Southeast Queensland Research Articles

Indigenous Public History: Cherbourg’s Marching Girls

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities inherent in the co-creation of public histories involving Indigenous communities and non-Indigenous researchers. We focus on our work with the Aboriginal community of Cherbourg in southeast Queensland and our work with women Elders to research and tell the story of the Cherbourg Marching Girls, teams of young women who represented their community in competitive and exhibition marching from 1957 to 1962. This multi-faceted project led to the publication of a book – Marching with a Mission: Cherbourg’s Marching Girls (2022). We reflect on the ways that we strove throughout the project to adhere to ethical protocols, moral obligations, and Indigenous research methodologies. The lens for this analysis is the Research Ethics Framework published by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in 2020. This framework is based on four interwoven principles that emphasize responsibilities on researchers and projects to help ensure the ethical integrity of Indigenous research and outcomes: Indigenous self-determination, Indigenous leadership, Impact and value, and Sustainability and accountability. We conclude that the Research Ethics Framework provides important guidelines to help non-Indigenous scholars privilege Indigenous community ways of being, doing and knowing in collaborating about their sporting pasts.

Immunisation of koalas against Chlamydia pecorum results in significant protection against chlamydial disease and mortality

In 2022, the Australian Government listed the koala as endangered in several states due to habitat destruction, traffic strikes, dog attacks, and Chlamydia pecorum disease. This study evaluates a 10-year assessment of a Major Outer Membrane Protein-based vaccine’s effectiveness against chlamydial disease in wild koalas from Southeast Queensland. Over a decade, 680 koalas were tracked, with five vaccine trials involving 165 koalas. While prior studies only offered up to two years of data, this study’s extended period allowed a thorough evaluation of vaccine efficacy. Results showed that vaccinated koalas had significantly lower disease incidence, with a 64% reduction in chlamydial mortality. This vaccine demonstrated positive impacts on both male and female koalas, highlighting its crucial role in conserving the Australian koala population and mitigating the threats they face.

The hospitalisation risk of chronic circulatory and respiratory diseases associated with coal mining in the general population in Queensland, Australia

Queensland is the main coal mining state in Australia where populations in coal mining areas have been historically exposed to coal mining emissions. Although a higher risk of chronic circulatory and respiratory diseases has been associated with coal mining globally, few studies have investigated these associations in the Queensland general population. This study estimates the association of coal production with hospitalisations for chronic circulatory and respiratory diseases in Queensland considering spatial and temporal variations during 1997–2014.An ecological analysis used a Bayesian hierarchical spatiotemporal model to estimate the association of coal production with standardised rates of each, chronic circulatory and respiratory diseases, adjusting for sociodemographic factors and considering the spatial structure of Queensland's statistical areas (SA2) in the 18-year period. Two specifications; with and without a space-time interaction effect were compared using the integrated nested Laplace approximation -INLA approach. The posterior mean of the best fit model was used to map the spatial, temporal and spatiotemporal trends of risk.The analysis considered 2,831,121 hospitalisation records. Coal mining was associated with a 4 % (2.4—5.5) higher risk of hospitalisation for chronic respiratory diseases in the model with a space-time interaction effect which had the best fit. An emerging higher risk of either chronic circulatory and respiratory diseases was identified in eastern areas and some coal-mining areas in central and southeast Queensland. There were important disparities in the spatiotemporal trend of risk between coal -and non-coal mining areas for each, chronic circulatory and respiratory diseases.Coal mining is associated with an increased risk of chronic respiratory diseases in the Queensland general population. Bayesian spatiotemporal analyses are robust methods to identify environmental determinants of morbidity in exposed populations. This methodology helps identifying at-risk populations which can be useful to support decision-making in health. Future research is required to investigate the causality links between coal mining and these diseases.

