Queensland Coast Research Articles

Skilful rainfall forecasts from artificial neural networks with long duration series and single-month optimization

General circulation models, which forecast by first modelling actual conditions in the atmosphere and ocean, are used extensively for monthly rainfall forecasting. We show how more skilful monthly and seasonal rainfall forecasts can be achieved through the mining of historical climate data using artificial neural networks (ANNs). This technique is demonstrated for two agricultural regions of Australia: the wheat belt of Western Australia and the sugar growing region of coastal Queensland. The most skilful monthly rainfall forecasts measured in terms of Ideal Point Error (IPE), and a score relative to climatology, are consistently achieved through the use of ANNs optimized for each month individually, and also by choosing to input longer historical series of climate indices. Using the longer series restricts the number of climate indices that can be used.

New species of Austroboletus (Boletaceae) in Australia

Three new species of Austroboletus are described from Australia. Austroboletus austrovirens has been collected repeatedly in northern Queensland and the Northern Territory, and is primarily distinguished by its dry, green pileus and stipe ornamentation, and boletoid spores with meandering ridges and pits. Austroboletus viscidoviridis is known from southeastern coastal Queensland and Cape Tribulation; it is recognized by a glutinous-viscid, olive-green pileus, brown reticulum on the stipe, and amygdaliform spores with nodulose-tuberculate ornamentation. Austroboletus roseialbus has only been collected in eastern New South Wales and is characterized by a white pileus with subtle rosy tints, and flattened, white, lanose patches; the spores are amygdaliform with irregular alveolate-reticulate ornamentation.

Phylogenetic Variation of Chelonid Alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5) in Populations of Green Turtles Chelonia mydas along the Queensland Coast, Australia.

Sea turtle fibropapillomatosis (FP) is a disease marked by the proliferation of benign but debilitating cutaneous and occasional visceral tumors, likely to be caused by chelonid alphaherpesvirus 5 (ChHV5). This study presents a phylogeny of ChHV5 strains found on the east coast of Queensland, Australia, and a validation for previously unused primers. Two different primer sets (gB-1534 and gB-813) were designed to target a region including part of the UL27 glycoprotein B (gB) gene and part of UL28 of ChHV5. Sequences obtained from FP tumors found on juvenile green turtles Chelonia mydas (<65 cm curved carapace length) had substantial homology with published ChHV5 sequences, while a skin biopsy from a turtle without FP failed to react in the PCRs used in this study. The resulting sequences were used to generate a neighbor-joining tree from which three clusters of ChHV5 from Australian waters were identified: north Australian, north Queensland, and Queensland clusters. The clusters reflect the collection sites on the east coast of Queensland with a definitive north-south trend. Received October 22, 2016; accepted May 7, 2017.

Biological and environmental effects on activity space of a common reef shark on an inshore reef

Proximity to land and sources of freshwater expose fishes residing on inshore reefs to fluctuating environmental conditions (e.g. high freshwater run-off/low salinity events). However, site attachment in many reef residents, such as reef sharks, could mean that relocation in response to unfavourable environmental conditions may not be feasible. Passive acoustic telemetry was used to monitor movement and space use of 18 blacktip reef sharks Carcharhinus melanopterus on an inshore reef off the coast of Queensland, Australia, to determine their response to environmental change. Activity space of sharks was modelled against combinations of environmental (wind speed, rain, salinity and water temperature) and biological (size, sex) factors. Size was the most influential predictor of space use, with larger sharks having larger activity spaces. Sex also appeared in top-performing models, showing that juvenile males use more space than juvenile females, although effects were marginal. Model results also indicated a relationship between shark activity space and salinity, where space use increased with decreasing salinity. A similar but weaker relationship was observed with water temperature. These results show that blacktip reef sharks respond to minor changes in salinity, suggesting that they may be able to relocate when conditions are unfavourable, and help define the resilience of this species to disturbance and change.

Recent invasion of European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on to Fraser Island (K'gari) and South Stradbroke Island

AbstractInvasive predators are globally significant drivers of threatened fauna population decline and extinction, and the early detection of new incursions is critical to the chances of successful predator eradication and fauna conservation. Here, we provide evidence of the recent invasion of European red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) on to two large and internationally significant islands off the southeast coast of Queensland, Australia – Fraser Island (K'gari) and South Stradbroke Island. From camera trap footage collected on Fraser Island since 2009, foxes have now been observed on seven different occasions between 2012 and 2016. Two scats collected on South Stradbroke Island in 2013 and 2014 tested positive for fox DNA (and negative for Canis spp. DNA), with fox presence confirmed by subsequent camera trap footage in 2016. These data confirm the recent incursion of foxes on to these islands and suggest that small populations now exist there. Fraser Island and South Stradbroke Island represent key RAMSAR wetland areas of refuge for populations of multiple threatened fauna that have never been previously been exposed to foxes. Fox impacts on these fauna can only be expected to increase without management intervention to eradicate them before they become widespread.

