Aaron Hibberd
Aaron Hibberd
Thesis Topic
Advances in benthic-pelagic solute flux modelling in marine environments
PhD Start Date
April 2021
PhD Project Objectives
The project will contribute to quantifying coastal marine seafloor ecosystem functioning under proposed offshore aquaculture activities. Working with the team on the larger project ‘A novel approach to measuring the depositional footprint of the Blue Economy’ the PhD will integrate modelling with data collected by experiments. This will include developing process models, inform by the data, and deploying them in ecosystem models and decision support tools to assess the sustainability of proposed Blue Economy activities.
Generally, benthic processes (sediments) in biogeochemical models have been underrepresented when compared to their pelagic (water column) counterparts. The measured in situ benthic fluxes, using a novel eddy-covariance technique alongside traditional chamber measurements, present as an opportunity to critically evaluate and improve these processes in ecosystem models.
Outcomes created by the project centre around an improvement in understanding and quantifying environmental and ecosystem impacts of offshore aquaculture. In particular, how offshore benthic regions respond to enrichment, which at this stage is largely unknown. Improved ecosystem models can inform Government and industry on appropriate site selection and monitoring techniques for offshore aquaculture.
Biography
I returned home to Tasmania to pursue a PhD in Marine Science. I completed a Master of Science in Applied Mathematics at The University of Melbourne, studying biology and epidemiology of drug-resistant malaria parasites, using a modelling approach. I am interested in the way mathematics and modelling can describe the physical world and advance science. Prior to my masters, I spent a year travelling through Europe and Asia, and prior to that, working as an engineering consultant in Hobart. I am into outdoors activities, hiking, camping and surfing, ball sports, tennis and golf.
Supervisory Team
Primary Supervisor: Dr Scott Hadley
University of Tasmania
Co-Supervisor: Dr Karen Wild-Allen
CSIRO
Co-Supervisor: Associate Professor Jeff Ross
University of Tasmania
Co-Supervisor: Joel Cooper
Tassal
2024 Participants Workshop Poster
As part of the 2024 Participants Workshop, our PhD Scholars exhibited a poster on their research.