East Australia Research Articles

Impact of symmetric instability parametrization scheme on the upper ocean layer in a high-resolution global ocean model

The primary effect of symmetric instability (SI) is the shoaling of the mixed layer. This has been shown to improve the vertical mixing of a passive tracer between the surface mixed layer and the ocean interior in several ideal models. In this study, we apply an SI parameterization scheme on a resolved front in a realistic, high-resolution global ocean model, and evaluate global-scale SI effects. We analyze the model outputs for two typical front regions: the Kuroshio Extension (KE) shows conditions favorable for SI generation whereas in the Subantarctic Front (SAF), east of Australia, SI is weak. We demonstrate that the SI parameterization has a detectable effect on the global-scale sea surface temperature (SST), mixed layer depth (MLD), especially in the strong front and current-topography interactions regions, in winter in the northern and southern hemispheres. The variation of MLD changes by 30% in a local region when SI parameterization scheme is considered. These spatial and temporal distribution characteristics are consistent with those expected for the SI mechanism. However, the SI parameterization only results in submesoscale positive and negative staggered patch structures in the MLD and SST, analogous to turbulence structures. Therefore, its global-scale direct impacts on the MLD and SST are not systematic. The submesoscale disturbance induced by the SI parameterization is of the same order of magnitude as the errors in the current SST observation data; as such, it is assumed to be statistically insignificant in the scope of the current study in a global model. The submesoscale MLD and SST disturbance induced by SI is probably important for local air-sea exchange, but this requires further investigation with the use of long-time-integral coupled models in the future.

Linkage of Tanzania Short Rain Variability to Sea Surface Temperature Over the Southern Oceans

This study presents the relationship between Tanzania short rain variability and the sea surface temperature (SST) over the Southern Oceans from 1950 to 2017. It is found that the warm SST anomalies to the east of Australia (EA-SST) and the southern Atlantic Ocean (SA-SST) are significantly negatively correlated with the OND rainfall throughout Tanzania, signifying that the warmer (cooler) than normal EA-SST and SA-SST tend to cause a suppressed (enhanced) OND rainfall in Tanzania. Further investigation indicates that the above-normal SA-SST anomalies are linked to the changes of Walker-type circulation over the Atlantic Ocean, with the low-level (upper-level) divergence (convergence) occurring over the study region, which suppresses the in-situ convection and hence decreases the rainfall over Tanzania. The above-normal SA-SST anomalies are associated with the upper-level wave patterns propagating from the southern Atlantic Ocean, resulting in the formation of cyclonic anomalies over the target region. The upper-level cyclonic anomalies formed favor the subsidence of airflows over Tanzania and hence reduce rainfall. The local moisture and dynamical conditions also support the atmospheric circulations observed, whereby warm EA-SST and SA-SST anomalies are associated with the westerly moisture flux over the Indian Ocean moving away from Tanzania and the descending motion over Tanzania. Hence, close monitoring of SST anomalies over these regions might be useful in updating OND rainfall seasonal forecasts in Tanzania.

The Impact of Interacting Climate Modes on East Australian Precipitation Moisture Sources

Abstract Modes of climate variability can drive significant changes to regional climate affecting extremes such as droughts, floods, and bushfires. The need to forecast these extremes and expected future increases in their intensity and frequency motivates a need to better understand the physical processes that connect climate modes to regional precipitation. Focusing on east Australia, where precipitation is driven by multiple interacting climate modes, this study provides a new perspective into the links between large-scale modes of climate variability and precipitation. Using a Lagrangian back-trajectory approach, we examine how El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) modifies the supply of evaporative moisture for precipitation, and how this is modulated by the Indian Ocean dipole (IOD) and southern annular mode (SAM). We demonstrate that La Niña modifies large-scale moisture transport together with local thermodynamic changes to facilitate local precipitation generation, whereas below-average precipitation during El Niño stems predominantly from increased regional subsidence. These dynamic–thermodynamic processes were often more pronounced during co-occurring La Niña/negative IOD and El Niño/positive IOD periods. As the SAM is less strongly correlated with ENSO, the impact of co-occurring ENSO and SAM largely depended on the state of ENSO. La Niña–related processes were exacerbated when combined with +SAM and dampened when combined with −SAM, and vice versa during El Niño. This new perspective on how interacting climate modes physically influence regional precipitation can help elucidate how model biases affect the simulation of Australian climate, facilitating model improvement and understanding of regional impacts from long-term changes in these modes. Significance Statement How climate modes modulate the oceanic and terrestrial sources of moisture for rainfall in east Australia is investigated. East Australia is wetter during La Niña because more moisture is transported into the region and is more easily turned into rainfall when it arrives, whereas drier conditions during El Niño are because local conditions inhibit the conversion of moisture into rainfall. Distant atmospheric changes over the Indian and Southern Oceans can intensify these changes. Our results can be used to better understand and predict the regional impact of long-term changes in these modes of climate variability, which are potentially altered under climate change.