Assessing perceptions of flea and tick infestation risk in Southeast Queensland, Australia

Social cognitive models are useful for improving our understanding of the relationship between people's health beliefs and disease risks and have been widely employed in human medicine. In veterinary science, there is little research about owners' perceptions of pet health and parasitic infections/infestations, despite the risk of transmission of zoonotic pathogens by ectoparasites. This study investigated the effects of demographic factors on pet owner's perception of ectoparasite infestation risk and behaviours related to animal health in southeast Queensland, Australia employing the Health Belief Model (HBM). A total of 241 dog owners were surveyed in 2018. The electronic survey was generated through SurveyMonkey and distributed utilising UQ SVS and Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) email networks, informative posters and brochures placed in selected veterinary clinics, and in-person visits to dog parks. The relationship between dog owners' perception of flea and tick infestation risk was assessed using an adaptation of the Health Belief Model, social cognitive framework for health protection. Most survey respondents were between 26 and 45 years of age (40%), identified themselves as females (83%) and had a bachelor's degree (43%). Our results indicate that female owners had greater level of health concern related to ectoparasites compared to males. Similarly, owners aged 18 to 25, with a grade 10 to 12 level of attained education and living predominately in a rural setting showed greater level of health concern related to ectoparasite infestations. The results also indicated that cat owners had on average, higher levels of health concern than dog owners. Our study indicates that the perceptions of pet owners towards perception of flea and tick infestation risk varies demographically, and owner education is an important predictor of prevention behaviours towards tick and flea infestation of pets.

Summer Heatwaves in Southeastern Australia

AbstractHeatwaves in southeastern Australia have characteristic weather patterns that are well understood but are outnumbered by days with similar synoptic‐scale patterns that are not heatwaves. Accordingly, the aim of this study is to identify the key differences between heatwave and non‐heatwave days from 40 years of reanalysis data. A synoptic climatology of seven weather states was constructed by ‐means cluster analysis. Four of these states account for more than 80% of heatwave days across south‐and‐central eastern Australia. Moreover, the spatial maxima in the frequency of the heatwave days are distinct and geographically separated. Heatwave days have a stronger upper anticyclone or ridge that has propagated further equatorward in comparison with non‐heatwave days. The air upstream of the ridge is more humid on heatwave days, whereas downstream of the ridge the air is much drier. These dry anomalies are co‐located with midtropospheric subsidence and the moist anomalies with ascent, and their respective spatial distributions are consistent with regions of adiabatic warming and latent heating identified in recent studies of southeast Australian heatwaves. The corresponding vertical motion on non‐heatwave days is weaker and shifted further poleward. Southeast Queensland heatwave days exhibit increased baroclinicity over the Australian Subtropics and reduced rainfall over Queensland. Further south and west, heatwave days are associated with more amplified Rossby waves and increased rainfall over the Australian Tropics. Anticyclonic Rossby wave breaking is greatly enhanced on heatwave days south of 30°S. For every day in each of these four weather states, the 3‐day‐mean maximum temperature in the region of peak heatwave day frequency is positively correlated with 500 hPa geopotential height anomalies on the equatorward flank of the cluster‐mean upper ridge. These findings underline the importance of equatorward Rossby wave propagation in the dynamics of southeast Australian heatwaves.

Sources of nutrients fuelling post-flood phytoplankton biomass in a subtropical bay

Extreme rainfall from an ex-tropical cyclone caused a major flood event in the Logan River system in southeast Queensland, Australia. This resulted in a significant flood plume, containing nutrients and sediment, being discharged into the adjacent estuary/Bay system. The spatial extent of higher phytoplankton biomass (Chl a) matched the distribution of higher nutrient and sediment concentrations post-flood, suggesting nutrients fuelled phytoplankton production. Particulate nitrogen (PN) constituted over 50 % of total nitrogen in floodwaters, with lower proportions of dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) and phosphate (PO4-P). Phytoplankton utilised DIN rapidly but may have maintained growth due to the release of ammonia from suspended sediments and microbial mineralisation of particulate organic nitrogen. Ammonia release from intertidal sediments contributed minimally (0.85 %) to daily phytoplankton nitrogen demands. Our study highlights the need to understand the fate of particulate nitrogen in coastal systems and its role in stimulating phytoplankton growth.

