005). Spatial patterns of meiobenthic assemblages in intermittently open/closed coastal lakes in New South Wales, Australia. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 62, pp. 575-593.

Dye, A. H. (2006). Influence of isolation from the sea on spatial patterns of macro-infauna in intermittently closed/open coastal lakes in New South Wales. Austral Ecology, Vol. 31, pp. 913-924.

Dye, A.H. (2005). Meiobenthos in intermittently closed / open coastal lakes in New South Wales: spatial and temporal patterns in density of major taxa. Marine and Freshwater Research, Vol. 56, pp. 1055-1067.

Dye, A.H. (2005). Spatial variability in initial rates of decomposition of seagrass, Zostera capricorni, in the Tuggerah Lakes system, New South Wales, Final report submitted to Wyong Shire Council.

Dye, A.H. (2004). A survey of meiobenthos in the Tuggerah Lakes System, New South Wales, Final Report for Wyong Shire Council.

Dye, A.H. & F. Barros (2005). Spatial patterns of macrofaunal assemblages in intermittently open/closed coastal lakes in New South Wales, Australia. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science 64, 2-3, pp. 357-371

Dye, A. H. (2006). Inhibition of the initial stages of decomposition of Zostera capricornii litter by macro- and meiobenthos in a brackish coastal lake system. Estuaries and Coasts, Vol. 29, pp. 802–809.

Dye, A. H. (2006). Is geomorphic zonation a useful predictor of patterns of benthic infauna in intermittent estuaries in New South Wales, Australia? Estuaries and Coasts, Vol. 29, pp. 460-469.

Dye, A. H. (2006). Persistent effects of physical disturbance on meiobenthos in mangrove sediments. Marine Environmental Research, Vol. 62, pp. 341-355.

Graham, R.C. (1998). Spatial and temporal variability in the distribution of soldier crabs Mictyris longicarpus Latreille 1806 (Decapoda, Mictyridae). M.Sc. thesis, University of Sydney.

Haque, A. (2003). Macrobenthic assemblages inhabiting mangrove forests and adjacent mudflats. M.Sc. thesis, University of Sydney.

Hayes, S.P. (1997). Mangrove habitats in an urban environment: assessment and protection. Grad. Dip. (Environmental Science) thesis, University of Sydney.

Lasiak, T.A. & A.J. Underwood (2002). A survey of the benthic invertebrate assemblages in the proposed remediation area off Rhodes Peninsula, Homebush Bay. Final report for PPK Environment and Infrastructure

Lasiak, T.A. & A.J. Underwood (2002). Baseline survey of the benthic invertebrate assemblages associated with fringing mangroves in the Brooklyn region of the Hawkesbury River. Final report for Water Research Laboratory, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of New South Wales

Lasiak, T. A., A. J. Underwood & M. Hoskin (2006). An experimental assessment of the potential impacts of longline mussel farming on the infauna of an open coastal embayment. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, Vol. 16, pp. 289-300.

Lindegarth, M. & M.G. Hoskin (2001). Patterns of distribution of macro-fauna in different types of estuarine, soft-sediment habitats adjacent to urban and non-urban areas. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 52, pp. 237-247.

Michie, K. (2001). The distribution and abundance of herbivorous gastropods in mangrove forests in Sydney. B.Sc. Honours thesis, University of Sydney.

Minchinton, T.E. & P.M. Ross (1999). Oysters as habitat for limpets in a temperate mangrove forest. Australian Journal of Ecology, Vol. 24, pp. 157-170.

Murphy, R.J., T.J. Tolhurst, M.G. Chapman & A.J. Underwood (2005). Estimation of surface chlorophyll-a on an emersed mudflat using field spectrometry: accuracy of ratios and derivative-based approaches. International Journal of Remote Sensing, Vol. 26, pp. 1835-1859.

Murphy, R.J., T.J. Tolhurst, M.G. Chapman & A.J. Underwood (2005). Remote-sensing of benthic chlorophyll: should ground-truth data be expressed in units of area or mass? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 316, pp. 69-77.

Murphy, R. J. & A. J. Underwood (2006). Novel use of digital colour-infrared imagery to test hypotheses about grazing by intertidal herbivorous gastropods. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 330, pp. 437-447.

Murphy, R. J., A. J. Underwood & M. H. Pinkerton (2006). Quantitative imaging to measure photosynthetic biomass on an intertidal rock-platform. Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 321, pp. 45-55.

