Dr Mark Anthony Browne1
1University Of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
Urbanisation concentrates people, infrastructure and chemicals along the coast. During periods of rainfall, contaminants can be washed from urbanised terrestrial habitats to urbanised marine habitats through systems of drainage. Whilst separate research has investigated the chemicals in runoff and the ecological impacts of replacing natural shores with seawalls, less is known about the single and combined impacts of population-density and runoff to depurate assemblages living on seawalls which are exposed to these discharges of runoff. This talk will discuss the results of a series of large-scale structured surveys and multifactorial analyses of variance comparing the diversity and abundance of intertidal organisms living at different heights on seawalls in New South Wales (Australia) in sites that varied in the density of residents (people) and the presence (and absence) of outfalls from storm-drains. The results are discussed in relation to current attempts to understand and reduce (i.e. through ecological engineering) the ecological impacts of runoff, priority pollutants and urbanisation.
Biography:
I work on conserving biodiversity by understanding the impacts of human activities (priority pollutants, plastic debris, urbanization) on biodiversity and rehabilitating affected habitats (ecological engineering). I collaborate closely with colleagues at a wide range of national and international institutions, enabling a strong interdisciplinary approach. I am interested in the scientific basis for managing environmental problems and I advise governments and industry on this.
Career
- Senior Lecturer, UNSW, Australia
- NCEAS Post-doctoral Fellow, UCSB, USA
- Irish Research Council Post-doctoral Fellow, UCD, Ireland
- EICC Post-doctoral Fellow, Centre for research on Ecological Impacts of Coastal Cities, University of Sydney, Australia
- Ph.D. Plymouth University, UK
