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    Dr Anna Lafratta

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Ms Anna Lafratta

Lecturer

Staff Member Details
Email: a.lafratta@ecu.edu.au
ORCID iD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8414-2417

Anna is an Associate Research Fellow within the Centre for Marine Ecosystems Research in the School of Science.

Background/Employment History

  • Jan 2021 – ongoing: Associate Research fellow, Edith Cowan University
    • “Conservation of biodiversity, seagrass ecosystems and their services – safeguarding food security and resilience in vulnerable coastal communities in a changing climate”. Funded by International Climate Initiative (IKI) and in collaboration with UN Environment CMS Office–Dugong MOU Secretariat, Murdoch University, Seagrass Watch, Project Seagrass, Yapeka, MareCet, Blue Venture, Save Andaman Network (SAN), Community Centre Conservation (C3), Zoological Society of London Philippine (ZSL), Marine Research Foundation (MRF) and EnerGaia.
    • “Accelerating Adoption and Implementation of Blue Carbon in Australia”. Funded by BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd – CSIRO and in collaboration with CSIRO, University of Adelaide and University of Queensland.
  • Nov 2019 – Nov 2021: Scientist, Indian Ocean Marine Research centre - CSIRO. Involvement in the following projects:
    • Indonesia – Australia Blue Carbon Program
    • Pacific Blue Carbon Program
    • Sri Lanka Blue Carbon Program
  • March 2018 – Jun 2019: Lecturer, Field and Laboratory Demonstrator,Indian Ocean Marine Research centre, CSIRO.
    • Australia–Indonesia Blue Carbon Program Fellowship. Perth, Western Australia.
    • “Improving Knowledge for Research on Blue Carbon in the Western Indian Ocean” workshop at the Institute of Fisheries Research and Marine Science (IHSM), University of Toliara (Madagascar), in collaboration with Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) and Government of Madagascar. Toliara, Madagascar.
    • “Indian Ocean Conference on Blue Carbon”. Perth, Western Australia.
    • “Australia Awards Fellowships Capacity building in Blue Economy with emphasis on Blue Carbon”. Perth, Western Australia.
  • Sep 2017 – Feb 2018: Research Assistant, Edith Cowan University:  Project “Coastal Carbon Opportunities: demonstrating additionality and potential for future offsets in South Australia”.

  • Mar 2016 – Dec 2016: Research Assistant, Edith Cowan University:  Project “Investigation into macroalgae and seagrass wrack at Jurien Bay Boat Harbour”. Funded by Department of Transport and in collaboration with University of Western Australia (UWA).

Awards and Recognition

  • 2022: ECU, School of Science Early Career Grant, ~$10,000
  • 2021: “Accelerating Adoption and Implementation of Blue Carbon in Australia”, BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd – CSIRO, $130,000
  • 2021: School of Science Research Medal, Edith Cowan University (ECU)
  • 2020 and 2018: Open Access Funding, Edith Cowan University (ECU), $8,000
  • 2019: ANSTO Research Portal Proposal: AMS radiocarbon dating to assess Blue Carbon erosion following a marine heatwave in Shark Bay' seagrass.
  • 2016 – 2019: Travel and Equipment post-graduate funding, Edith Cowan University, $6,200
  • 2017: “Seagrass meadows as metal filters in a high-polluted coastal marine environment”, Ecological Society of Australia, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, $2,400.
  • 2016: “Seagrass archives to reveal environmental history-reconstruction of metals contamination history at Port Pirie (SA)”, Ecological Society of Australia, Holsworth Wildlife Research Endowment, $7,500.
  • 2016: Best PhD oral presentation (Post-graduates School of Science Symposium), Edith Cowan University
  • 2015 – 2018: Environmental Protection Authority (SA)/Water SA and ECU Industry Engagement Scholarship. “Assessing the capacity of seagrass sediments to sequester carbon dioxide and metal pollution: past, present and future scenarios”, $39,500
  • 2011:Scholarship-Project Campus World, Polytechnic University of Marche (Italy), EUR 6,000

