JCU > Research Portfolio > Dr Robin Beaman

About

My role as a marine geologist is to drive the ocean mapping required to unlock the secrets of Australia's underwater landscape. Ocean mapping science can help reveal the geological origin of the seafloor and explain the distribution of important seabed habitats and marine life.

My research goal is to understand the long-term geological and physical processes that have influenced key geomorphic features of the seabed, particularly for the deep Great Barrier Reef and the Coral Sea.

Research projects range from the study of submarine canyons, underwater landslides, submerged reefs, paleo-channels, algal bioherms, cold-water corals, mesophotic (twilight) coral ecosystems, seamounts, tsunami modelling and habitat mapping.

These projects use geographic information systems, multibeam and singlebeam echosounders, lidar, sidescan sonar, shallow seismic profilers, photogrammetry, underwater camera imagery, satellite imagery and sediment sampling instruments.

Interests

Professional

Hydrographic surveying

Research

Digital elevation modelling

Teaching

Geographic Information Systems

Experience

2009 to 2018 - Research Fellow, James Cook University (Cairns, Australia)
2009 - Hydrographic Surveyor, LADS Flight, Royal Australian Navy (Cairns, Australia)
2005 to 2008 - Postdoctorate/Research Officer, James Cook University (Cairns, Australia)
2001 to 2005 - PhD student, University of Tasmania (Hobart, Australia)
2002 to 2003 - Reef ecology/marine mammal lecturer, Society Expeditions (Pacific/Antarctica)

Research Disciplines

Socio-Economic Objectives

Honours

Awards

2014 - QSEA J. M. (Mac) Seriser Award for overall excellence in Project 3DGBR
2014 - QSEA Environment and Sustainability Award for Project 3DGBR
2007 - Australian Defence Medal
2001 to 2005 - Australian Postgraduate Award
2002 - Antarctica Service Medal, United States of America

Fellowships

2009 to 2012 - Queensland Smart Futures Fellowship

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

Wright R, Beaman R, Daniell J, Bridge T, Pall J and Webster J (2023) Benthic communities of the lower mesophotic zone on One Tree shelf edge, southern Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 74 (13). pp. 1178-1192
Hinestrosa G, Webster J and Beaman R (2022) New constraints on the postglacial shallow-water carbonate accumulation in the Great Barrier Reef. Scientific Reports, 12 (1).
Horowitz J, Opresko D, Molodtsova T, Beaman R, Cowman P and Bridge T (2022) Five new species of black coral (Anthozoa; Antipatharia) from the Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea, Australia. Zootaxa, 5213 (1). pp. 1-35
Puga-Bernabéu Á, López-Cabrera J, Webster J and Beaman R (2022) Submarine landslide morphometrics and slope failure dynamics along a mixed carbonate-siliciclastic margin, north-eastern Australia. Geomorphology, 403.
Crabtree S, White D, Bradshaw C, Saltré F, Williams A, Beaman R, Bird M and Ulm S (2021) Landscape rules predict optimal superhighways for the first peopling of Sahul. Nature Human Behaviour, 5. pp. 1303-1313
Ekins M, Horowitz J, Beaman R and Hooper J (2021) A new carnivorous sponge (Porifera) from the Coral Sea. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 62. pp. 205-215
McNeil M, Nothdurft L, Dryriw N, Webster J and Beaman R (2021) Morphotype differentiation in the Great Barrier Reef Halimeda bioherm carbonate factory: internal architecture and surface geomorphometrics. The Depositional Record, 7 (2). pp. 176-199
Daniell J, Manoy T, Beaman R, Webster J and Puga-Bernabéu Á (2020) Shelf-edge delta and reef development on a mixed siliciclastic–carbonate margin, central Great Barrier Reef. Journal of Sedimentary Research, 90 (10). pp. 1286-1304
Bishop-Taylor R, Sagar S, Lymburner L and Beaman R (2019) Between the tides: modelling the elevation of Australia’s exposed intertidal zone at continental scale. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 223. pp. 115-128

Book Chapters

Webster J, Dechnik B, Sanborn K, Yokoyama Y, Braga J, Renema W, Humblet M, Beaman R, Nothdurft L, Webb G, Zhao J, Murphy R, Gallagher S, O’Leary M and Paumard V (2022) Coral reef development and sea-level changes over the past 50,000 years: new evidence from the north-west shelf of Australia. In: Coral Reefs and Sea-Level Change: Quaternary Records and Modelling. International Association of Sedimentologists, pp. 215-273
Puga-Bernabéu Á, Webster J, Beaman R, Thran A, López?Cabrera J and Daniell J (2020) Submarine landslides along the mixed siliciclastic-carbonate margin of the Great Barrier Reef (offshore Australia). In: Submarine Landslides: subaqueous mass transport deposits from outcrops to seismic profiles. Geophysical Monograph, 246. Wiley, Washington, DC, USA, pp. 313-337
Bridge T, Beaman R, Bongaerts P, Muir P, Ekins M and Sih T (2019) The Great Barrier Reef and Coral Sea. In: Mesophotic Coral Ecosystems. Coral Reefs of the World, 12. Springer, Cham, Switzerland, pp. 351-367

More: ResearchOnline@JCU stores 74+ research outputs authored by Dr Robin Beaman from 1994 onwards.