The weather determined how ‘hot’ the tick paralysis season was in eastern Australia: 2018–2024

The eastern paralysis tick, Ixodes holocyclus, is a tick of much veterinary importance in Australia. Each year, thousands of dogs and cats present to veterinary clinics and hospitals with signs of tick paralysis. In a previous paper, we constructed two models to explain prevalence and temporal distributions of tick paralysis cases presenting to emergency veterinary hospitals in South East Queensland (2009–2020) and the Northern Beaches of Sydney (1999–2017). The first model accounted for the intensity of the clinical burden of tick paralysis based on the prevalence of cases of tick paralysis in the tick paralysis season whereas the second model accounted for the start of the tick paralysis season. In the present paper, we test our models further, with much additional data from 2021 to 2023 (South East Queensland) and from 2018 to 2023 (Northern Beaches of Sydney). During the defined tick paralysis season in these locations, 10.3 % (3207 of 31,217) of veterinary-consultations were for tick paralysis. On average, predictions for the prevalence of cases of tick paralysis were 1.3 % (0.013) away from the actual prevalence whereas predictions for the start of the tick paralysis season were 1.7 weeks away from the actual start of the season. The prediction of the prevalence of tick paralysis cases was most accurate for Brisbane and least accurate for the Northern Beaches of Sydney whereas, curiously, the prediction for the start of the tick paralysis season was most accurate for the Northern Beaches of Sydney and least accurate for Brisbane. We re-fitted the models with the new data. We predict that about 10 % (Sunshine Coast), 5 % (Brisbane), 7 % (Gold Coast) and 12 % (Northern Beaches of Sydney) of veterinary-consultations in the tick paralysis season of 2024 will be cases of tick paralysis, resulting in a tick paralysis clinical burden intensity of similar magnitude to previous years. Such predictions allow for timely public education campaigns around the importance of prevention and appropriate resource planning for veterinary clinics.

Dead on the Beach? Predicting the Drift of Whale Remains Improves Management for Offshore Disposal

Whale mortality and strandings have increased in recent years, with deceased whales often brought to landfill. However, the disposal of whale remains offshore holds significant ecological importance and can be a culturally and ethically sensitive approach. Moreover, offshore disposal mitigates potential risks associated with onshore whale remains disposal, such as the spread of diseases and the logistical challenges of managing large carcasses. A challenge with offshore disposal is defining the best release location to avoid the remains drifting ashore or into shipping channels. Here we compared the drift model outputs using a drift forecast model (SARMAP) for a 14 m whale carcass that was moved offshore in southeast Queensland, Australia, and fitted with a satellite tracker over an observation period of 150 h until positioning signal ceased. The modelling was conducted using different ocean products (BLUElink, HYCOM, and Copernicus), which showed a good agreement with the tracked whale carcass, albeit with changing wind conditions and contrasting currents flowing northward along the coast and, further offshore, flowing south. This case study illustrated that wind was the foremost driver of carcass drift due to the surface area above the water surface. The drift forecast simulations allowed for a reliable prediction of the floating whale drift that can assist authorities with decision making. Offshore disposal of whale carcasses is a sustainable practice but requires good planning and scientific assessment.