Drought, megafires and flood - climate extreme impacts on catchment-scale river water quality on Australia's east coast

Increased frequency and intensity of drought, wildfires and flooding due to climate change has major implications for river water quality, yet there are limited high-temporal resolution data capturing the combined transient impacts of these extreme events at large catchment scales. We present flow-stratified water quality data from a large coastal catchment (Macleay River, Australia) spanning severe drought and extensive fires followed by flooding. We examine concentrations (C), discharge (Q) and flux of suspended sediment, major ions, dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and key nutrients (NO3 and PO4), with a focus on the critical first-flush period after the fires. Highly elevated suspended sediment (∼5500 mg L−1; >100x median pre-fire levels) during the initial post-fire period reflected enhanced erosion from fire-impacted, high-relief landscapes, with peak monthly suspended sediment loads of ∼1.1–3.7 t ha−1. The greatest sensitivity to erosion was during initial flow events following fire, highlighting the compounding effect of sequential extreme events on sediment transport. Maximum solute concentrations typically occurred during the first hydrograph peak post-fire with significantly (P = 0.01) elevated major ions following the order of K>Ca>SO4>HCO3≈Mg>Cl>Na, broadly reflecting the composition of ash materials. Distorted CQ relationships for major ions, DOC and nutrients indicated mobilisation behaviour and enhanced surface runoff during initial hydrograph peaks post-fire, with mean concentrations and CQ relationships progressively shifting to those approximating pre-fire within ∼3–12 months. Elevated DOC (∼7x; P = 0.01) displays distinct changes in fluorescence excitation-emission matrix spectral characteristics, attributable to both fire and drought. Both NO3N (160 μM) and PO4 (7.5 μM) were significantly elevated after the fires (∼15–22x; P = 0.01), with maximum monthly loads of 0.82 and 0.14 kg ha−1 respectively. Fast biogeochemical cycling of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) species occurred during initial flow events following fire, with NH4N initially dominant (>80% of DIN) and exceeding ecosystem guideline threshold values (>100 μM NH4N), followed by rapid (∼1 week) nitrification. The extreme dynamism and transience of water quality parameters highlights the critical importance of high-frequency sampling to adequately capture the compound impacts drought, fires and floods on aquatic systems.

Assessing the structure of coastal forested wetland using field and remote sensing data

Coastal Swamp Oak Forest (CSOF), a supratidal wetland community dominated by Casuarina glauca, is a widely distributed coastal ecosystem along Australia's east coast. These wetland communities are highly valuable for providing ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration. Positioned within the supratidal zone of estuaries – and often abutting upper intertidal saltmarsh and/or mangrove – CSOF may be vulnerable to salinity intrusion and increased tidal inundation due to sea-level rise. To understand spatial patterns of vegetation composition and structure in CSOF, field-based (in-situ) and remote-sensing approaches were employed on the Minnamurra floodplain, New South Wales, Australia. In-situ vegetation surveys within 23 field plots located along seaward to landward transects revealed large variations in mean tree height (2.5–13.1 m) and tree densities (100–8700 trees/ha). Unmanned Aerial Vehicles with Structure from Motion (UAV-SfM), and airborne Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) approaches returned mean plot canopy height estimates ranging between 0.1 and 12.8 m. Comparison of vegetation metrics between remote sensors (UAV-SfM and LiDAR) demonstrated similar capacities (R2 values > 0.85) to capture CSOF vegetation height. Comparison of field and spatial metrics elucidated a moderate correlation between the datasets for maximum canopy height (R2 > 0.6) which can be partially explained by the different spatial scales of measurement among these approaches. Canopy height, Normalised Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), and point density (i.e., vegetation density) estimates were each positively correlated with elevation above mean sea-level. This coincides with indications of plant stress and/or mortality at the seaward edge of CSOF, and in topographic depressions. These findings suggest physico-chemical gradients exert a strong control on CSOF vegetation structure and health, with implications for the current acceleration of sea-level rise. When combined, remote sensing and field-based datasets are useful to characterise and quantify CSOF structure and distribution and can therefore be employed in future assessments of this understudied ecosystem.

