Degree type
PhD
Closing date
1 February 2025
Campus
Hobart
Citizenship requirement
Domestic / International
About the research project
Satellite imagery is an important data source for nearshore mapping due to its ability to provide extensive, up-to-date, and high-resolution data over large coastal areas. This imagery enables the monitoring and assessment of shallow coastal environments, offering insights into shoreline changes, habitat distribution, and human impacts. The frequent and consistent coverage provided by satellites supports effective management and conservation efforts by aiding in the detection of changes in the condition and extent nearshore marine ecosystems.
The aim of this project is to leverage both Sentinel and Landsat satellite imagery to enhance the understanding temporal changes in the condition and extent of nearshore marine ecosystems, enabling more targeted conservation and management decisions. These data are uniquely poised as they provide a long-running time series and extensive spatial coverage to allow researchers to identify patterns, comprehensively assess the change in condition and extent of nearshore marine ecosystems,. This research specifically aims to enhance satellite-based methods to improve time-series analysis for marine science applications.
The research objectives are to:
- Evaluate the current scope and effectiveness of using satellite time series analysis for detecting change in the condition and extent of nearshore marine ecosystems, focusing on seagrass and reef habitats.
- Develop time series analysis methods that enhance change detection in the condition and extent of nearshore marine ecosystems
- Apply satellite time series analysis methods to quantify impact of climate change on marine ecosystems.
- Produce spatial data layers that can be integrated into Seamap Australia and other mapping platforms and potentially an automated method to present up- to-date time series layers for nearshore marine ecosystems.
The importance of this research question to the field:
Seamap Australia is a marine decision support tool which integrates seafloor habitat maps with contextual data to enhance the understanding and management of Australia's marine environments. Time series data provides valuable insights into the dynamic nature of marine environments, helping scientists and managers to make informed decisions and promote conservation efforts. This fine-resolution temporal component is currently lacking from the Seamap Australia decision support tool.
In-situ surveying methods are costly and labour intensive, and require field surveys to be carried out periodically to assemble time series datasets. Due to their full coverage of the visible light spectrum and high spatial resolution, multispectral satellites such as Sentinel-2 and Landsat-9 are well poised to provide insight into marine environments, particularly over shallow waters. Frequent revisit times exceeding once per week mean they provide ample data to observe change in these regions across large areas. Additionally, these data are in the public domain and represent an underutilised resource.
Combining Sentinel and Landsat data allows for a comprehensive assessment of nearshore marine ecosystems. The availability of satellite-derived products and time series allows researchers to analyse changes in seafloor features, ecosystems, water quality, and coastal dynamics over time. By comparing different time points, scientists can assess changes in the condition and extent of ecosystems to inform conservation efforts and management decisions.
Time series analysis is vital in marine science for detecting patterns, trends, and changes over time, significantly benefiting Seamap Australia. Key areas include habitat mapping and change detection of seafloor habitats, reefs, and coastal vegetation, identifying impacts of climate change and pollution, and planning sustainable coastal zone management. However, challenges such as data quality, temporal resolution, seasonal variability, statistical issues, long-term shifts, computational resources, and scientific context must be addressed to ensure robust analyses. This approach provides valuable insights, helping scientists make informed decisions and promote conservation, which is currently underrepresented in Seamap Australia's decision support tool.
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Primary Supervisor
Funding
Applicants will be considered for a Research Training Program (RTP) scholarship or Tasmania Graduate Research Scholarship (TGRS) which, if successful, provides:
- a living allowance stipend of $33,511 per annum (2025 rate, indexed annually) for 3.5 years
- a relocation allowance of up to $2,000
- a tuition fees offset covering the cost of tuition fees for up to four years (domestic applicants only)
If successful, international applicants will receive a University of Tasmania Fees Offset for up to four years.
As part of the application process you may indicate if you do not wish to be considered for scholarship funding.
Other funding opportunities and fees
For further information regarding other scholarships on offer, and the various fees of undertaking a research degree, please visit Scholarships and fees.
Eligibility
Applicants should review the Higher Degree by Research minimum entry requirements.
Ensure your eligibility for the scholarship round by referring to our Key Dates.
Additional eligibility criteria specific to this project/scholarship:
- Applicants must be able to undertake the project on-campus.
Selection Criteria
The project is competitively assessed and awarded. Selection is based on academic merit and suitability to the project as determined by the College.
Additional essential selection criteria specific to this project:
- Experience in programming with Python.
- Experience processing and analysing gridded remote sensing data.
- Experience curating and analysing multispectral satellite data (e.g. Sentinel-2).
- First Class Honours or Masters degree in Marine Science.
- Experience with Linux, shell scripting, handling large datasets and processing automation.
Additional desirable selection criteria specific to this project:
- Understanding of temperate marine ecosystems
- Experience in scientific writing
- Experience working with government agencies
Application process
- Select your project, and check that you meet the eligibility and selection criteria, including citizenship;
- Contact A/Prof Vanessa Lucieer to discuss your suitability and the project's requirements; and
- In your application:
- Copy and paste the title of the project from this advertisement into your application. If you don’t correctly do this your application may be rejected.
- Submit a signed supervisory support form, a CV including contact details of 2 referees and your project research proposal.
- Apply prior to 1 February 2025.
Full details of the application process can be found under the 'How to apply' section at Research degrees.
Following the closing date applications will be assessed within the College. Applicants should expect to receive notification of the outcome by email by the advertised outcome date.
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