Quantifying Environmental and Spatial Patterns of Fish on Log Snags to Optimise Resnagging in Coastal Seascapes

Long-term declines in coastal water quality and sedimentation can affect the restoration success of ecosystems such as seagrass and shellfish reefs. Resnagging coastal seascapes offers a potential alternative restoration method that is not reliant on abiotic conditions and which may enhance degraded landscapes for fish and fisheries. While common in freshwater ecosystems, such interventions are unusual for coastal seascapes despite log snags supporting significant benefits for coastal fish. In this study, we identify the spatial (e.g. seascape connectivity), habitat condition (e.g. log snag complexity and food availability) and water quality variables that best explain variation in fish assemblages on log snags to help prioritise the placement and design of resnagging efforts in estuaries. We surveyed fish assemblages on log snags using underwater videography at 363 sites across 13 estuaries in southeast Queensland, Australia, over 3 years. Sites less than 10,000 m from the estuary mouth, more than 2500 m from urban structures and located in water depths of < 3 m harboured more diverse fish assemblages. Sites less than 10,000 m from the estuary mouth with lower (< 25%) algae cover harboured greater total fish abundance and harvested fish abundance. Similar trends were found for the abundance of individuals from key functional groups, although these trends were mediated by other seascape contexts (e.g. the area of natural habitat) and water quality variables (e.g. chlorophyll-a concentration and dissolved oxygen saturation). Our results indicate that log snag placement in estuaries for benefits to fish and fisheries can be maximised if sites are planned strategically.

Subtropical Foehn Winds, Southeast Queensland, Australia

AbstractFoehn winds have been a focus of research in mid‐latitude mountainous regions for more than 150 years, where their onset is typically associated with warm, dry, and gusty winds. This research has now extended into high latitude regions, yet research of foehn winds in subtropical and tropical regions remains scarce. Here we present results from the first investigation of foehn winds in the subtropics of Southeast Queensland (SEQ), Australia. Analysis of meteorological records found that foehn winds occur throughout the year with peak frequency and duration in late winter (August) associated with the passage of shortwave troughs over southern Australia. Modeling of wind fields and atmospheric boundary layer conditions for three case studies was conducted using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model. Results showed foehn events in SEQ can be associated with mountain waves and hydraulic jump features in the lee of topographic barriers. Over lee slopes, acceleration of wind speeds and topographic channeling of foehn winds was found to occur, along with substantial increases in air temperature, and decreases in relative humidity. Warming of the foehn airstream is believed to occur primarily through isentropic drawdown with a likely contribution from surface sensible heat flux. Recommendations for future research are made in light of the importance of foehn winds to wildfire management and mitigation in SEQ.

Reducing nest box entrance diameter impacts mammal occupancy

Tree hollows are an important resource for cavity‐nesting birdlife. When large, old trees are removed from a landscape, nest boxes are often installed as part of restoration efforts to replace lost natural cavities. If nest boxes are to be successful conservation tools, non‐target species, particularly competitive and predatory species, need to be prevented from entering nest boxes. Several different modifications to nest boxes aimed at excluding non‐target species have been trialed in previous studies. We tested the effectiveness of reducing the entrance diameter of nest boxes to exclude non‐target species in Southeast Queensland, Australia. We used restrictor plates to reduce the entrance diameter of nest boxes from 90 to 60 and 50 mm and compared the wildlife occupancy of nest boxes with these three entrance diameters. We found that Common brushtail possums, a predator of cavity‐nesting birds and eggs, were significantly less likely to occupy nest boxes with reduced entrance diameters and were excluded from nest boxes with a 50‐mm entrance diameter. Squirrel gliders occupied nest boxes with all three entrance diameters. Introduced species, namely the Common myna and the European honeybee, also occupied nest boxes with restrictor plates. Installation of nest boxes with reduced entrance diameters is a simple and effective strategy to exclude brushtail possums from nest boxes. However, a reduced entrance diameter cannot exclude other non‐target species, and we suggest that other exclusion strategies should be used in conjunction with reduced entrance diameters to increase the occupation of nest boxes by native birds.