Size matters: variations in seagrass seed size at local scales affects seed performance

AbstractSeed size can have an impact on angiosperm reproductive fitness. Ecological theory predicts plants that will produce larger seeds in stressful environments to increase the chances of seedling survival and numerous small seeds in favourable conditions to increase the number of recruits. We measured seed morphology of the seagrass Heterozostera nigricaulis from four populations under differing environmental conditions in South East Australia. Seed size and mass among sites showed consistent differences over four flowering seasons. Seeds from exposed, ephemeral meadows (Blairgowrie, Edwards Point) were 19%–53% heavier than those from larger, stable meadows at more sheltered sites (Swan Bay, Point Henry). Overall, heavier seeds from exposed sites performed better in germination experiments and persisted (remained viable) longer compared to small seeds from sheltered sites. Seeds from sheltered sites showed contrasting levels of seed performance. Small seeds from Swan Bay had the lowest germination but the proportion of viable seeds after 12 months were much higher (41%) than similar sized seeds from Point Henry (0%). There are clear life history benefits of large seeds that facilitate seed persistence and germination at exposed sites; however, the performance of smaller seeds varied between sites and may be a function of other site-specific advantages.

Racism, cricket, and impact on mass psychology.

Racism is not an uncommon phenomenon in sports, with cricket being no exception to it. Cricket is played in many countries, with its dominance in South East Asia, Europe, Australia, and Africa. Racist remarks in cricket hit media headlines and ignite agitations among the cricket fans. This article discusses the psychological impact of racism associated with cricket and possible remedial measures.

A new species of Caprella (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) from Gippsland Lakes, Australia, with a redescription of Caprella acanthogaster Mayer, 1890 from northern Japan

Caprella acanthogaster Mayer, 1890 sensu lato (Crustacea: Amphipoda: Caprellidae) has previously been recorded from temperate and cold waters of Far East Asia and Australia. A detailed morphological comparison of specimens collected from Gippsland Lakes (Victoria, Australia) and Otsuchi Bay (Tohoku District, Japan) revealed that C. acanthogaster sensu lato from these regions comprises two separate species. Caprella acanthogaster Mayer, 1890 sensu stricto is confirmed to be distributed in northern Japan. Caprella tamboensis sp. nov. is present in Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, and most noticeably differs from C. acanthogaster sensu stricto in having a relatively short triangular projection on the palm of propodus of gnathopod 2 and a relatively longer peduncle article 2 of antenna 1 (being longer than article 3).

The taxonomic identity of the monocle bream Scolopsis vosmeri species complex (Perciformes: Nemipteridae), with comments on molecular phylogenetic relationships within the genus Scolopsis.

The monocle bream Scolopsis vosmeri species complex is revised. Three species in the complex are recognized: Scolopsis vosmeri (Bloch, 1792), widespread in the Indo-West Pacific, from the northern Indian Ocean (Pakistan, western India, Sri Lanka, Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman Sea, but not recorded from the Red Sea or Arabian Gulf, east African coast or Madagascar) to western Indonesia and Borneo; S. japonica (Bloch, 1793), restricted to the western Pacific Ocean from western Indonesia and north-western Australia east to the Philippines and north to southern Japan; and S. curite Cuvier, 1815, widespread from the western to the eastern Indian Ocean, including the Red Sea and Arabian Gulf. All three species are similar morphologically, and have been confused taxonomically, but phylogenetic analysis of the COI barcoding region shows they are evolutionarily divergent. The three species are redescribed in detail and characters found to distinguish them. Scolopsis vosmeri is easily distinguished from S. japonica and S. curite in having a white band along the side of the body; having a black spot on most body scales (versus greenish yellow spot in S. japonica and S. curite); in lacking a distinct black spot (sometimes a small and faint spot present) on the upper pectoral-fin base (versus small black wedge-shaped spot present in S. japonica and S. curite); caudal peduncle whitish in live individuals (versus caudal peduncle usually yellowish in S. japonica and S. curite); and pelvic and anal fins crimson to orange-red (versus yellow in S. japonica and S. curite). Scolopsis japonica and S. curite are indistinguishable by color pattern but differ in the degree of spination on the preopercular margin. Neotypes are designated for Scolopsis japonica and S. curite. Nomenclatural problems, including validity of the genus Scolopsis, are discussed. We regard Scolopsis curite Cuvier, 1815 as a valid binomial name and thus the type species of Scolopsis Cuvier, 1814 by subsequent monotypy.

