From watershed to reef: reconstructing the history of land use change and coral reef health in Fiji - NERC GW4+ DTP project

This project is one of a number that are in competition for funding from the NERC GW4+ DTP. The GW4+ DTP consists of the Great Western Four alliance of the University of Bath, University of Bristol, Cardiff University and the University of Exeter plus six Research Organisation partners. The partnership aims to provide a broad training in earth and environmental sciences, designed to train tomorrow’s leaders in earth and environmental science. For further details about the programme, please see http://nercgw4plus.ac.uk/.

Background

Since the late 19th century, Fiji, has experienced major changes in land use with large tracts of land cleared for grazing, timber, and agriculture. The large shifts in watershed dynamics and erosion have increased sediment and nutrient load reaching coastal waters, all of which can impact the health of inshore reef ecosystems.

Efforts to manage land use practices, and quantify their impact, are limited by the lack of long-term records of coastal water quality in Fiji. This project seeks to quantify how abrupt terrestrial discharges (e.g. source, chemical content, and sediment load) in near-shore environments are linked to coral reef degradation through the novel coupling of geochemical and palaeoecological methods. The project includes three months of tropical marine based field research with the Wildlife Conservation Society in Suva Fiji.

Project aims and methods

Annually banded massive corals provide ideal material for environmental reconstructions due to their long life span and wide distribution in the tropical ocean. You will develop high resolution geochemical records (e.g. Ba, Mn, P, Y) in coral skeletons from Fijian reefs to reconstruct historic nearshore water quality changes proximal to two catchments with contrasting agricultural land use.

To examine coral reef health and ecosystem responses you will use microcomputed tomography to identify bioeroders and reconstruct skeletal growth characteristics. Complimentary reef assessments and water quality surveys will be conducted to provide a baseline of coral reef health in light of ongoing land use changes at the two study sites. By synthesizing these interdisciplinary data for the past and present we will be able to make informed comments on the most effective approach to manage the coral reef systems and target priority sites.

Beyond this, the PhD studentship will uniquely elucidate major trends in coral reef decline from integration of coral growth, endolithic community structure, terrestrial change, geochemical proxies, and climate records.

Candidate

This project would ideally suit a candidate with a background and interest in geochemistry, paleoecology, and quantitative marine science. This is an interdisciplinary project requiring strong networking and communication skills. Some experience of SCUBA (or willingness to learn) is desirable.

CASE award

The CASE partner is the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) based in Suva, Fiji. This NGO is active in 15 countries and applies science-based conservation to inform action with the aim to protect living seascapes and species of global importance. Fiji is one of WCS’s priority seascapes and as such WCS is keen to engage with this project and host the student to directly integrate the scientific outcomes into community-level management strategies within the Ra Province Integrated Coastal Management Plan.

Training

You will gain expertise in cutting edge technology for assessing coral health and nearshore water quality, in addition to transferable skills in research development (project development, quantitative methods), communication and outreach.

You will gain specific analytical expertise in trace metal geochemistry and mass spectrometry techniques, and in microcomputed tomography (uCT) data acquisition and reconstruction. Working with the WCS, you will explore the application of integrated coastal management in Fijian coastlines and examine modern reef health and water quality in the Ra province.