At-sea dumping of dredge spoil: an overview of the Australian policy and legislative framework

ABSTRACTThe increase in port development along the Queensland coast, and the associated dredging activity, has led to increased environmental concerns for the health of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR). While such impacts are of particular immediate concern for the GBR region, the issues surrounding dredging and dumping of dredge spoil are common to many other coastal regions in Australia and elsewhere. In this article, we review the current Australian policy and legislation affecting the dumping at sea of dredge spoil and the incentives this creates in terms of minimising damage. We find that the current complex framework may not necessarily provide appropriate incentives to minimise damage once approval has been obtained, although more recent policy interventions may help encourage innovation in more environmentally friendly actions. We also review the potential for other incentive-based management systems to limit environmental damage from dredging, drawing on the experiences in fisheries and marine biodiversity conservation.

Serpentine geology links to water quality and heavy metals in sediments of a stream system in central Queensland, Australia

Serpentinite soils, common throughout the world, are characterized by low calcium-to-magnesium ratios, low nutrient levels and elevated levels of heavy metals. Yet the water quality and heavy metal concentrations in sediments of streams draining serpentine geology have been little studied. The aim of this work was to collect baseline data on the water quality (for both wet and dry seasons) and metals in sediments at 11 sites on the Marlborough Creek system, which drains serpentine soils in coastal central Queensland, Australia. Water quality of the system was characterized by extremely hard waters (555–698 mg/L as CaCO3), high dissolved salts (684–1285 mg/L), pH (8.3–9.1) and dissolved oxygen (often >110% saturation). Cationic dominance was Mg > Na > Ca > K and for anions HCO3 > Cl > SO4. Al, Cu and Zn in stream waters were naturally high and exceeded Australian and New Zealand Environment and Conservation Council guidelines. Conductivity displayed the highest seasonal variability, decreasing significantly after wet season flows. There was little seasonal variation in pH, which often exceeded regional guidelines. Stream sediments were enriched with concentrations of Ni, Cr, Co and Zn up to 35, 21, 10 and 2 times the world average for shallow sediments, respectively. Concentrations for Ni and Cr were up to 60 and 16 times those of the relevant Interim Sediment Quality Guidelines Low Trigger Values, respectively. The distinctive nature of the water and sediment data suggests that it would be appropriate to establish more localized water quality and sediment guidelines for the creek system for the water quality parameters conductivity, Cu and Zn (and possibly Cr and Cd also), and for sediment concentrations of Cd, Cr and Ni.

Reliability and utility of citizen science reef monitoring data collected by Reef Check Australia, 2002–2015

Reef Check Australia (RCA) has collected data on benthic composition and cover at >70 sites along >1000km of Australia's Queensland coast from 2002 to 2015. This paper quantifies the accuracy, precision and power of RCA benthic composition data, to guide its application and interpretation. A simulation study established that the inherent accuracy of the Reef Check point sampling protocol is high (<±7% error absolute), in the range of estimates of benthic cover from 1% to 50%. A field study at three reef sites indicated that, despite minor observer- and deployment-related biases, the protocol does reliably document moderate ecological changes in coral communities. The error analyses were then used to guide the interpretation of inter-annual variability and long term trends at three study sites in RCA's major 2002–2015 data series for the Queensland coast.

Long-term durability of reinforced concrete piles from the Hornibrook Highway Bridge

After more than 75 years continuous exposure to the Pacific Ocean waters on the Queensland coast, the 879 reinforced concrete driven piles that supported the superstructure of the Hornibrook Highway Bridge appeared to be in remarkably good condition when the bridge was demolished during 2011–2012. Detailed investigations revealed excellent, very hard concrete with pH values still around 12 and very little evidence of serious corrosion of the steel reinforcement. The concrete chloride content at the reinforcement was considerably more than the usually accepted limits. However, a few isolated occurrences of very severe localised reinforcement corrosion were found during demolition even though there was little visual external evidence. Possible reasons for the various observations are discussed, together with the practical implications.