A Shelter by Any Other Name? Delivering Homeless Crisis Accommodation Services in a Hotel

How to shelter people who are experiencing homelessness is a pressing social problem. A substantive literature critiques the congregate shelter model that is often coupled with paternalistic service delivery, bringing the relationship of service delivery and the built environment into focus. The COVID-19 pandemic forced a fast overhaul of the delivery of crisis accommodation, and saw homeless shelters replaced with commercial hotels. We conducted a 12-month ethnography in a hotel for people experiencing homelessness located in South-East Queensland, Australia. We critically analyze the implications of operating a homelessness shelter in a hotel for service delivery and residents’ experiences of living in this repurposed built environment. Our findings highlight how homeless support practices were both enabled and constrained by the built environment. We identify a tension between residents’ appreciation of single occupancy rooms as fostering dignity and privacy, and their continued experience of hotel accommodation as (yet) another shelter. We discuss policy implications of using hotels as crisis accommodation within the context of a housing crisis.

Lasiopetalum prodigiosum (Malvaceae: Lasiopetaleae), a new species from central-eastern New South Wales to south-eastern Queensland

Lasiopetalum prodigiosum (Malvaceae: Lasiopetaleae), a new species from central-eastern New South Wales to south-eastern Queensland

A/C usage intensity and adaptive comfort behaviour in residential buildings in South East Queensland, Australia

Occupants’ interaction with building controls has been recognised as a major contributing factor to the often-reported wide discrepancies between actual and predicted energy consumption in buildings. Accordingly, research into actual patterns of occupant behaviour is increasingly being incorporated into building energy performance simulation tools. However, utilizing a single behaviour pattern can also lead to differences between the actual and predicted energy use in a building. This study aims to classify patterns of occupant adaptive comfort behaviours based on longitudinal field observations made in Australian homes. A sample of 41 households was classified into ‘light’, ‘medium’ and ‘heavy’ usage types according to their annual A/C use. Statistical models describing the proportion of a specific adaptive behaviour (incl. A/C and window operation) in relation to outdoor temperature were developed for the three household classifications. The results indicate that more than 30% of the ‘heavy’ usage households operated their A/C for cooling as the outdoor temperature exceeds 30℃, in contrast to 10% for the ‘medium’ and nearly none for the ‘light’ A/C usage groups. In general, the household A/C usage and hours of windows being open in living rooms were found to be inversely proportional. This study also proposes a probability model for classifying the A/C usage levels of a given dwelling into the three groups (i.e. light, medium and heavy) based on simple background information that can be acquired at the design stage (i.e. site and construction characteristics).

Impact of a prospective feedback loop aimed at reducing non-beneficial treatments in older people admitted to hospital and potentially nearing the end of life. A cluster stepped-wedge randomised controlled trial.

To investigate if a prospective feedback loop that flags older patients at risk of death can reduce non-beneficial treatment at end of life. Prospective stepped-wedge cluster randomised trial with usual care and intervention phases. Three large tertiary public hospitals in south-east Queensland, Australia. 14 clinical teams were recruited across the three hospitals. Teams were recruited based on a consistent history of admitting patients aged 75+ years, and needed a nominated lead specialist consultant. Under the care of these teams, there were 4,268 patients (median age 84years) who were potentially near the end of life and flagged at risk of non-beneficial treatment. The intervention notified clinicians of patients under their care determined as at-risk of non-beneficial treatment. There were two notification flags: a real-time notification and an email sent to clinicians about the at-risk patients at the end of each screening day. The nudge intervention ran for 16-35weeks across the three hospitals. The primary outcome was the proportion of patients with one or more intensive care unit (ICU) admissions. The secondary outcomes examined times from patients being flagged at-risk. There was no improvement in the primary outcome of reduced ICU admissions (mean probability difference [intervention minus usual care] = -0.01, 95% confidence interval -0.08 to 0.01). There were no differences for the times to death, discharge, or medical emergency call. There was a reduction in the probability of re-admission to hospital during the intervention phase (mean probability difference -0.08, 95% confidence interval -0.13 to -0.03). This nudge intervention was not sufficient to reduce the trial's non-beneficial treatment outcomes in older hospital patients. Australia New Zealand Clinical Trial Registry, ACTRN12619000675123 (registered 6 May 2019).

