Higher Degree by Research Application Portal

Coastal ecosystems worldwide are increasingly threatened by a range of global environmental pressures. Management of these ecosystems, has often prioritised ecological services while overlooking the coupling between ecosystems and physical processes. Yet, to maintain ecosystem services (i.e. ecological, economic and social values), it is critical to account for both the physical and ecological processes, and their interactions, that link marine protected areas to the adjacent coastline.

In Western Australia (WA), the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) conserves biodiversity through the management of terrestrial and marine parks. DBCA marine parks span the WA coastline and consist almost exclusively of complex coastal settings, including beaches fronted by coral reefs and mangroves, seagrass systems, and rocky reefs. Recognising the need for an integrated ecosystem‑based management approach, DBCA has identified key research priorities focused on understanding how contemporary and future oceanographic processes shape marine park coastlines and influence associated ecosystems.

This project opportunity forms part of an Australian Research Council Early Career Industry Fellowship undertaken in collaboration with DBCA and aims to develop foundational knowledge of the processes linking reef ecosystems to adjacent coastal landforms, including beaches.

Projects available under this opportunity will follow one of two complementary research pathways. One pathway focuses on regional‑scale assessments of historical shoreline change and future coastal risk, using remote sensing techniques and statistical downscaling in combination with oceanographic and ecological datasets. The second pathway focuses on understanding local‑scale, processes, using high‑resolution in situ observations of hydrodynamics, sediment transport and beach morphology to resolve the processes that link biogenic sediment production and resultant transport  to adjacent beach dynamics. Together, these approaches will improve understanding of reef‑fronted beach evolution and support the development of management‑relevant insights for assessing future coastal vulnerability and resilience across WA’s marine parks.

Australian Research Council Early Career Industry Fellowship 

Dr Michael Cuttler 

michael.cuttler@uwa.edu.au

Applicants should hold an Honours or Master’s degree (or equivalent) in coastal oceanography, geology, engineering, or a related discipline.

Experience in quantitative data analysis is essential. Experience with coastal fieldwork, numerical modelling, or remote sensing is desirable but not mandatory.

This project involves collaboration with government partners and may include fieldwork in remote coastal and marine park environments. 

Domestic and international applicants are encouraged to apply.

Available scholarship opportunities will be linked to this project opportunity via HDRhub

The Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) is a program of independent, supervised research that is assessed solely on the basis of a thesis, sometimes including a creative work component, that is examined externally. The work presented for a PhD must be a substantial and original contribution to scholarship, demonstrating mastery of the subject of interest as well as an advance in that field of knowledge. 

Visit the course webpage for full details of this course including admission requirements, course rules and the relevant CRICOS code/s.