St. Lawrence's Death on a Grill: Fact or Fiction?: An Update on the Controversy

St. Lawrence's Death on a Grill: Fact or Fiction?An Update on the Controversy Rev. Lawrence B. Porter (bio) Lawrence (Latin laurentius, literally "laurelled") is the name of the archdeacon of the church of Rome who was martyred in Rome in the year 258 during the persecution of Christians ordered by the Emperor Valerian.1 In the century after his martyrdom, devotion to this St. Lawrence developed rapidly and far beyond Rome. Moreover, it has continued to grow and spread even up to modern times, finding expression in art, music, literature, geographical exploration, and social life. For example, in the year 1145 the cathedral at Lund, Sweden, was consecrated with Lawrence as its patron. As for the literary influence of the martyrdom of Lawrence, one should note how Lawrence's steadfast courage in the face of death is celebrated in the fourth canto of Dante's Paradiso (completed by 1320). And Lawrence's burning on a grill is the subject of a conversation in one of the tales, the tenth story on the sixth day, in Boccaccio's collection of short stories called the Decameron (written c. 1348). Too numerous to mention are the representations of Lawrence in the graphic arts. But outstanding among them are the stained glass windows in the cathedral of Bourges, France, which were completed in the year 1230 and illustrate Lawrence's life as well as his death. [End Page 89] We should also note the paintings by Fra Angelico and the Venetian painter Titian. More precisely, between 1447 and 1449, Fra Angelico, at the request of Pope Nicholas V, painted for a chapel in the apostolic palace at the Vatican a series of frescoes illustrating the life and death of Lawrence. In the year 1558, Titian was commissioned by Venetian nobleman Lorenzo Massolo to paint a large (14½ feet by 10½ feet) altar backdrop of the martyrdom of St. Lawrence for his family chapel in the church of the Crociferi at Venice.2 In music, the great composer of vocal polyphony, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (1525–1594), wrote liturgical music for Lawrence's feast day (the Missa Beatus Laurentius and solemn vespers for both the vigil and feast day). As for geographical references, in the year 1534, the French explorer Jacques Cartier gave the name of St. Lawrence to the largest estuary on the North American continent (the Gulf of St. Lawrence) and to the river that flows into it. A few years later, when King Philip II of Spain decided to build a royal retreat in the mountains twenty-eight miles northwest of Madrid near the town of Escorial, he named his retreat San Lorenzo de Escorial so as to honor the fact that the victory of the Spanish army over the forces of Henry II of France at Picardy in the year 1557 occurred on the feast of Saint Lawrence, August 10. In 1737, San Lorenzo was the name given to a municipality on the island of Puerto Rico, because according to legend the martyr saint had appeared to several inhabitants of that place. In addition, St. Lawrence is the name of one of the oldest towns on the coast of Queensland, Australia. In 1909, the cathedral for the diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, was consecrated with St. Lawrence as its patron. In 1993, Pope John Paul II designated that cathedral in North Carolina a minor basilica, which because of its architectural splendor has been placed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. Last but not least, San Lorenzo is the name of a professional soccer team in Buenos Aires of which Pope Francis has been a fan since his youth. However, in modern times, certain things about Lawrence's martyrdom have been disputed; they have been both seriously challenged [End Page 90] and vigorously defended. In this article, I will look first at the earliest traditions concerning Lawrence's martyrdom, and then I will consider both the modern challenges raised against those ancient accounts as well as one valiant modern defense of the ancient legend. As for Lawrence's life before his martyrdom, there is general agreement among scholars: Lawrence appears to have been born of Christian...

The High Price of Resettlement: The Proposed Environmental Relocation of Nauru to Australia

Most Australians today know the hot, rocky island of Nauru as a Pacific country to which Australia sends asylum seekers who have come by boat. Far fewer recall proposals 50 years ago to resettle the population of Nauru on an island off the Queensland coast. Extensive and lucrative phosphate mining on Nauru by Australia, the UK and New Zealand throughout the twentieth century devastated much of the 21 km2 island, and scientists believed it would be rendered uninhabitable by the mid-1990s. With the exorbitant cost of rehabilitating the land, wholesale relocation was considered the only option. But the Nauruans refused to go. They did not want to be assimilated into White Australia and lose their distinctive identity as a people. This episode adds further complexity to the fraught co-dependency of the Australian–Nauruan relationship, and an incongruous twist to the idea that Nauru might be able to resettle refugees today. In particular, it provides a cautionary tale for perennial discussions about the future relocation of Pacific island communities in the face of climate change.