Research Areas and Interests

  • Marine Ecology and Palaeoecology (particularly focused on seagrasses),
  • Blue Carbon habitats ecology,
  • Marine Biogeochemical Cycles (with a focus on the role of seagrasses as Blue Carbon and metal sinks),
  • Environmental Changes,
  • Coastal Environmental Protection and Management,
  • Climate Change Mitigation,
  • Use of Radionuclides in palaeoecological and ecological studies,
  • Use of Stable Isotopes in ecological studies,
  • Blue Economy and Nature-Based Solutions.

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, Edith Cowan University, 2020.
  • Master of Marine Biology, Italy, 2010.

Research Outputs

2024

Journal Articles

  • Martínez-Eixarch, M., Masque Barri, P., Lafratta, A., Lavery, P., Hilaire, S., Jornet, L., Thomas, C., Boisnard, A., Pérez-Méndez, N., Alcaraz, C., Martínez-Espinosa, C., Ibáñez, C., Grillas, P. (2024). Assessing methane emissions and soil carbon stocks in the Camargue coastal wetlands: Management implications for climate change regulation. Science of the Total Environment, 950(2024), article number 175224. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175224.
  • Said, N., Lafratta, A., D'cruz, A., Frouws, A., O'Dea, C., McMahon, K., Webster, C., Salgado Kent, C., Tucker, J., Hodgson, A. (2024). Dugongs: Underwater Seagrass Detectors That Help Scientists Protect Important Ecosystems. Frontiers for Young Minds, 12(Article in press), Article number 1386359. https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2024.1386359.

2023

Journal Articles

  • Walden, L., Serrano Gras, O., Zhang, M., Shen, Z., Sippo, JZ., Bennett, LT., Maher, DT., Lovelock, CE., Macreadie, PI., Gorham, C., Lafratta, A., Lavery, P., Mosley, L., Reithmaier, GM., Kelleway, JJ., Dittmann, S., Adame, F., Duarte, CM., Gallagher, JB., Waryszak, P., Carnell, P., Kasel, S., Hinko-Najera, N., Hassan, R., Goddard, M., Jones, AR., Viscarra Rossel, RA. (2023). Multi-Scale Mapping Of Australia'S Terrestrial And Blue Carbon Stocks And Their Continental And Bioregional Drivers. Communications Earth & Environment, 4(1), article number 189. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00838-x.
  • Strydom, S., McCallum, R., Lafratta, A., Webster, C., O'Dea, C., Said, N., Dunham, T., Inostroza, K., Salinas Zapata, C., Billinghurst, S., Phelps, C., Campbell, C., Gorham, C., Bernasconi, R., Frouws, A., Werner, A., Vitelli, F., Puigcorbe Lacueva, V., D'cruz, A., McMahon, K., Robinson, J., Huggett, M., McNamara, S., Hyndes, G., Serrano Gras, O. (2023). Global dataset on seagrass meadow structure, biomass and production. Earth System Science Data, 15(1), 511-519. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-15-511-2023.
  • Lafratta, A., Serrano Gras, O., Masque Barri, P., Fernandes, M., Gaylard, S., Lavery, P. (2023). Seagrass soils sequester up to half the metal emissions of one of the world's largest smelters. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 197(2023), article number 115684. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115684.

2022

Journal Articles

  • Gorman, D., Vanderklift, MA., Lafratta, A. (2022). Quantitative analysis of methodological and environmental influences on survival of planted mangroves in restoration and afforestation.. Forests, 13(3), Article Number 404. https://doi.org/10.3390/f13030404.

