Articles

Published on
15 August 2016
The Land and Sea Management Strategy for Torres Strait (2016-2036) (‘the Strategy’) is a guiding framework for enabling Torres Strait Islander and Aboriginal people to continue to sustainably manage and benefit from their land, sea and cultural resources into the future.
Published on
17 June 2015
In 2013 and 2014 AIMS undertook a biodiversity survey of coral and fish species on the reefs around 5 islands in Torres Strait. This article shows the coral photo collection that was taken for species identification.
Published on
29 April 2015

As part of the NERP TE project 2.3 temperature loggers were deployed at 15 sites across the Torres Strait to measure ocean temperature.

Published on
27 March 2015

No-take marine reserves (NTMRs) are widely advocated for conserving exploited fish stocks and biodiversity.

Published on
2 December 2014

The crown-of-thorns seastar, Acanthaster planci, is a predator of corals and along with cyclones is the major cause of coral mortality on the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) 1 .

Published on
8 November 2014
This poster map shows satellite and aerial imagery of Torres Strait. It also shows the Australia Maritime Boundariers in the region. This region neighbours with Papau New Guinea resulting in complex maritime boundaries.
Published on
23 October 2014

Corals are the back bones of coral reef ecosystems. They produce calcium carbonate skeletons that build coral reef framework.

Published on
21 October 2014
Corals have an interesting life cycle and spend part of their lives floating around in the sea and part of their lives stuck to the reef. Adult corals are actually colonies made up of many organisms called polyps.
Published on
25 September 2014

The Winds of Zenadth Cultural Festival takes place every two years on Thursday Island.

Published on
12 August 2014
Raine Island, a 27.5 hectare cay situated on a detached reef and located in the far northern Great Barrier Reef is, along with the adjacent Moulter Cay, the focus of approximately 90% of all nesting effort of the Northern Great Barrier Reef (NGBR) green turtle genetic stock (Limpus 2008).
Published on
4 August 2014

Within a funding structure such as NERP TE, 'governance' is often described within the narrow framework of program roles and respon

Published on
4 August 2014

During trips to Torres Strait in collaboration with TSRA in 2013 and 2014 coral skeletons were collected under a permit issued by the Commonwealth of Australia under the Torres Strait Fisheries A

Published on
28 October 2013
Seagrass meadows in Torres Strait are abundant and widespread. Seagrass/algal beds have been rated as the third most valuable ecosystem globally for ecosystem services. Their value is due to their diverse roles within marine coastal ecosystems. Like other plants seagrass harvest the sun’s energy and thus are a source of primary productivity; energy that can be passed through the marine food chain. Seagrass is a major food source for dugong, a marine mammal of high importance culturally and as food throughout the region.
Published on
23 October 2013
A plethora of recreational and commercial vessels operate within or transit Torres Strait. They unite the island communities and are a key transport mechanism for all kinds of goods and services. While shipping offers many benefits to the Torres Strait there are also associated risks, especially in event of an accident. These include threats to water quality, biodiversity and ecosystem health, physical or chemical damage from groundings and the introduction of pests.
Published on
23 October 2013
Dugong (Dugong dugon) are air-breathing marine mammals of global conservation significance, that can grow up to three metres, weigh up to 400kg and live for at least 70 years. Females reach sexual maturity at six years, and produce a calf only once every 2.5-5 years thereafter. Gestation period is 14 months, but calves suckle milk from their mothers for 18 months after birth. Dugongs’ main food source is seagrass, but they also eat invertebrates such as worms, sea squirts, and shellfish.
Published on
23 October 2013

The Torres Strait marine environment contains a relatively shallow (<20m) and highly productive stretch of seawater between the tip of Queensland and Papua New Guinea. It straddles the juncture of the Indian Ocean (Arafura sea) with the Pacific Ocean (Coral Sea), resulting in complex patterns of influence from the two ocean systems, including complicated tides and currents, and high biodiversity. Torres Strait contains over 100 islands, and a diversity of marine habitats including coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and rich benthic garden communities.

Published on
27 May 2013
As part of Project 2.3 broadscale surveys and biodiversity assessments were conducted in the central island group and eastern island group within the Torres Strait region. Broadscale surveys were conducted by manta tow in February 2013 at Aureed Island Reef, Aukane Island Reef, Kabbikane Island Reef, Masig Island Reef, Mer Island Reef and Waier and Dauar Island Reef.
Published on
1 May 2013

This milestone report presents a catalogue of information for the most significant and updated data sets, metadata and map compositions for the Torres Strait region, which may be suitable for inc

Published on
2 March 2011

This report provides a synthesis of research on climate change and coastal science in the Torres Strait, and has been produced for the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF). It identifies and summarises work to date on reef evolution, hydrodynamics and sedimentary environments throughout the Torres Strait. It describes the island dynamics at Boigu, Saibai, Masig, Poruma, Warraber and Iama Islands. Numerous studies relating to climatic change are reviewed and the most relevant regional predictions for climate change in the Torres Strait are presented. The potential physical and ecological impacts of these changes in the Torres Strait are also identified. Adaptation and mitigation measures are suggested and their outcomes and consequences are evaluated. The key principles from sustainable land use plans on the islands are summarised and knowledge gaps in the fields of both coastal and climatic science are identified to guide future research.

Published on
1 March 2011

As part of its commitment under Theme 5 of the MTSRF, the Reef and Rainforest Research Centre publishes, or makes available, outputs (e.g. final technical or scientific reports, synthesis reports) from MTSRF-funded research projects nested within Research Themes 1-4.

Researchers funded through the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) have worked closely with Torres Strait communities to improve our understanding of both the vulnerability of Torres Strait islands to climate change, and their adaptation capacity.

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