Annual climate summary Australia (2016): strong El Niño gives way to strong negative IOD.

Australian climate patterns and associated anomalies during 2016 are reviewed, with reference to relevant climate drivers for the Australian region. 2016 was the fourth-warmest year on record for Australia (annual anomaly of +0.87 °C), and the warmest year on record for the globe (the third year running that a new record has been set). Annual rainfall was above average for most of Australia, but below average for areas of the northern coasts between the Gascoyne in Western Australia and Townsville in Queensland, and pockets of coastal southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales. The very strong 2015–16 El Nino contributed to a very warm and dry first quarter. Autumn was the warmest on record nationally, with a significant nationwide heatwave occurring in late February to mid-March and bushfires at the start of the year in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. In May the El Nino broke down and rainfall increased as a very strong negative Indian Ocean Dipole developed, lasting until November. While the central tropical Pacific approached La Nina thresholds during spring, a La Nina did not develop. The Southern Annual Mode commenced the year in a generally positive phase, was strongly positive in June and September, and was following by a strongly negative phase from late October until the end of the year. The period from May to September was record wet, relieving areas of drought in Queensland and southeastern Australia, but also causing flooding in multiple states. The last three months of the year saw a return to near-average rainfall and, while October and November were cooler than average for large areas, December was very warm for the eastern states. Ocean temperatures were also record warm for the Australian region during 2016, with an annual anomaly of +0.73 °C. Temperatures were particularly high during the first half of the year and resulted in widespread severe coral bleaching.

Annual climate summary Australia (2016): strong El Niño gives way to strong negative IOD.

Australian climate patterns and associated anomalies during 2016 are reviewed, with reference to relevant climate drivers for the Australian region. 2016 was the fourth-warmest year on record for Australia (annual anomaly of +0.87 °C), and the warmest year on record for the globe (the third year running that a new record has been set). Annual rainfall was above average for most of Australia, but below average for areas of the northern coasts between the Gascoyne in Western Australia and Townsville in Queensland, and pockets of coastal southeast Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.The very strong 2015–16 El Niño contributed to a very warm and dry first quarter. Autumn was the warmest on record nationally, with a significant nationwide heatwave occurring in late February to mid-March and bushfires at the start of the year in Victoria, Tasmania and Western Australia. In May the El Niño broke down and rainfall increased as a very strong negative Indian Ocean Dipole developed, lasting until November. While the central tropical Pacific approached La Niña thresholds during spring, a La Niña did not develop. The Southern Annual Mode commenced the year in a generally positive phase, was strongly positive in June and September, and was following by a strongly negative phase from late October until the end of the year.The period from May to September was record wet, relieving areas of drought in Queensland and southeastern Australia, but also causing flooding in multiple states. The last three months of the year saw a return to near-average rainfall and, while October and November were cooler than average for large areas, December was very warm for the eastern states.Ocean temperatures were also record warm for the Australian region during 2016, with an annual anomaly of +0.73 °C. Temperatures were particularly high during the first half of the year and resulted in widespread severe coral bleaching.

Long-term and seasonal patterns of sea turtle home ranges in warm coastal foraging habitats: implications for conservation

