Darwin Harbour Food Web Research Program – Mangrove Ecosystems

The Northern Territory Government is engaging Charles Darwin University to undertake research to establish baseline understanding of food web structure, function and contaminant uptake pathways in mangrove tidal creek ecosystems within Darwin Harbour. This work will support ongoing environmental monitoring by generating data to assess ecosystem health and detect changes over time. Charles Darwin University has been selected due to its local expertise, specialised capabilities in marine research, and established experience working in Darwin Harbour ecosystems.

The agency requires a model, dataset and report containing interpretations of the following:

·        A food-web model for Darwin Harbour mangrove tidal creeks utilising Bulk Stable Isotope analysis

·        Baseline dataset for basal carbon sources, nutritional quality and anthropogenic impact within Darwin Harbour mangrove ecosystems 

Trophic magnification factors for relevant metal(loids) in Darwin Harbour mangrove food-chains