JCU > Research Portfolio > Dr Alana Grech

About

My research uses spatial technologies, such as geographic information systems (GIS), geostatistics, network analysis, biophysical models and reserve design software, to inform the conservation of Australia's coastal environment. Specifically, my research develops new methodologies for cumulative impact assessment (CIA), and explores the implications of CIA in environmental decision-making, policy and practice. Most of my research is conducted in remote coastal and marine areas of northern Australia, including the Great Barrier Reef, Torres Strait, and Gulf of Carpentaria.

The transfer of research to management action and policy is my highest priority, and I actively generate partnerships to deliver my research outputs directly to government and non-government agencies and Indigenous communities. I communicate my knowledge via research papers, reports and presentations, workshops with stakeholders, and briefings to agencies, such as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, NSW Parks and Wildlife Service, Queensland Fisheries, Australian Department of Environment and Energy, and the Torres Strait Regional Authority.

My research has received funding from the Australian Research Council, Ian Potter Foundation, James Cook University, Macquarie University, NSW Adaptation Research Hub - Biodiversity Node, Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, National Environmental Research Program Tropical Ecosystems Hub, Australian Marine Mammal Centre, Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility, and others.

Interests

Research

Spatial predictions of coastal and marine features
Cumulative impact and risk assessments
Conservation planning and Indigenous Australia

Experience

2016 to 2020 - Assistant Director, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Townsville)
2013 to 2016 - Senior Lecturer, Macquarie University (Sydney)
2010 to 2013 - Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Townsville)

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

Honours

Awards

2018 - Queensland Young Tall Poppy Scientist of the Year, Australian Institute of Policy and Science

Fellowships

2015 - Wallonie-Bruxelles International, Asem Duo Fellowship
2012 - Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, Churchill Fellowship

Memberships

2016 - International Society for Reef Studies
2016 - Australian Coral Reef Society
2010 - World Seagrass Association
2008 - Society of Conservation Biology

Publications

These are the most recent publications associated with this author. To see a detailed profile of all publications stored at JCU, visit ResearchOnline@JCU. Hover over Altmetrics badges to see social impact.

Journal Articles

Grech A, Hanert E, McKenzie L, Rasheed M, Thomas C, Tol S, Wang M, Waycott M, Wolter J and Coles R (2018) Predicting the cumulative effect of multiple disturbances on seagrass connectivity. Global Change Biology, 24 (7). pp. 3093-3104
Magris R, Grech A and Pressey R (2018) Cumulative human impacts on coral reefs: assessing risk and management implications for Brazilian coral reefs. Diversity, 10 (2).
Graham V, Laurance S, Grech A and Venter O (2017) Spatially explicit estimates of forest carbon emissions, mitigation costs and REDD+ opportunities in Indonesia. Environmental Research Letters, 12. pp. 1-11
Hawkins E, Harcourt R, Bejder L, Brooks L, Grech A, Christiansen F, Marsh H and Harrison P (2017) Best practice framework and principles for monitoring the effect of coastal development on marine mammals. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4.
Heatwole H, Grech A and Marsh H (2017) Paleoclimatology, paleogeography, and the evolution and distribution of sea kraits (Serpentes; Elapidae; Laticauda). Herpetological Monographs, 31 (1). pp. 1-17
Pirotta V, Smith A, Ostrowski M, Russell D, Jonsen I, Grech A and Harcourt R (2017) An economical custom-built drone for assessing whale health. Frontiers in Marine Science, 4.
Tol S, Jarvis J, York P, Grech A, Congdon B and Coles R (2017) Long distance biotic dispersal of tropical seagrass seeds by marine mega-herbivores. Scientific Reports, 7. pp. 1-8
Ainsworth T, Heron S, Ortiz J, Mumby P, Grech A, Ogawa D, Eakin C and Leggat W (2016) Climate change disables coral bleaching protection on the Great Barrier Reef. Science, 352 (6283). pp. 338-342
Bridge T, Grech A and Pressey R (2016) Factors influencing incidental representation of previously unknown conservation features in marine protected areas. Conservation Biology, 30 (1). pp. 154-165
Graham V, Laurance S, Grech A, McGregor A and Venter O (2016) A comparative assessment of the financial costs and carbon benefits of REDD+ strategies in Southeast Asia. Environmental Research Letters, 11 (11). pp. 1-11
Grech A, Wolter J, Coles R, McKenzie L, Rasheed M, Thomas C, Waycott M and Hanert E (2016) Spatial patterns of seagrass dispersaland settlement. Diversity and Distributions, 22 (11). pp. 1150-1162

Book Chapters

Coles R, Rasheed M, Grech A and McKenzie L (in press) Seagrass meadows of northeastern Australia. In: The Wetland Book II: Distribution description and conservation. Springer, pp. 1-13

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 56+ research outputs authored by Dr Alana Grech from 2006 onwards.

Current Funding

Current and recent Research Funding to JCU is shown by funding source and project.

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Contract Research

An assessment of the distribution and abundance of dugong and in-water large marine turtles along the Queensland coast from Cape York to Hinchinbrook Island

Indicative Funding: $359,077 over 2 years
Summary: This project will meet the requirements outlined in the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan to provide information to inform the management of dugongs in the Northern Great Barrier Reef region (NGBR) by continuing the time series of standardised aerial surveys conducted since the late 1980s. The project will provide an assessment of the distribution and abundance of dugongs and in-water large marine turtles in the NGBR and contribute to the 30 year time series for temporal comparisons using the latest advances in distribution and abundance analyses.
Investigators: Helene Marsh, Susan Sobtzick and Alana Grech (Division of Tropical Environments & Societies, TropWATER and ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies)
Keywords: Dugong; Aerial Survey; Abundance; Marine Turtles; Distribution; Long-term Monitoring

Great Barrier Reef Foundation - Research Grant

Measuring coral health, integrating cells to satellites

Indicative Funding: $150,000 over 2 years
Summary: Environmental metabolomics is opening new avenues for monitoring ecosystem health. Eco-metabolomics measures the impact to organisms from natural and anthropogenic stressors by directly measuring changes in metabolism. Use of metabolomics provides managers with rapid, reliable and accurate impact assessments of stress exposure on species. As metabolomics is able to quantify and identify specific and synergistic effects of acute and cumulative stressors, thresholds for management responses can be tailored to specific exposures. Linking metabolic responses to satellite monitoring and incorporating into a geographic information system, will provide a novel integrated monitoring tool for managers at multiple spatial and temporal scales.
Investigators: Bill Leggat, Tracy Ainsworth, Benjamin Gordon, N Rosenthal, U Roessner, Alana Grech and Scott Heron (College of Public Health, Medical & Vet Sciences, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, Monash University, The University of Melbourne, Macquarie University and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)
Keywords: Biomonitoring; Metabolomics; Coral

Department of the Environment and Energy - Australian Marine Mammal Centre - Grant Scheme

Improving the time series of estimates of dugong abundance and distribution by incorporating revised availability bias corrections

Indicative Funding: $100,836 over 2 years
Summary: The availability of dugongs for detection by aerial observers is influenced by sighting conditions (eg turbidity, and sea state), and dugong diving behaviour, which varies with water depth. Availability Correction Factors have recently been greatly improved by analysing dive records collected from satellite-tracked dugongs using new statistical models. We will use these improved techniques to reanalyse dugong abundance estimates from archival aerial survey data from Queensland to provide more accurate estimates of dugong population size and spatially-explicit models of dugong distribution and relative density to inform dugong management.
Investigators: Helene Marsh and Alana Grech in collaboration with Susan Sobtzick, Rie Hagihara, Rhondda Jones and Kenneth Pollock (College of Science & Engineering, Macquarie University, TropWATER and Murdoch University)
Keywords: Dugong; relative abundance; Aerial Survey; relative density; Habitat Use; Distribution

Supervision

Advisory Accreditation: I can be on your Advisory Panel as a Primary or Secondary Advisor.

These Higher Degree Research projects are either current or by students who have completed their studies within the past 5 years at JCU. Linked titles show theses available within ResearchOnline@JCU.

Current

Assessing Cumulative Impacts of Land Use in the Wet Tropics Catchments on the Great barrier Reef: Remote Sensing and Bayesian Modeling for a New Conservation Planning Scheme (PhD , Secondary Advisor)

Completed

Informing dugong conservation at several spatial and temporal scales in New Caledonia (2015, PhD , Associate Advisor)
Opportunities for REDD+ to minimise forest carbon emissions and mitigate climate change in Southeast Asia (2017, Masters , Associate Advisor)
Using hydrodynamic models to understand the impacts and risks of plastic pollution (2018, PhD , Secondary Advisor)
Understanding the risk to flatback turtles (Natator depressus) from expanding industrial development in Western Australia (2017, PhD , Associate Advisor)

Data

These are the most recent metadata records associated with this researcher. To see a detailed description of all dataset records, visit the JCU Research Data Catalogue.

Grech, A. (2017) Network metrics and spatial distribution of seagrass in the central Great Barrier Reef. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2017) Connectivity of seagrass meadows in the central Great Barrier Reef. James Cook University
Tol, S. (2016) Biotic tropical seagrass seed dispersal by dugong and green sea turtles in the Great Barrier Reef. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2012) Dugong aerial survey (dugongs, turtles, cetaceans) Moreton Bay, December 2000. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2012) Dugong aerial survey (dugong) Torres Strait, 2001. James Cook University
Marsh, H. (2012) Dugong aerial survey (dugong, cetacean, turtle) Torres Strait, November 2005. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2012) Dugong aerials surveys (dugongs, cetaceans, turtles) Torres Strait, November to December 1991. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2012) Dugong aerial survey Torres Strait, 1987. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2012) Dugong aerial survey (dugong) Torres Strait, November 1996. James Cook University
Grech, A. (2012) Dugong aerial survey (dugong, turtle) Torres Strait, December 1994. James Cook University

Collaboration

The map shows research collaborations by institution from the past 7 years.
Note: Map points are indicative of the countries or states that institutions are associated with.