The Australian Government's Innovation Report

Overcoming soil loss, salinity and acidity
Coral gives new insight into changing ocean acidity: The rising level of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere
is changing the acidity of oceanic waters.
Researchers from AIMS and the Australian National University have obtained the first historical insight into
changes in ocean acidity and coral growth.
The scientists analysed a core sample from a 300-year-old massive coral on Flinders Reef in the western Coral Sea.
By studying the growth rings in the coral, they were able to measure its past growth rates and compare these
with levels of boron isotopes, which provide a marker for ocean acidity.
Their results, published in the journal Science, showed that ocean acidity rose and fell approximately every 55 years
coinciding with periodic fluctuations in global climate.
The relatively large variations in seawater pH (a measure of acidity) experienced at Flinders Reef, suggest that coral
reefs may be resilient to the shorter-term effects of ocean acidification. However, in the coming decades many
reefs are likely to experience unnaturally low pH levels.
Improved understanding of the response of coral reefs to increased acidity and the long-term impacts of ocean
acidification will be important in predicting the effects of climate change on coral reefs and other marine communities.
International collaborations to overcome environmental challenges: The Australian Centre for International
Agricultural Research (ACIAR) has entered research partnerships with neighbouring countries that experience
similar environmental challenges as Australia.
Water and soil management techniques have continued to receive high levels of attention over the last year. Outputs
generated include improved understanding of institutional arrangements for water management and more
efficient allocation of scarce irrigation water to crops.
Research partnerships have contributed to joint understanding of soil acidity and salinity and approaches to revegetation
and reduction of degradation.
Current research in the area of a sustainable use of Australia’s biodiversity includes efforts to improve productivity
of peas and faba beans in the drier parts of China which involve a focus on common interests by breeders,
pathologists and genetic resource specialists. Their major goal is to develop cultivars with multiple resistances
to disease and abiotic stress such as drought.
Extensive collecting expeditions have been under way in Qinghai (spring sown) and Yunan (autumn sown) provinces
for landraces of pea and faba bean traditionally grown by the farmers. Germplasm exchanges continued and Australia
has sent elite breeding material to China. In return Australia received collections of landraces and a core collection
of peas.
Reducing and capturing emissions in transport and energy generation
Driving greener: In March 2006, the Bureau of Transport and Regional Economics (BTRE) released its paper
Greenhouse gas emissions from Australian transport: base case projections to 2020.
The report provides projections for carbon dioxide emissions out to 2020 and forecasts that emissions will continue
to increase by about 1.6% a year over this period. This work will assist the government to assess the greenhouse
impact of the Australian transport sector and the likely progress in meeting greenhouse gas abatement objectives.
The report shows a significant contributor to environmental pollution in Australia comes from land based
transport. Hence, growth in Australia’s population places pressure on national infrastructure and the need to
manage growth in both traffic numbers and greenhouse emissions.
During 2005-06, the Bureau commenced a number of research projects in the area of road traffic congestion, including
lessons from overseas, with congestion charging. The Bureau also assisted the Council of Australian Governments
(COAG) in its review of congestion management in Australia, for reporting to the first COAG meeting in 2007.
Chapter 3 - National research priorities 97