Seasonal growth of lucerne (Medicago sativa) under rainfed conditions in south east Australia: Variation of experimental and commercial cultivars sourced from Australia and China

Seed distributors market lucerne to farmers based on the supposed winter activity of those cultivars. This study determines the amount of between-cultivar variation, in cultivars available to farmers, in annual dry matter production and seasonality of that dry matter production when grown in dryland grazing areas of south east Australia. Forty-seven cultivars of lucerne, that spanned the range of winter activity ratings, were defoliated every 6 weeks for a period of nearly four years at two contrasting dryland sites. At each site, annual and seasonal dry matter growth was measured over three yearly periods. The variation between cultivars was examined using models with random between-cultivar effects. At both sites and in most years, within the Australian commercial cultivars, the higher (97.5% quantile) annual growth cultivars had about 20–30% greater annual growth than the lower (2.5% quantile) annual growth cultivars. Whilst variation between cultivars in seasonality of growth was statistically detectable, the main feature was the small magnitude of this between cultivar variation. We suggest that dryland farmers in temperate regions (similar to south-east Australia) should make purchasing decisions of lucerne cultivar based on annual production, pest and disease resistance, persistence and grazing tolerance, and mostly ignore differences in seasonality of production.

Staying in place and moving in space: Contrasting larval thermal sensitivity explains distributional changes of sympatric sea urchin species to habitat warming.

For marine ectotherms, larval success, planktonic larval duration and dispersal trajectories are strongly influenced by temperature, and therefore, ocean warming and heatwaves have profound impacts on these sensitive stages. Warming, through increased poleward flow in regions with western boundary currents, such as the East Australia Current (EAC), provides opportunities for range extension as propagules track preferred conditions. Two sea urchin species, Centrostephanus rodgersii and Heliocidaris tuberculata, sympatric in the EAC warming hotspot, exhibit contrasting responses to warming. Over half a century, C. rodgersii has undergone marked poleward range extension, but the range of H. tuberculata has not changed. We constructed thermal performance curves (TPC) to determine if contrasting developmental thermal tolerance can explain this difference. The temperatures tested encompassed present-day distribution and forecast ocean warming/heatwave conditions. The broad and narrow thermal optimum (Topt) ranges for C. rodgersii and H. tuberculata larvae (7.2 and 4.7°C range, respectively) matched their realized (adult distribution) thermal niches. The cool and warm temperatures for 50% development to the feeding larva approximated temperatures at adult poleward range limits. Larval cool tolerances with respect to mean local temperature differed, 6.0 and 3.8°C respectively. Larval warm tolerances were similar for both species as are the adult warm range edges. The larvae of both species would be sensitive to heatwaves. Centrostephanus rodgersii has stayed in place and shifted in space, likely due to its broad cold-warm larval thermal tolerance and large thermal safety margins. Phenotypic plasticity of the planktonic stage of C. rodgersii facilitated its range extension. In contrast, larval cold intolerance of H. tuberculata explains its restricted range and will delay poleward extension as the region warms. In a warming ocean, we show that intrinsic thermal biology traits of the pelagic stage provide an integrative tool to explain species-specific variation in range shift patterns.

