Senior Lecturer - Coordinator of Int. Relations
"BA(Hons) Cambridge, MSc (Simon Fraser) PhD Berkeley"
| Contact Campus | Newnham Campus |
| Building | Science Building |
| Room Reference | 27-266 |
| Telephone | +61 3 6324 3834 |
| Fax | +61 3 6324 3839 |
| Joanna.Ellison@utas.edu.au |
My teaching is mainly in catchment geomorphology, with emphasis on sedimentary stability and interaction with vegetation and human pressures. Emphasis is on river geomorphology, coastal geomorphology and processes of change.
KGA171 KGA172 KGA204 KGA213 KGA326 KGA300
Originally from the Cayman Islands, I migrated to Australia in 1993 to take up an ARC Postdoctoral Felllowship at the Australian Institute of Marine Science and the Australian National University.
Qualifications:
1986 Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Geography, Cambridge University, England. Thesis title: Species-area relationships of flora on the sand cays of Tongatapu, Tonga.
1988 Master of Science (by Research) Geography, Simon Fraser University, Canada. Thesis title: Holocene sea level record of Tongatapu, Tonga, from pollen analysis of mangrove sediments.
1989 Master of Arts. Cambridge University, U.K. (Honorary).
1993 Doctor of Philosophy, Geography, University of California at Berkeley, U.S.A. Thesis title: Mangrove response to rising sea-level, Bermuda.
2000 Graduate Certificate of Education (Tertiary Teaching). James Cook University.
I have a traditional training background in geography, and an international standing for my work on mangroves. I specialise in the Pacific Islands region, founded on over two decades of research on biogeomorphology, wetlands and climate change.
Deputy Chair, NRM North -Northern Tasmania Natural Resource Management Board
Member Northern Coastal and Marine Reference Group
Member – Tamar NRM Reference Group
Member – Rice Grass Advisory Group
As a coastal biogeomorphologist I have glad to help Governmental agencies with a number of management questions, particularly the ARC funded project on the potential consequences of largescale eradication of invasive ricegrass from the Tamar Estuary, Tasmania.
The world’s mangrove forests are an amazing example of natural adaptation to a difficult environment. The distinctive aerial roots of mangroves help the trees flourish in a salty environment and act as nurseries for crabs, other invertebrate species and fish. Mangrove forests also provide food, fuel and other services to human communities, as well as serving as an important and effective buffer against coastal storms and floods.
Yet more than 50 percent of the world’s mangroves have been destroyed during the last two decades – removed for aquaculture, agriculture and tourism development; stripped by unsustainable fishing and harvesting of wood; and choked by upstream pollution. Less than 1 percent of the world’s remaining mangrove forests are adequately protected. The effects of climate change, particularly sea level rise, are expected to increase the pressure on many of the world’s mangroves – which heightens the urgent need to improve their management and protection.
Quote from Ginette Hemley, Senior Vice President, Conservation
Strategy and Science, WWF-US, 2012.
Since 2008 I have been Chief Scientist on the WWF / UNEP GEF project "Coastal Resilience to Climate Change: Developing a Generalizable Method for Assessing Vulnerability and Adaptation of Mangroves and Associated Ecosystems". This recently resulted on a book published to help managers with mangrove vulnerability assessment and adaption planning. This was based on synthesis of results from 3 years of field trials in Cameroon, Tanzania and Fiji.
http://www.worldwildlife.org/climate/Publications/
I am committed to research that helps wetlands of the Pacific Islands region, and the communities that live with these manage them as best they can. My 2009 review of Wetlands of the Pacific Islands Region, including legislation and management needs helped cause the development of the 2011-2013 Regional Wetlands Action Plan by the 26 member states of the Pacific Islands region.
http://www.sprep.org/Biodiversity-Ecosystems-Management/the-region-has-a-new-plan-to-help-strengthen-pacific-wetlands
With colleagues at the Secretariat for the Pacific Regional Environment Program we have recently published a manual of techniques for monitoring of mangroves in the region. This monitoring protocol adapts internationally accepted mangrove monitoring methods to Pacific Island settings, with three levels of intensity of monitoring. The methods will generate baseline survey data that can be used to monitor changes and make comparisons across mangrove areas in the wider Pacific. This will be a tool in improving mangrove management, augmenting or restoring a mangrove conservation ethic, and reversal of trends in human-caused degradation of mangroves.
http://www.sprep.org/Publications/manual-for-mangrove-monitoring-in-the-pacific-islands-region
Matthew Sheehan, PhD (2008). Assessment of the Potential Consequences of Large-scale Eradication of Rice Grass from the Tamar Estuary, Tasmania.
Eric Gilman, PhD (2009). Assessing Shoreline Response to Projected Relative Sea-Level Rise and Threat from Increased Frequency and Elevations of Extreme High Water Events: American Samoa Mangroves and Regional Implications
Zhou Wang, Master of Applied Science (2010). Soil conservation on agricultural land: Comparison between the Mersey Catchment, Tasmania and the Wuyi region, China.
Exsley Taloiburi (2008). Comparison of the challenges and implications of successful conservation for Mount Field National Park in Tasmania and Komarindi Conservation Area, Solomon Islands.
Brigid Morrison- Holocene sea level trends for Tasmania and consequences for saltmarsh management
David Keast- Geomorphologic assessment of river reach characteristics.
Kim Beasy- Evaluations of carbon sequestration in salt marshes
Ellison, JC, ‘Wetlands of the Pacific Island Region’, Wetlands Ecology and Management, 17 (3) pp. 169-206. ISSN 0923-4861 (2009) [Refereed Article]
Lucas, RM* and Ellison, JC and Mitchell, A* and Donnelly, B* and Finlayson, M* and Milne, AK*, ‘Use of stereo aerial photography for quantifying changes in the extent and height of mangroves in tropical Australia’, Wetlands Ecology and Management, 10 (2) pp. 161-175. ISSN 0923-4861 (2002) [Refereed Article]