The relative importance of precipitation change and temperature sensitivity in determining the population viability of a threatened sub‐tropical rainforest endemic plant Triunia robusta (Proteaceae)

AbstractThreatened species in rainforests may be vulnerable to climate change, because of their potentially narrow thermal tolerances, small population sizes, restricted distributions and limited dispersal. We investigated the relative influence of potential climate change on the population viability of Triunia robusta (Proteaceae), an endangered rainforest shrub endemic to southeast Queensland, Australia. A spatially explicit, stochastic population model with seven stage classes was developed and linked with the species distribution model (SDM) to explore a variety of hypothetical climate change simulations over a 90‐year period from 2010 to 2100: (1) constant population dynamics, (2) changes in habitat distributions as trend in carrying capacity and (3) changes in habitat distributions, precipitation and temperature regime as relative change in seedling survival and fecundity. The results revealed high vulnerability of small populations to local extinction regardless of geographical location or climatic stressors, while some larger populations located in the southern end of the species distribution range showed persistence in‐situ. Triunia robusta was found to be sensitive to reduced precipitation and increased temperature, limiting the species reproductive activities and seedling establishment and reducing the overall abundance consequently. Integration of population models and SDM allowed for the evaluation of multiple climatic stressors that may affect habitat distributions and population dynamics of T. robusta and ultimately suggest potential implications for future conservation and management planning with respect to climate change.

Insights into the development of small-volume long lava flows: A case study of the Coalstoun Lakes Volcanic Field, southeast Queensland, Australia

Long lava flows exceeding 50 km in length are usually produced during large-volume flood basalt eruptions (>100 to 10,000 km3) but can also occur from small to moderate-volume (<30 km3) basaltic eruptions in continental intraplate monogenetic volcanic fields. Eruptive volume, therefore, is not an a priori barrier to producing long lava flows. Key factors that promote long lava flows include efficient lava transport systems that minimise heat loss, long-lived and sustained effusion rates to maintain flow advancement, and lava flow across low topographic gradients (<1°-10°) with minimal topographic barriers.Here, we focus on an anomalously young and poorly studied basaltic monogenetic volcanic field in southeast Queensland, Australia, that formed part of the broader intraplate volcanism in eastern Australia since the Late Cretaceous. The Coalstoun Lakes Volcanic Field (CLVF) comprises three lava fields: the Barambah Basalt Flow Field, the Deep Creek Flow Field and the Hunters Hill Flow Field. Basalt from the Barambah Basalt Flow Field has been redated here by Ar40/Ar39 analysis of groundmass material, yielding a weighted mean age of 0.520 ± 0.016 Ma. The Barambah Basalt Flow Field contains most of the eruptive volume and has advanced up to 165 km from the vent. The Hunters Hill and the Deep Creek flow fields are comparatively smaller in volume and have advanced ∼30 and ∼ 20 km from the vent, respectively. Lava tubes are only known from proximal regions and do not appear to be a significant factor in promoting long run-out in the CLVF. Flow confinement and utilisation of existing drainage networks are features of both lava flow fields, and advancement down the sand-based and ephemeral Burnett River significantly promoted long run-out despite low topographic gradients.New whole-rock geochemical data on our CLVF samples indicates that all lavas are hawaiites, a common feature of other Quaternary long lava flows globally. Overall, there is some compositional variation, but a cryptic zonation is readily apparent in trace element abundances, which helps to further distinguish the flow fields as the products of separate but closely spaced eruptions. The combination of field and geochemical data indicates that the long lava flow of the Barambah Basalt Flow Field resulted from a sustained and relatively low effusion eruption, creating a pāhoehoe flow field that continuously advanced across the landscape, utilising a drainage system that guided lava flow and helped to circumvent any topographic barriers.