Integrating voice and phenotype in a revision of the brush cuckoo Cacomantis variolosus (Aves: Cuculidae) complex

Brush cuckoos of the Cacomantis variolosus complex, which range from Southeast Asia to Australia and the Solomon Islands, have undergone much taxonomic upheaval. Here we examine 389 vocal recordings, 832 skins, and records of brood parasitism and habitat partitioning to shed light on their species and subspecies taxonomy. Bioacoustic analysis revealed seven distinct vocal groups. Among morphological markers, shape and proportions of the tail were found to be supporting indicators, in addition to plumage tone and pattern. Integration of the resulting data set distinguished six species-level taxa within the complex: sepulcralis in the Philippines and Sundaland east to central Nusa Tenggara, virescens in Sulawesi and the Sula Archipelago, aeruginosus in the Moluccas, variolosus in east Nusa Tenggara, the Moluccas, north and east Australia, New Guinea and Bismarck Archipelago, blandus in the Admiralty Islands, and addendus in the Solomon Islands. Our review of infra-specific differentiation among species leads us to distinguish 13 subspecies. All taxa identified are listed in a summary classification of the complex. Taxon diversity is greatest in the Moluccas, where two habitat-partitioned species and five allopatric subspecies occur, of which one species and three subspecies are endemic to this region.

Holocene sea levels at the Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea

A new relative sea level (RSL) curve is presented for the Holocene Gulf of Aqaba, northern Red Sea. The curve is based on U–Th ages of corals retrieved from leveled fossil reefs comprising the Tur Yam Terrace at the shore of the city of Elat, Israel and the Aqaba reef terraces, Jordan, located respectively east and west of the northern tip of the gulf. Both terrace tops are submerged under high tide and subaerial at low tide. The fossil corals are in growth position between two beachrock units. The corals comprise 100% aragonite, show pristine textures with no secondary aragonite cements and yield initial 234U/238U activity ratios of 1.146 ± 0.004, similar to the values of live corals and modern Gulf of Aqaba (GoA) waters. Sixteen U–Th ages of corals from the Tur Yam Terrace span the time interval of 6.8 to 5.5 ka, and are ordered along the growth direction of the terrace. Detailed mapping of the terrace, the distribution of corals’ genera and the order of their ages on the terrace, suggest that the exposed terrace was the back reef/lagoon zone, a very close to shore environment of a fringing reef. Identification of this reef zone was based on a detailed ecological study that we conducted on the Nature Reserve Reef (NRR), a modern fringing reef located several hundred meters to the south. A morpho-tectonic analysis of the Elat shore indicates that the Tur Yam Terrace lies on top of the footwall of the active Elat Fault and has remained at its original level, with negligible vertical shift. Thus, it appears that during the time interval of formation of the Tur Yam corals, sea level at GoA reached a maximum stand that was 1–2 m above the modern elevation. A similar figure is shown by Mid-Holocene corals from the Aqaba fossil reefs and shore indicators from the Red Sea. The relative sea level (RSL) curve deduced from the Gulf of Aqaba corals and from the Red Sea indicators resembles those of precisely-dated stable reefs off west and east Australia and a few other well dated reefs in the Indo-Pacific. This similarity calls for coeval response of the Indo-Pacific oceans to ice melting during the early to mid- Holocene, and a similar pattern of decline to the present level during the late Holocene. Such a coeval rise of distant parts of the Indo-Pacific oceans is consistent with dominance of melt waters releases over the oceans with minor effects of all other “sea level drivers".

Evidence of fine-scale genetic structure for reef manta rays Mobula alfredi in New Caledonia

Our understanding of the genetic connectivity of manta ray populations and the drivers that shape genetic population structure is still limited. This information is crucial to identify the spatial boundaries of discrete populations and guide decisions on units to conserve. In this study, we used genome-wide single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) to assess the genetic structure and diversity of reef manta raysMobula alfrediat a local scale within New Caledonia and regionally in the western Pacific Ocean. We provide the first evidence of fine-scale genetic differentiation inM.alfredi, found between the 3 cleaning station aggregation sites in New Caledonia (n = 65 samples, N = 2676 SNPs,FST= 0.01, p < 0.0001). Furthermore, population structure was evident at the regional scale between individuals from New Caledonia (n = 73) and East Australia (n = 19) on the basis of genetic differentiation statistics (3619 SNPs,FST= 0.096, p < 0.0001) and clustering algorithms, with unidirectional gene flow detected from east (New Caledonia) to west (Australia). These results reveal that reef manta rays can form genetically distinct groups within a relatively small geographic range and highlights the need to consider genetic structure when designating management units for conservation action and planning.