Current Funding

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

Geoscience Australia - Contract Research

Queensland Coastline Capture Project.

Indicative Funding: $1,284,500 over 11 years (administered by JCU)
Summary: The objectives are: (1) Using panchromatic and multi-band digital imagery acquired using both aircraft and satellites to provide interpretation and capture of reefs throughout the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Specifically, identifying and capturing those reefs that expose at lowest astronomical tide (LAT). (2) to identify and capture other reef structures that are apparent from the imagery that will contribute to the knowledge of the extent and structure of the GBR. The Project will provide valuable data across Government of the GBR that will increase the general knowledge of reef location and will provide valuable data across Government of the GBR that will increase the general knowledge of reef location and structure, as well as maximising Australia's control of the GBR and realising the full extend of offshore jurisdiction.
Investigators: Robin Beaman in collaboration with Mark Alcock and Peter Lennon (College of Science & Engineering, Geoscience Australia and Department of Natural Resources and Mines)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Marine Management; Geomorphology; Law of the Sea

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (RIMReP) - Contract Research

GBR Marine Park morphology mapping

Indicative Funding: $96,245 over 1 year (administered by Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority)
Summary: This research will generate the most accurate and up-to-date 3D depth model for the GBR Marine Park, at the 30 m pixel resolution, using all the available source bathymetry data. This fundamental dataset will then be used to derive morphology layers, as per the proposed structure of the National Seafloor GeoMorphology (NSGM) mapping scheme, being developed by Geoscience Australia.
Investigators: Robin Beaman (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Geomorphology; Marine Management; Bathymetry

BHP Billiton Group Operation Pty Ltd - Research Grant

Predictive Modelling of Reef-Island Geomorphology using High-Resolution Mapping and Environmental Datasets for Improved Conservation and Management

Indicative Funding: $69,750 over 3 years (administered by Queensland Department of National Parks, Sport and Racing)
Summary: Reduced turtle nesting and hatching success at Raine Island - priority management concerns - have been strongly linked to geomorphological changes. The proposed research will make use of a suite of quality geomorphological and environmental data collected at Raine (and rarely available for remote undeveloped cays) to develop a robust data-supported predictive morphodynamic model that will: a) significantly improve understandings of the future geomorphology Raine Island: and b) underpin decisions and evaluations of management actions undertake to conserv both the island and the animals that depend upon it - including adaptive management options such as sand redistribution and beach re-profiling.
Investigators: Scott Smithers, Robin Beaman and Jeff Pickford (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Reef Island; Geomorphology; Terrain Modelling; GIS; Protected Area Management

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority - Reef 2050 Integrated Monitoring and Reporting Program (RIMReP)

Cairns POM morphology mapping

Indicative Funding: $26,800
Summary: This research will generate the most accurate and up-to-date 3D depth model for the Cairns Plan of Management (POM) area, at the 30m pixel resolution, using all the available source bathymetry data for this region. This fundamental dataset will then be used to derive a Morphology-Surface, as per the proposed structure of the national Seafloor GeoMorphology (NSGM) mapping scheme, being developed by Geoscience Australia. This involves the semi-automatic derivation of morphological surfaces from bathymetric data into Plan, Slope and Escarpment classes.
Investigators: Robin Beaman (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Geomorphology; Marine Management; Bathymetry

Great Barrier Reef Foundation - Innovation Fund

Crowdsourced bathymetry on the Great Barrier Reef

Indicative Funding: $10,000 over 1 year
Summary: Crowdsourced bathymetry is the collection of depth measurements from vessels, using standard navigation instruments. Bathymetry and navigation data are logged to a SmartLog USB data logger from the vessel's depth sounder and GPS, then used to improve the accuracy of the high-resolution 3D depth model of the Reef, through Project 3D-GBR. The GBR Foundation is funding a pool of data loggers to enable more partner vessels to collect depth data. This project gives people an increasing role in contributing valuable citizen science data to improve a fundamental dataset that helps the reef.
Investigators: Robin Beaman (College of Science & Engineering)
Keywords: Great Barrier Reef; Geomorphology; Marine Management; bathymetry

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.