2021

Journal Articles

  • Mazarrasa, I., Lavery, P., Duarte, C., Lafratta, A., Lovelock, C., Macreadie, P., Samper-Villarreal, J., Salinas Zapata, C., Sanders, C., Trevathan-Tackett, S., Young , M., Steven, A., Serrano Gras, O. (2021). Factors determining Seagrass Blue carbon across bioregions and geomorphologies. Global Biogeochemical Cycles: an international journal of global change, 35(6), Article number e2021GB006935. https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GB006935.

2020

Journal Articles

  • Lafratta, A., Serrano Gras, O., Masque Barri, P., Mateo, M., Fernandes, M., Gaylard, S., Lavery, P. (2020). Challenges to select suitable habitats and demonstrate ‘additionality’ in Blue Carbon projects: A seagrass case study. Ocean and Coastal Management, 197(1 November 2020), Article number 105295. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2020.105295.

2019

Journal Articles

  • Lafratta, A., Serrano Gras, O., Masque Barri, P., Mateo, M., Fernandes, M., Gayland, S., Lavery, P. (2019). Seagrass soil archives reveal centennial-scale metal smelter contamination while acting as natural filters. Science of the Total Environment, 649(1 February 2019), 1381-1392. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2018.08.400.
  • Serrano Gras, O., Lovelock, C., Atwood, TB., Macreadie, PI., Canto, R., Phinn, S., Arias-Ortiz, A., Bai, L., Baldock, J., Bedulli, C., Carnell, P., Connolly, RM., Donaldson, P., Esteban Pacheco, A., Ewers Lewis, CJ., Eyre, BD., Hayes, MA., Horwitz, P., Hutley, LB., Kavazos, C., Kelleway, J., Kendrick, GA., Kilminster, K., Lafratta, A., Shing, L., Lavery, P., Maher, DT., Marba, N., Masque Barri, P., Mateo, M., Mount, R., Ralph, PJ., Roelfsema, C., Rozaimi, M., Ruhon, R., Salinas Zapata, C., Samper-Villarreal, J., Sanderman, J., Sanders, CJ., Santos, I., Sharples, C., Steveb, AD., Cannard, T., Trevathan-Tackett, SM., Duarte, CM. (2019). Australian vegetated coastal ecosystems as global hotspots for climate change mitigation. Nature Communications, 10(1), article no.4313. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-12176-8.

2017

Journal Articles

  • Lafratta, A., Fromont, J., Speare, P., Schönberg, C. (2017). Coral bleaching in turbid waters of north-Western Australia. Marine and Freshwater Research, 68(1), 65-75. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF15314.

2014

Journal Articles

  • Bertolino, M., Calcinai, B., Cattaneo‐vietti, R., Cerrano, C., Lafratta, A., Pansini, M., Pica, D., Bavestrello, G. (2014). Stability of the sponge assemblage of Mediterranean coralligenous concretions along a millennial time span. Marine Ecology, 35(2), 149-158. https://doi.org/10.1111/maec.12063.

2012

Journal Articles

  • Bertolino, M., Calcinai, B., Cappellacci, S., Cerrano, C., Lafratta, A., Pansini, M., Penna, A., Bavestrello, G. (2012). Posidonia oceanica meadows as sponge spicule traps. Italian Journal of Zoology, 79(2), 231-238. https://doi.org/10.1080/11250003.2011.614641.

Research Projects

  • Tidal Moon Indigenous Blue Revolution: Indigenous nature positive aquaculture, BIOSFERA Research & Conservation SL, Grant, 2024 ‑ 2026, $66,349.
  • TO-led seagrass monitoring and restoration. Woppaburra, Great Barrier Reef Foundation, Grant, 2024 ‑ 2026, $50,000.
  • Accelerating Adoption and Implementation of Blue Carbon in Australia, BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina Pty Ltd, Grant, 2021 ‑ 2024, $130,000.

Research Student Supervision

Current Supervisions

Adjunct Supervisor

  • Master of Science by Research, The carbon sequestration capacity of tidal marsh ecosystems in the south-west coast of Western Australia

Completed Supervisions

No data available
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