Following the approval of our research plan and final planning a series of research projects officially commenced in September. Each project will involve cutting edge research reflects community and First Nations priorities whilst addressing critical needs across the region.
One of the projects is focusing on conserving waterbird populations of the CLLMM and broader landscape under climate change and is being led by Dr Tom Prowse for the University of Adelaide with the project team including experts from Flinders University, CSIRO, Bio-R, Birdlife Australia, Nature Glenelg Trust and SA Shorebirds Foundation. It includes a series of sub-projects looking at (1) tracking of birds to better understand the movement and habitat use, (2) understanding threats to beach-nesting shorebirds, (3) conservation modelling of waterbird species to understand how they will fare under climate change scenarios, and (4) a citizen project that will utilise photos from community members and groups to automatically (through AI) assess the body condition of waterbirds and habitat across the region.
Each sub-project presents opportunities differing opportunities for community and First Nations to be involved. For the citizen science sub-project, the project team will be hosting an introductory event at the Research Centre on the 8th October. This is a must for all those who are interested in waterbirds or hearing about what is involved in becoming a citizen scientist in the region. More information can be found here https://www.cllmmresearchcentre.org/event-details/get-involved-with-shorebird-citizen-science.
Please reach out if you want to find out more about the waterbirds project or any of the projects of the Research Centre. Email here>