Early cretaceous tectonic setting of eastern Australia: Evidence from the subduction-related Morton Igneous Association of Southeast Queensland

Early Cretaceous magmatic rocks of the central east coast of Australia are recognized as a lithologically, geochemically, and geochronologically distinctive rock package herein named the Morton Igneous Association. The association embraces small plutons and hypabyssal intrusions within the Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous Nambour and Maryborough basins. It also includes volcanics of the Grahams Creek Formation, basal infill of the Maryborough Basin with an indicated volume exceeding 0.25 M km3, representing a much more substantial igneous assemblage. Plutonic rocks vary from hornblende-rich gabbro to granodiorite, and syenite. The Grahams Creek Formation consists of volcanic to volcaniclastic rocks of basaltic to dacitic composition. The association is UPb zircon dated at 145–140 Ma, and is characterized by distinctive subduction-related trace element compositions typical of magmatic rocks from continental arc settings. Oxygen isotope and εHf compositions obtained from zircon are consistent with a largely mantle source for the host magmas. Trace element data for the 130–95 Ma Whitsunday Igneous Province, of more northerly location on the east Australian coast, are consistent with a continental back-arc association. The MIA and Whitsunday Igneous Province represent small parts of an extensive Cretaceous active margin system developed for east Gondwana, mainly located on continental crust comprising northern Zealandia which is now separated from east Australia, largely submerged and little documented. East Australia records both older (145–140 Ma) continental arc magmatism and younger (132–95 Ma) continental back-arc magmatism attributed to progressive Cretaceous roll-back of a consuming plate boundary to east Gondwana.

Discoursing Asia: The Regional Contemporary and Historical Fracture in Asian Contemporary Art Symposia, 1997–2002

The 1990s saw art exhibitions and biennials staged in East and Southeast Asia and Australia representing a contemporary rather than traditional Asia. These events were supported by region-wide fora on Asian contemporary art that promoted the discursive and imaginative capacity to curate such an Asia. The Japan Foundation Asia Center contributed to this capacity building via what could be called cultural infrastructural networks – their symposia on Asian contemporary art from 1994 to 2008. The concern was to increase a regional representational capacity based on sound art-critical and historical approaches and to ascertain the contemporaneity of present artistic practice. An emphasis on present-day art established a relational approach to temporality in which the recognition that contemporary artistic formations occupied a coeval time zone with contemporary western art in turn implied increased equality with the western metropole. However, the capacity to exhibit the regional contemporary of an Asia that has economically arrived did not overcome the apprehension of older modernizing ideologies linked with fraught ideas of Asia that had led to the Pacific War. Nevertheless, a multicultural Asia – the aspirational conjuncture of diverse regional locales with still disparate development levels and temporalities to produce a fictional totalized present – was projected in exhibitions that strove to rise above inter-Asian national clashes. These may have been performative projections of the contemporary, but such possibilities were not available during Asia’s colonial period.

Differences in Uveal Melanoma Age-Standardized Incidence Rates in Two Eastern States of Australia Are Driven by Differences in Rurality and Ultraviolet Radiation.

Simple SummaryUveal melanoma (UM) is a rare form of melanoma originating in the eye. Unlike cutaneous melanoma (CM), the role of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) in UM aetiology is still unresolved. UM has a high incidence in Australia. Epidemiological analyses revealed heterogeneity in UM incidence between two eastern Australian states, Queensland (QLD) and Victoria (VIC). It was found that QLD has a 21% higher incidence of UM than VIC and, in fact, has one of the highest incidences in the world. A weak south-to-north trend in incidence along the eastern Australian coast is seen, and rural areas have a 24% greater burden than major city areas in both the states. The two states are similar demographically, but differ socially, industrially and latitudinally. This is important because it could indicate a minor UVR role in UM incidence, especially in QLD. Preventative measures by sun-protective behaviours may be important, especially in the northeastern Australian demographic. Uveal melanoma (UM) is the second-most-common melanoma in humans and has a high age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) in Australia. Regional patterns of UM ASRs in Australia are unknown. The aim of this study was to determine and compare UM ASRs in two geographically disparate eastern states, Queensland (QLD) and Victoria (VIC), by using cancer registry data that was obtained from 2001 to 2013. World-standardized UM ASRs and incidence-rate ratios (IRRs) were calculated. Higher UM ASR was also observed in anterior UM compared to posterior UM ASR. UM ASR remained unchanged from 2001 to 2013 in QLD but decreased in VIC. A south-to-north latitude trend in UM ASR along the east of Australia is weakly evident, and rural populations have higher UM ASRs than major city populations in both states. Differences in ultraviolent radiation (UVR) susceptibility, indigenous populations, social behaviours, chemical exposure, and socioeconomic status could all be contributing to differences in UM rates between QLD and VIC and between rural compared to major city areas. It is possible that a minority of cases in QLD and VIC might be prevented by sun-protective behaviours. This is important, because these findings suggest that QLD, which is already known to have one of the highest cutaneous melanoma (CM) ASRs in the world, also has one of the highest UM ASRs.