Flood effects on estuarine fish are mediated by seascape composition and context

Estuaries are crucial feeding, nursery and resting sites for fish but can also be subject to the impacts of severe flooding. The environmental features of estuaries can mediate how they respond to these impacts. For example, the size, configuration, and context of estuarine habitats across seascapes affects the value of patches for fish, and so fish assemblages at sites with a greater habitat extent or closer to the mouth of an estuary may rebound more quickly from flooding. We investigated how a once in 100-year flood event affected fish assemblages at approximately 600 sites across 13 estuaries and six estuarine habitats (bare sediments, log snags, mangrove forests, rocky structures, saltmarsh and seagrass meadows) in southeast Queensland, Australia, and determined whether flood impacts were mediated by the position of sites within the broader estuarine seascape. Sites were surveyed annually in 2020/2021 (pre-flood) and 2022 (6 months post-flood) using underwater videography. Flooding modified the structure of the fish community and reduced the abundance of fish targeted by local fisheries in all six habitats. Crucially, flood effects on fish were greater at sites near more expansive urbanisation in some ecosystems, but lower at sites nearer to the estuary mouth. Maximising the extent of natural habitats across estuaries can mediate the effects of floods and should be priorities for restoration and management plans seeking to maintain biodiversity and fisheries productivity in the face of increasing climate-related disturbances.

Floods and fire ants, Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae): the Australian experience

AbstractThe rafting behaviour of the red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, in response to flooding events is well documented, although studies generally have focussed on the mechanisms of raft assembly and the behaviour of the raft's occupants. Flooding as a means of dispersal of S. invicta is frequently mentioned in the literature, although there are few data on the distances travelled or how effective it is compared to natural flight. In Australia, S. invicta is a priority invasive species with a national eradication program operating for 23 years, focussed on the population in southeast Queensland, which currently encompasses more than 700 000 ha. Flooding presents a risk to the success of the program through extending the infestation area or recolonising successfully treated areas. We used the program's extensive spatiotemporal dataset of known fire ant colony locations to assess the effects of two significant flood events on the dispersal or displacement of S. invicta in Queensland. Results indicated that flooding did not spread S. invicta beyond the known boundaries of infestation but contributed to localised spread, particularly for sites with known polygyne infestations. This situation could change if the ant spreads to new river catchments. A novel method developed to assess the risk of S. invicta dispersal through flooding is presented, alongside program actions that can be applied to mitigate this risk.

Community stewardship to protect coastal and freshwater ecosystems–pathways between recreation and stewardship intentions

Abstract Strengthening community engagement in stewardship can help to improve management of coastal and freshwater environments (blue spaces). Research suggests that recreational users of natural areas may be more willing to engage in stewardship. However, little research at a population scale has examine how recreation experiences shape psychological ingredients for stewardship. We surveyed 3271 residents of South East Queensland, Australia and quantified willingness to engage in blue space stewardship. We then quantified frequency of different types of blue space recreation, perceptions about threats to blue spaces (threat appraisal) and protective actions (coping appraisal), and satisfaction with blue spaces. We then examined pathways from recreation to stewardship intentions using mediation analysis. Results show that many types of recreation were associated with stewardship intentions. Specifically, higher frequency of social activities and nature‐appreciation activities were associated with greater intentions for individual stewardship (e.g. picking up litter, reducing use of household chemicals). Higher frequency of social activities, nature appreciation, exercise and fishing/boating was associated with stronger intentions for collective stewardship (e.g. attending a public meeting or riparian management event) Mediation analysis showed that most forms of recreation did not influence perceptions about severity of threats to blue spaces. Rather, the relationships between recreation and stewardship were mediated by greater place satisfaction, perceived vulnerability to blue space degradation, and feeling more able to contribute to waterway protection (efficacy). These findings indicate that many types of recreation (not just nature appreciation activities) can be a foundation for engaging in nature stewardship, and reinforce the importance of building efficacy when promoting stewardship. The finding that both place satisfaction and perceived vulnerability to environmental degradation suggests that there may be an optimal motivational window for stewardship: people need to connect a place with positive experiences, and have some recognition of a potential threat, but where the potential threat has not yet eroded the natural values of a place. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog.