BSc. (Hons.), MSc (Research), PhD
Thesis
Impact of urbanisation on estuarine sandflats
Description
Estuaries are complex, dynamic and productive water bodies. Ecotone intertidal habitats in estuaries, including mangroves, saltmarshes, sandflats and mudflats, not only offer extensive, high quality habitats for a variety of terrestrial and aquatic species but also support major population and industrial centres, recreational and agricultural activities in their surrounding areas. Expanding urbanisation along estuarine shores has had large-scale adverse effects on coastal wetlands, such as increased pollutant loading and habitat alteration. These changes may alter local primary and secondary production in areas associated with the estuaries, such as intertidal sandflats and salt marsh. Ecological studies of the impacts of urbanisation have mainly focused on vegetated intertidal systems, such as mangroves and saltmarshes. Few studies have been conducted on the impacts of urbanization on sand- or mudflats, which are often the most extensive intertidal habitats. This project aims to elucidate the trophic relationships within the sandflat community and to assess the resilience of sandflats subjected to urbanisation using novel chemical tracer and ecological network analysis techniques.Supervisors
Professor Joe LeeProfessor Rod Connolly
Research expertise
- Stable isotopes analysis
- Compartmental modelling
- Ecological network analysis
- Food web modelling
- Ecotoxicology
Publications
- Lee K-M, Lee SY, Connolly R (2011) Short-term response of estuarine sandflat trophodynamics to pulse anthropogenic physical disturbance: support for the Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 92:639-648.
- Lee K-M, Lee SY, Connolly R (2011) Combining stable isotope enrichment, compartmental modelling and ecological network analysis for quantitative hypothesis-testing of food web dynamics. Methods in Ecology and Evolution 2:56-65.
- Johnston EL, Lee K-M (2008) Brooding behaviour and reproductive success of two free-living flatworms. Marine Biology 155:555-561.
- Lee K-M, Johnston EL (2007) Low levels of copper reduce the reproductive success of a mobile invertebrate predator. Marine Environmental Research 64:336-346.
- Lee K-M, Beal AM, Johnston EL (2006) A new predatory flatworm (Platyhelminthes, Polycladida) from Botany Bay, New South Wales, Australia. Journal of Natural History 39:3987-3995.