About

I lead and manage long-term monitoring and applied research programs in tropical coral and seagrass ecosystems. I have over 18 years’ of experience using spatial analysis and mapping to monitor habitats at risk. My research interests span from seagrass habitats to coral reefs with a focus on the ecology and photobiology of marine plants, reef resilience strategies, science-driven management of ports and dredging impacts on habitats of the Great Barrier Reef, and building meaningful partnerships with traditional owners, community groups and the tourism sector.

I focus on forging partnerships across industries using alliances to springboard impactful and scalable strategies to research and inform management of reef and coastal assets. I lead science delivery and integration for the Great Reef Census, a citizens science approach that uses the diverse fleet of vessels spanning industries on the GBR to deliver scalable research and monitoring that feeds directly to reef management and conservation goals. I have helped foster a shared economy approach to science and partnerships out of Cairns with close collaborators Citizens of the GBR, Mars Sustainable Solutions, Dawul Wuru Indigenous Corporation, Experience Co and Reef Restoration Foundation. 

In recent years, my work has centred on the marine optical environment and how photosynthetic processes dictate the success of marine plants and how this impacts the habitat at a broader scale. Using fine-scale fluorometric technology together with field-based rapid-assessment techniques our research team has built a strong understanding of natural variability versus impacts from environmental threats.

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
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ResearchOnline@JCU stores 40+ research outputs authored by Dr Katie Chartrand from 2008 onwards.

Current Funding

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

North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation - Contract Research

NQBP and JCU Research and Monitoring Partnership ? Seagrass and Coral Studies.

Indicative Funding
$2,391,178 over 5 years
Summary
This project conducts the long term annual monitoring of seagrasses and corals in Mackay, Hay Point Abbot Point/Bowen and Weipa. The work forms part of a research and monitoring partnership between JCU and NQBP to monitor and assess marine environmental health within ports as well as support related research and education opportunities for undergraduate and postgraduate students in seagrass and coral ecology and applied management in the ports industry.
Investigators
Michael Rasheed, Katie Chartrand and Skye McKenna in collaboration with Tony Ayling (TropWater and Sea Research)
Keywords
Seagrass; Coral; Marine Monitoring; Environmental assessment; Risk Assessment

Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Prescribed Body Corporate - GBRF Healing Country

Gunggandji-Mandingalbay Yidinji Prescribed Body Corporate ? Healing Country Grant

Indicative Funding
$125,415 over 1 year
Summary
This project will adopt a collaborative partnership approach with TropWATER and the Reef Restoration Foundation to build the skills, knowledge and experiences of Gunggandji and Mandingalbay Yidinji Peoples for mapping, monitoring and assessing Sea Country. This collaborative approach will incorporate an Indigenous Knowledge perspective with Western science to help ensure that Traditional Owners are empowered to lead Reef restoration work, and to make and contribute to informed decisions about managing their Sea Country. Through co-designed workshops and training?both on and off Country?rangers will learn species and habitat identification and survey methods, will undertake baseline.
Investigators
Skye McKenna, Katie Chartrand, Robert Coles, Paul Leeson, Lloyd Shepherd and Luke Hoffmann (TropWater)
Keywords
Seagrass; Network; Ranger; Traditional Owner; Capacity building

Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef - Contract Research

Reef Cooperative ? Larval Delivery Project

Indicative Funding
$149,769 over 1 year
Summary
This is a collaborative project led by TropWATER with colleagues at Reef Recruits through the Reef Cooperative. It aims to build the skills, knowledge and experiences of Yirrganydji and Gunggandji Peoples as well as tourism staff to capture coral spawn and rear larvae for settlement at localised high value reef sites to test larval delivery and survivorship to boost natural reef recovery. This collaboration incorporates an Indigenous perspective with Western science to help ensure that Traditional Owners are empowered to participate in Reef restoration work, and to make and contribute to informed decisions about managing their Sea Country.
Investigators
Katie Chartrand in collaboration with Lloyd Shepherd, Juliette Wilkinson, Luke Hoffmann and Abigail Scott (TropWater)
Keywords
Coral; Traditional Owner; Network; Capacity building; Coral Larvae; Spawning

Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef - Contract Research

Pilot survey of deep-water seagrasses using the Great Reef Census framework.

Indicative Funding
$16,560
Summary
A pilot study to test the effectiveness of using the Great Reef Census to collect broadscale survey data on deep-water marine macrophytes (seagrass and algae) and associated inter-reef habitats of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area (GBRWHA).
Investigators
Katie Chartrand (TropWater)
Keywords
Coral; Traditional Owners; Network; Capacity building; Coral Larvae; Spawning

North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation - Contract Research

Manta Tagging and Tracking at Holbourne Island

Indicative Funding
$2,051
Summary
This project aims to use acoustic and satellite tags to track manta rays off Holbourne Island where a documented manta cleaning station exists. Animals will be photographed and tagged where possible to help establish the first significant manta research site on the GBR north of the Capricorn Bunker, and investigate connectivity with other parts of the GBR, in particular, with southern populations. The project will support communication efforts through the JCU-NQBP Partnership to share on-ground research and monitoring with the broader community through various media platforms.
Investigators
Katie Chartrand (TropWater)
Keywords
Manta ray (Mobula alfredi); Acoustic tracking

CSIRO - Contract Research

RRAP Moore Reef Collaborative Monitoring Pilot.

Indicative Funding
$44,561
Summary
The JCU TropWATER team are working with the CSIRO RRAP engagement subprogram to develop and deliver a collaborative monitoring project with local partners at Moore Reef. TropWATER will also assist the CSIRO team with reporting and evaluation from the pilot. This work will be carried out as a complementary body of work to the CPD Reef Hub coordinator currently fulfilled by TropWATER.
Investigators
Abigail Scott and Katie Chartrand (TropWater)
Keywords
Coral; Restoration; Network; Capacity building

Department of the Environment and Energy - National Environmental Science Program (NESP) - Tropical Water Quality Hub (TWQ Hub)

NESP Tropical Water Quality Research Plan 7

Indicative Funding
$189,600
Summary
The National Environmental Science Program Tropical Water Quality Hub, funded by the federal government, has funded a wide variety of research projects during its operations from 2015-2021. As this programme draws to a close, there is a need to repatriate the knowledge and learnings from these research projects to relevant stakeholders and end-users. This project will undertake a series of meetings and workshops with end-users to enable the outcomes of research to be adopted. This engagement process will include analysis and synthesis of data collected to date.
Investigators
Damien Burrows, Aaron Davis, Katie Chartrand and Nathan Waltham (TropWater)
Keywords
Water Quality; Great Barrier Reef; Cane Farming; Citizen Science; Wetlands

Reef Restoration Foundation Limited - Reef Restoration Foundation Limited - Contract Research

Scientific oversight and planning advice for Reef Restoration Foundation activities

Indicative Funding
$52,099 over 2 years
Summary
Advice regarding future design and scope for coral restoration techniques and program growth, including setting out strategic planning for key program objectives through joint RRF/JCU meetings through April 2020. Advice on consolidation of existing data and statistical design to answer key research questions.
Investigators
Katie Chartrand, Alexandra Carter and Michael Rasheed in collaboration with Hannah Kish (TropWater)
Keywords
Acropora spp.; Restoration; Research; Coral; Coral nurseries; Tourism

Citizens of the Great Barrier Reef - Contract Research

Great Reef Census Phase I: Science Delivery and Capacity Building

Indicative Funding
$26,892
Summary
The Great Reef Census is a world-first citizen science effort to survey the entire Great Barrier Reef, filling critical knowledge gaps to support conservation strategies and spatial decision making, such as where the greatest management and restoration efforts should be targeted to support reef recovery. Katie Chartrand will drive the scientific principles of the program as set out by the Great Reef Census scientific committee. She will provide advice regarding future design and scope of the Census in the Phase I program as it rolls into Phase II and build the key linkages across industry sectors to garner the greatest number of vessels ever used on the reef for a sole science outcome with the delivery of the Great Reef Census in 2020. She will also support the delivery of science communication to engage both local community uptake and a global audience.
Investigators
Katie Chartrand (TropWater)
Keywords
Great Barrier Reef; Marine monitoring; Science-tourism partnerships; Reef health; Citizen science

Queensland Government - Advance Queensland Small Business Innovation Research

Boosting coral abundance on the Great Barrier Reef - Scaling up coral restoration using innovative Symbiodinium co-culture and mass larval supply on reefs

Indicative Funding
$107,250 over 1 year (administered by Southern Cross University)
Summary
Supply millions of high quality coral larvae of foundation corals and provide the world's first mass production of larvae containing microalgal symbionts, which will increase larval energy and settlement success and survival of newly settled corals.
Investigators
Katie Chartrand in collaboration with Robert Coles, Alexandra Carter, Michael Rasheed and Skye McKenna (TropWater)
Keywords
Coral Larvae; Coral Spawning; Restoration; Great Barrier Reef; Coral Reef

Queensland Government - Advance Queensland Small Business Innovation Research

Boosting coral abundance on the Great Barrier Reef - Scaling up coral restoration using innovative Symbiodinium co-culture and mass larval supply on reefs

Indicative Funding
$71,000 over 1 year (administered by Southern Cross University)
Summary
This project will supply millions of coral larvae and significantly increase the settlement and recruitment success of juvenile corals. This will rapidly replenish damaged GBR coral sites, restoring ecological functions and resilience of coral communities. Our concept will significantly increase the supply of high quality larvae of foundation corals and provide the world?s first mass production of larvae containing Symbiodinium microalgae, which will increase larval energy and settlement success and survival of newly settled corals. Innovations include coral larval restoration at larger scales (hundreds of square metres) than previous studies and pioneering front-line diagnostics to confer thermal tolerance in coral recruits. Our team includes world-leading researchers with decades of relevant experience collaborating directly with tourism and other Queensland businesses to provide cost-effective outcomes that can be commercially scaled to restore large reef areas in future.
Investigators
Katie Chartrand, Robert Coles and Alexandra Carter (TropWater)
Keywords
Symbiodinium spp.; Coral larvae; Coral spawning; restoration; Coral reef; Great Barrier Reef
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.

  • 5+ collaborations
  • 4 collaborations
  • 3 collaborations
  • 2 collaborations
  • 1 collaboration
  • Indicates the Tropics (Torrid Zone)

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Location
  • E1.016G, Health & Sciences (Cairns campus)
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Similar to me

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  4. Dr Robert Coles
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