Murphy, R.J., A.J. Underwood, M.H. Pinkerton & P. Range (2005). Field spectrometry: new methods to investigate epilithic micro-algae on rocky shores. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 325, pp. 111-124.

Negrello, O., A.J. Underwood & M.G. Chapman (2006). Recolonization of infauna on a tidal flat: An experimental analysis of modes of dispersal. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 328, pp. 240-250.

Ochwada, F. (2004). Patterns of distribution of abundance of Bembicum auratum in a suburban mangrove forest and the factors that influence these patterns. B.Sc. Honours thesis, University of Sydney.

Olabarria, C. & M.G. Chapman (2002). Inconsistency in short-term temporal variability of microgastropods within and between two different intertidal habitats. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 269, pp. 85-100.

Olabarria, C. & M.G. Chapman (2001). Comparison of patterns of spatial variation of microgastropods between two contrasting intertidal habitats. Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 220, pp. 201-211.

Pinkerton, M.H., K.M. Richardson, P.W. Boyd, M.P. Gall, J. Zeldis, M.D. Oliver & R.J. Murphy (2005). Intercomparison of colour band-ratio algorithms for chlorophyll concentration in the Subtropical Front east of New Zealand. Remote Sensing of Environment, Vol. 97, pp. 382-402.

Raffaelli, D.E., E. Bell, G. Weithoff, A. Matsumoto, J.J. Cruz-Motta, P. Kershaw, R. Parker, D. Parry & M. Jones (2003). The ups and downs of benthic ecology:considerations of scale, heterogeneity and surveillance for benthic-pelagic coupling. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 285-286, pp. 191-203.

Ross, P.M. (2001). Larval supply, settlement and survival of barnacles in a temperate mangrove forest. Marine Ecology Progress Series, Vol. 215, pp. 237-249.

Ross, P.M. & A.J. Underwood (1997). The distribution and abundance of barnacles in a mangrove forest. Australian Journal of Ecology, Vol. 22, pp. 37-47.

Rossi, F. & M.G. Chapman (2003). Influence of sediment on burrowing by the soldier crab Mictyris longicarpus Latreille . Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 289, pp. 181-195.

Sage, M. (1997). Using crabs as an indication of biological diversity loss in fragmented mangrove forests. Grad. Dip. (Environmental Science) thesis, University of Sydney.

Seeto, P.M. (1998). The ecology of the predatory gastropod, Polinices sordidus, in mudflats and sandflats of Middle Harbour, Sydney. B.Sc. Honours thesis, University of Sydney.

Small, K.J. (1999). Assemblages of macrofauna in sediments around outfalls surrounded by industrial and residential land-use. B.Sc. Honours thesis, University of Sydney.

Tolhurst, T.J., A.J. Underwood, R.G. Perkins & M.G. Chapman (2005). Content versus concentration: Effects of units on measuring the biogeochemical properties of soft sediments. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Vol. 63, pp. 665-673.

Tolhurst, T. J. & M. G. Chapman (2007). Patterns in biogeochemical properties of sediments and benthic animals among different habitats in mangrove forests. Austral Ecology, Vol. 32, pp. 775-788.

Tolhurst, T. J., E. C. Defew, R. G. Perkins, A. Sharples & D. M. Paterson (2006). The effects of tidally-driven temporal variation on measuring intertidal cohesive sediment erosion threshold. Aquatic Ecology, Vol. 40, pp. 521 –531.

Tolhurst, T. J., P. L. Friend, C. Watts, R. Wakefield, K. S. Black & D. M. Paterson (2006). The effects of rain on the erosion threshold of intertidal cohesive sediments. Aquatic Ecology, Vol. 40, pp. 533-541.

Tolhurst, T., E. Defew, J. de Brouwer, K. Wolfstein, L. Stal & D. Paterson (2006). Small-scale temporal and spatial variability in the erosion threshold of intertidal sediments. Continental Shelf Research, Vol. 26, pp. 351-362.

Tollhurst, T.J. & G. Chapman (2005). Spatial and temporal variation in the sediment properties of an intertidal mangrove forest: implications for sampling. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, Vol. 317, pp. 213-222.

Wong, P. (2002). Distribution and abundance of Salinator solida. Honours thesis, University of Sydney.


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Centre for research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities
University of Sydney

Last modified: January 23, 2008
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