Cyclones and Global Floods from an Observation-Simulation Evaluation: Contributions and Long-Term Changes

As two of the most destructive natural disasters, tropical cyclones (TCs) and extratropical cyclones (ETCs) can bring about huge casualties and socioeconomic losses to the major continents. However, little is known about the contributions of TCs and ETCs to global flooding and the spatial-temporal variations both in the magnitude and frequency of cyclone-related floods. We collected, to our knowledge, the most complete global streamflow dataset with at least 25-year complete records between 1979 and 2012. Using this observed streamflow dataset and simulated runoff dataset from ERA5 reanalysis, for the first time at the global scale, our results show that the highest contributions of TCs to annual floods occur in coastal areas of East Asia and Australia (both > 40%), followed by North America (>25%), with a general decrease from coastline to inland, while the highest contributions of ETCs to annual floods occur in Eurasia (>70%) and North America (>60%), followed by South America and South Africa (>50%). Seasonally, TC-induced floods are clustered to occur in boreal (austral) summer and autumn, respectively, in the Northern (Southern) Hemisphere, while there is no significant difference in ETC-induced floods among the four seasons. Additionally, contributions of cyclones to floods in simulations are highly consistent with the observations. Except for East Asia, both the magnitude and frequency of TC-induced floods show increasing trends in South Asia, coastal North America, Mexico, north Australia and southeastern South Africa, which is basically and directly explained by increasing TC tracks, duration and density in these areas. For ETCs, widespread decreasing trends in magnitude and frequency of ETC-induced floods were detected across Eurasia, South America, and most of North America. Changes in large-scale environmental variables also correspond well to cyclone activities, which further confirms the reasonable trends in magnitude and frequency of cyclone floods.

High-resolution marine heatwave mapping in Australasian waters using Himawari-8 SST and SSTAARS data

Marine heatwaves (MHWs) have significant ecological and economic impact at local and regional scales. Consequently, there is a pressing need to map the fine-scale temporal and spatial patterns of MHWs, for both historical and near real-time events. Satellite remote sensing of Sea Surface Temperature (SST) provides fundamental data for the mapping of MHWs. This study used high-resolution Himawari-8 SST and the Sea Surface Temperature Atlas of the Australian Regional Seas (SSTAARS) data, which have a spatial resolution of ~2 km, to map recent and near real-time MHW events in waters around Australasia. The high-resolution MHWs mapping identified two broad areas of MHW hotspots that occurred between August 2015 and February 2019. The Tropical Warm Pool region (including the Great Barrier Reef and part of the Coral Sea) was affected by strong and prolonged MHW conditions for the greater part of 2016. The unusually strong 2015–16 El Niño event was believed to be the primary underlying driver for the MHWs, and the air-sea heat flux was likely the key local process controlling the heat budget. The south-east of the study area (including Australia's south-east coast, the Tasman Sea and New Zealand's east coast) suffered severe MHWs in 2015–16, 2017–18 and 2018–19. The 2015–16 summer Bass Strait and East Tasmania MHW event was likely due to the anomalous heat transported by the East Australia Current. The air-sea heat flux, however, was likely an important local driver for the MHW events in the Tasman Sea during the 2016 autumn, the 2017–18 summer and the 2018–19 summer. The anomalous heat flux into ocean was attributed to potential underlying climate drivers including ENSO teleconnections, positive SAM and their interaction. This mapping has not only enhanced our understanding of the spatio-temporal characteristics of several previously documented MHWs, but also identified and mapped several previously undocumented MHWs. Two case studies in the Beagle Marine Park located in north-eastern Bass Strait and the Elizabeth and Middleton Reefs situated ~550 km east of the Australian coast within the Lord Howe Marine Park proved the value of Himawari-8 SST and SSTAARS data in mapping fine details of MHWs in a small area, which could not be captured by the broad-scale DOISST data. During the 2017–18 summer event, the case studies revealed much stronger MHW influence in the shallow waters east of the Beagle Marine Park where most of the important rocky reef habitats exist. During the same event, the case studies also confirmed more severe MHW impact on the Elizabeth Reef than the Middleton Reef which resulted in bleaching to selective coral species on the Elizabeth Reef. The near-real time MHWs mapping showed that both the GBR and the Coral Sea marine parks were experiencing MHW conditions in early March 2020, with most affected areas having strong MHW class.