MEPS Marine Ecology Progress Series Contact the journal Facebook Twitter RSS Mailing List Subscribe to our mailing list via Mailchimp HomeLatest VolumeAbout the JournalEditorsTheme Sections MEPS 562:163-179 (2016) - DOI: https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11972 Long-term and seasonal patterns of sea turtle home ranges in warm coastal foraging habitats: implications for conservation Takahiro Shimada1,2,*, Rhondda Jones3, Colin Limpus4, Rachel Groom5, Mark Hamann1,2 1College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia 2Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia 3Division of Tropical Health & Medicine, James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia 4Queensland Department of Environment and Heritage Protection, Brisbane, Queensland 4102, Australia 5Northern Territory Department of Land Resource Management, Flora and Fauna Division, Marine Ecosystems Group, Darwin 0828, Australia *Corresponding author: takahiro.shimada@my.jcu.edu.au ABSTRACT: Home range analysis is a powerful tool for identifying priority areas for conservation, but estimating the home range for many species is still challenging. In particular, highly mobile species may use different areas at different times (e.g. summer or winter), so temporally biased location data may only partially represent their home range. We investigated the temporal patterns in habitat use of green turtles Chelonia mydas (n = 52) and loggerhead turtles Caretta caretta (n = 20) at longer (>1 yr) and shorter (<1 yr) scales. The study was conducted in subtropical and tropical foraging habitats along the Queensland coast of Australia between 1991 and 2015. Each turtle was tracked by a satellite-linked tag for the effective life of the device; 3 turtles were tracked twice. Mark-recapture studies were also conducted intermittently. Single satellite-tag deployments confirmed site fidelity to a foraging habitat for up to 2.5 yr in green turtles and 2.7 yr in loggerhead turtles. Further, combining satellite telemetry and mark-recapture records indicated much longer periods of foraging residency, up to 17 yr for green turtles and 23 yr for loggerhead turtles. No tracked turtles made substantial changes in their foraging range between years. Within the long-term home range, subtropical turtles tended to shift their foraging areas seasonally. Consequently, for many turtles, the existing conservation legislation provided protection in some seasons but not others. Our results emphasise the importance of protecting areas according to the turtles’ use of space, with careful consideration given to identify temporal trends in their habitat selection. KEY WORDS: Home range · Site fidelity · Seasonal shift · Satellite telemetry · Sea turtles · Chelonia mydas · Caretta caretta Full text in pdf format Supplementary material PreviousNextCite this article as: Shimada T, Jones R, Limpus C, Groom R, Hamann M (2016) Long-term and seasonal patterns of sea turtle home ranges in warm coastal foraging habitats: implications for conservation. Mar Ecol Prog Ser 562:163-179. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps11972 Export citation RSS - Facebook - Tweet - linkedIn Cited by Published in MEPS Vol. 562. Online publication date: December 29, 2016 Print ISSN: 0171-8630; Online ISSN: 1616-1599 Copyright © 2016 Inter-Research.

Breeding and Movements of the Straw-necked Ibis in Australia

Data on distribution and movements were obtained from the literature, an Australia-wide questionnaire and regular censuses at fifteen locations in eastern Australia from May 1969 to December 1972. Fifty-four breeding swamps were recorded, most in south-eastern Australia, Northern Territory and south-western Western Australia. Populations using these breeding areas may be largely discrete. Differences in time and regularity of breeding are probably caused by rainfall. Seasonal movements occurred between breeding areas and eastern coastal refuges in each year, but later and in smaller numbers in years of good rainfall inland than in poor ones. North-eastern Queensland seems to be an important refuge for Ibis breeding in northern Australia and south-eastern Queensland for those from south-eastern Australia, with relatively few sightings in intervening central coastal Queensland. Juveniles appear to disperse earlier and more widely than adults. Local rainfall may stimulate Ibis to depart from refuges, most departures probably being pre-nuptial; rain also probably stimulates breeding. Though flooding is enough to do this at many swynps, at two in South Australia, not affected bv floods, increase in temperature is probably the proximate stimulus.

Seasonal nitrous oxide and methane emissions across a subtropical estuarine salinity gradient

Currently, there is a lack of knowledge about GHG emissions, specifically N2O and CH4, in subtropical coastal freshwater wetland and mangroves in the southern hemisphere. In this study, we quantified the gas fluxes and substrate availability in a subtropical coastal wetland off the coast of southeast Queensland, Australia over a complete wet-dry seasonal cycle. Sites were selected along a salinity gradient ranging from marine (34 psu) in a mangrove forest to freshwater (0.05 psu) wetland, encompassing the range of tidal influence. Fluxes were quantified for CH4 (range −0.4–483 mg C–CH4 h−1 m−2) and N2O (−5.5–126.4 μg N–N2O h−1 m−2), with the system acting as an overall source for CH4 and N2O (mean N2O and CH4 fluxes: 52.8 μg N–N2O h−1 m−2 and 48.7 mg C–CH4 h−1 m−2, respectively). Significantly higher N2O fluxes were measured during the summer months (summer mean 64.2 ± 22.2 μg N–N2O h−1 m−2; winter mean 33.1 ± 24.4 µg N–N2O h–1 m−2) but not CH4 fluxes (summer mean 30.2 ± 81.1 mg C–CH4 h−1 m−2; winter mean 37.4 ± 79.6 mg C–CH4 h−1 m−2). The changes with season are primarily driven by temperature and precipitation controls on the dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) concentration. A significant spatial pattern was observed based on location within the study site, with highest fluxes observed in the freshwater tidal wetland and decreasing through the mangrove forest. The dissolved organic carbon (DOC) varied throughout the landscape and was correlated with higher CH4 fluxes, but this was a nonlinear trend. DIN availability was dominated by N–NH4 and correlated to changes in N2O fluxes throughout the landscape. Overall, we did not observe linear relationships between CH4 and N2O fluxes and salinity, oxygen or substrate availability along the fresh-marine continuum, suggesting that this ecosystem is a mosaic of processes and responses to environmental changes.