Architectural Pattern: Study of orchid architecture using tools to take quick measurements of virtual specimens

The joint use of two tools applied to plant description, XPER3 and Recolnat Annotate, made it possible to study vegetative architectural patterns (Fig. 1) of the Dendrobium (Orchidaceae) in New Caledonia defined by N. Hallé (1977). This approach is not directly related to taxonomy, but to the definition of sets of species grouped according to a growth pattern. In the course of this work, the characters stated by N. Hallé were analysed and eventually amended to produce a data matrix and generate an identification key. Study materials: Dendrobium Sw. in New Caledonia New Caledonia is an archipelago in the Pacific Ocean, a French overseas territory located east of Australia. It is one of the 36 biodiversity hotspots in the world. The genus Dendrobium Sw. sensu lato is one of the largest in the family Orchidaceae and contains over 1220 species. In New Caledonia, it includes 46 species. In his revision of the family, N. Hallé (1977) defined 14 architectural groups, into which he divided the 31 species known at that time. These models are based on those defined by F. Hallé and Oldeman (1970). But they are clearly intended to group species together for identification purposes. Architectural pattern: A pattern is a set of vegetative or reproductive characters that define the general shape of an individual. Developed by mechanisms linked to the dominance of the terminal buds, the architectural groups are differentiated by the arrangement of the leaves, the position of the inflorescences or the shape of the stem (Fig. 1). Plants obeying a given pattern do not necessarily have phylogenetic relationships. These models have a useful application in the field for identifying groups of plants. Monocotyledonous plants, and in particular the Orchidaceae, lend themselves well to this approach, which produces stable architectural patterns. Recolnat Annotate Recolnat Annotate is a free tool for observing qualitative features and making physical measurements (angle, length, area) of images. It can be used offline and downloaded from https://www.recolnat.org/en/annotate. The software is based on the setting up observation projects that group together a batch of herbarium images to be studied, associating it with a descriptive model. A file of measurements can be exported in comma separated value (csv) format for further analysis (Fig. 2). XPER3 Usually used in the context of systematics in which the items studied are taxa, XPER3 can also be used to distinguish architectural groups that are not phylogenetically related. Developed by the Laboratoire d'Informatique et Systématique (LIS) of the Institut de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité in Paris, XPER3 is an online collaborative platform that allows the editing of descriptive data (https://www.xper3.fr/?language=en). This tool allows the cross-referencing of items (in this case architectural groups) and descriptors (or characters). It allows the development of free access identification keys (it means without fixed sequence of identification steps). The latter can be used directly online. But it also offers to produce single-access keys, with or without using character weighting and dependencies between characters. Links between XPER3 and Recolnat Annotate The descriptive model used by Recolnat Annotate can be developed within the framework of XPER3, which provides for characters and character states. Thus the observations made by the Recolnat Annotate measurement tool can be integrated into the XPER3 platform. Specimens can then be compared, or several descriptions can be merged to express the description of a species (Fig. 3). RESULTS The joint use of XPER3 and Recolnat Annotate to manage both herbarium specimens and architectural patterns has proven to be relevant. Moreover, the measurements on the virtual specimens are fast and reliable. N. Hallé (1977) had produced a dichotomous single-accesskey that allowed the identification and attribution of a pattern to a plant observed in the field or in a herbarium. The project to build a polytomous and interactive key with XPER3 required completing the observations to give a status for each character of each vegetative architectural model. Recolnat Annotate was used to produce observations from herbarium network in France. The use of XPER3 has allowed us to redefine these models in the light of new data from the herbaria and to publish the interactive key available at dendrobium-nc.identificationkey.org.