The paleoclimate context and future trajectory of extreme summer hydroclimate in eastern Australia.

Eastern Australia recently experienced an intense drought (Millennium Drought, 2003-2009) and record-breaking rainfall and flooding (austral summer 2010-2011). There is some limited evidence for a climate change contribution to these events, but such analyses are hampered by the paucity of information on long-term natural variability. Analyzing a new reconstruction of summer (December-January-February) Palmer Drought Severity Index (the Australia-New Zealand Drought Atlas; ANZDA, 1500-2012 CE), we find moisture deficits during the Millennium Drought fall within the range of the last 500 years of natural hydroclimate variability. This variability includes periods of multi-decadal drought in the 1500s more persistent than any event in the historical record. However, the severity of the Millennium Drought, which was caused by autumn (March-April-May) precipitation declines, may be underestimated in the ANZDA because the reconstruction is biased towards summer and antecedent spring (September-October-November) precipitation. The pluvial in 2011, however, which was characterized by extreme summer rainfall faithfully captured by the ANZDA, is likely the wettest year in the reconstruction for Coastal Queensland. Climate projections (RCP 8.5 scenario) suggest that eastern Australia will experience long-term drying during the 21st century. While the contribution of anthropogenic forcing to recent extremes remains an open question, these projections indicate an amplified risk of multi-year drought anomalies matching or exceeding the intensity of the Millennium Drought.

The Coastal Convective Interactions Experiment (CCIE): Understanding the Role of Sea Breezes for Hailstorm Hotspots in Eastern Australia

Abstract Thunderstorm-affected communities develop an awareness of “hotspot” regions that historically experience more frequent or intense storm activity across many years. A scientifically based understanding of this localized variability has significant implications for both the public and industry; however, a lack of sufficiently long and robust observational datasets has limited prior research at the mesogamma spatial scale (2–20 km). This is particularly true for coastal environments, where hotspot activity has been documented in very few locales (e.g., Florida, southern Appalachian coastal plains, and the Iberian Peninsula), despite 45% of the global population living within 150 km of the coast. The Coastal Convective Interactions Experiment (CCIE) focuses on quantifying hailstorm hotspot activity for the coastal South East Queensland (SEQ) region of Australia and understanding the meteorological conditions that result in the spatial clustering of hailstorm activity. An automated thunderstorm identification and tracking technique applied to 18 years of radar data identifies not only the hailstorm hotpots well known to experienced local forecasters but an apparent link between localized maxima and the presence of sea-breeze activity. These climatological findings provided the motivation and guidance for a two-season field campaign to investigate the role of the sea breeze in thunderstorm development. Details of the experiment strategy and equipment specifications are presented alongside preliminary results. Significant complexities were observed within sea-breeze and thunderstorms circulations, limiting the application of standard concepts for idealized gravity current interactions. Furthermore, a multi-instrument case study of a sea-breeze–thunderstorm cold pool interaction identifies the comparatively low sea-breeze buoyancy as the primary contributor toward inhibiting new convective initiation, despite the vorticity balance argument favoring deeper updrafts.

The Mine Island Aboriginal stone arrangements: spiritual responses to late Holocene change on the central Queensland coast

The Mine Island stone arrangement complex is a large ceremonial complex on the central Queensland coast. The arrangements are in excess of 2 km of looping and U-shaped aligned stones. A series of middens, directly adjacent to the stone arrangements, was recently excavated, providing potential chronological insights into the construction and ceremonial use of the stone arrangement. We posit that these stone arrangements represent a shared spirituality linking coastal peoples for over 300 km of coastline, the inception of which was possibly linked to a range of broader changes impacting coastal hunter-gatherers on the central Queensland coast after around 500 BP.

'Reality' Fiction and the Great Barrier Reef

Di Morrrissey is one of Australia's most widely-read writers of popular fiction. Her special twist on the mode is to choose a particular setting and research it deeply, often living in the area for a time. Her thirteenth novel, The Reef (Sydney: Pan Macmillan, 2004) is set on Branch Island "named because it was an island sprouting right from a limb of the Great Barrier reef (135), somewhere east of "Headland Bay" which, when described (133-34) suggests a hybrid Cairns/Cardwell/Port Douglas, actual towns spread along Australia's North Queensland coast, which is paralleled by the Great Barrier Reef.