Dr Duke is recognised worldwide for his specialist knowledge of mangrove forest ecosystems, especially regards their floristics, biogeography, evolution, climate change effects, sea level change, vegetation mapping, productivity, plant-animal relationships and habitat restoration. Over the last 30 years, he has lead international marine science projects studying coastal ecosystems and mangroves, particularly in Australia, Central America and Western Pacific. Human effects have also been considered in broad-scale studies of pollutant stress from major oil spills and severe storms. Dr Duke’s findings contribute toward development of mitigation strategies like the use of dispersants, bioremediation and mangrove planting, as well as standardising practical assessment techniques and monitoring methods.
In recent years, Dr Duke has focused on two major research themes:
1) assessing historical and short term change in mangrove stands particularly regarding management issues, habitat restoration, and climate change conducting studies of genetic variation of mangrove plant species worldwide.

Mangroves and tidal wetland ecosystems

Dr Norm Duke (MSc PhD) is a marine biologist with more than 30 years experience on ecological research in tropical coastal ecosystems, particularly for mangrove forests of Australia and Central America, and many other locations around the world.

Since around 1996, he has worked with the The University of Queensland where he currently leads the Marine Botany group with the Centre for Marine Studies. His key research projects include: mangrove biogeography and evolution - naming five new species, mangrove ecosystem dynamics - developing new models for forest turnover and growth, as well as investigations into damaged mangrove ecosystems, including mangrove dieback in the Mackay region, oil spill and typhoon damage in Yap, Micronesia, ecosystem deterioration in Marovo Lagoon, Solomon islands, and oil spill damage in the Brisbane River. He provides specialist post graduate student supervision and undergraduate teaching at the University.

Prior to 1996, Dr Duke was Project Manager and Chief Investigator of mangrove oil spill projects with the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama, Central America. His AIMS projects investigated both the fate and impact of large oil spills on Australian mangroves, and the cleanup and bioremediation of oil-contaminated habitat. Investigations included detailed assessment of ecosystem processes affected by oil, particularly primary productivity, floral phenology, and links between mangrove plants and benthic infauna. These followed similar studies in Panama between 1989 and 1993, when he was Scientist-in-Charge of mangrove forest research programs with STRI. In this project, Dr Duke led a team which investigated the impact and long-term recovery of Panamanian mangrove forests affected by two large oil spills in 1968 and 1986 on the Caribbean coast.

Dr Duke is an experienced leader of scientific research, having formed numerous multi-displinary teams for applied biological assessment and environmental surveys/inventories. He is recognised as an international authority on mangrove forest ecosystems, particularly regarding floristics, distribution, biogeography, productivity, rehabilitation, and the impact of large oil spills and other disturbances. He has published more than 100 peer-reviewed, scientific papers, book chapters and technical reports, and makes regular presentations at international seminars and public meetings.

Selected Publications:

Duke, N. C., J.-O. Meynecke, S. Dittmann, A. M. Ellison, K. Anger, U. Berger, S. Cannicci, K. Diele, K. C. Ewel, C. D. Field, N. Koedam, S. Y. Lee, C. Marchand, I. Nordhaus, and F. Dahdouh-Guebas. (2007). A World Without Mangroves? Science 317: 41-42.

Duke, N.C. (2006). Australia’s Mangroves. The authoritative guide to Australia’s mangrove plants. University of Queensland and Norman C Duke, Brisbane, 200 pages. http://www.cms.uq.edu.au/marbot/publications/books.htm

Duke, N.C., E.Y.Y. Lo, and M. Sun. (2002). Global distribution and genetic discontinuities of mangroves - emerging patterns in the evolution of Rhizophora. Trees. Structure and Function. 16: 65-79.

Duke, N.C., and E. Wolanski. (2001). Muddy coastal waters and depleted mangrove coastlines - depleted seagrass and coral reefs, pp. 77-91. In E. Wolanski (ed.), Oceanographic Processes of Coral Reefs. Physical and Biology Links in the Great Barrier Reef. CRC Press, Washington DC USA, 356 pages.

Duke, N.C., J.A.H. Benzie, J.A. Goodall, and E.R. Ballment (1998). Genetic structure and evolution of species of the mangrove genus Avicennia (Avicenniaceae) in the Indo-West Pacific. Evolution 52 (6): 1612-1626.

Professional Associations:

Association for Tropical Biology, Inc.

Estuarine Research Federation

Association of Marine Laboratories of the Caribbean

Australian Marine Sciences Association

Society of Wetland Scientists

Funded Projects:

Assessment and Monitoring of Mangrove Ecosystems affected by the ÔKyowa VioletÕ Oil Spill Incident, Yap, Federated States of Micronesia

International Tanker Owners Pollution Federation, 2003-2005, $60,000

Conserving the Marine Biodiversity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands : Development of environmental management initiatives that will conserve the marine biodiversity and productivity of Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands

MacArthur Foundation, 2004-20

Environmental Assessment of Impact, Ecosystem Response and Recommended Mitigation Actions for the Oil Spill in a Tidal Channel, Lytton, Queensland

SANTOS PL, 2003-2005, $80,000

How tidal wetlands protect the reef and coastal waters in the Burnett Mary Region

BMRG, 2007-2008, $80,000

Impact of Typhoon Sudal on mangroves of Yap Island, Federated States of Micronesia

USDA Forest Service, IPIF, 2004, $10,000

Student Projects Available:

Apparent sea level rise and massive vegetation shifts in southern Moreton Bay Ð the result of altered tidal regimes, climate or severe storms? (Use applied GIS and mapping to explore for the first time how and why southern Moreton Bay has been changi

Are there one or two species of Excoecaria, the Milky Mangrove, in Australia? (Conduct a critical review of species morphology and genetic variation to decide whether a recent article is correct in naming two mangrove species for this genus across no

Do mangroves cause the ground and themselves to rise as root mass expands under the ground? (In a combination of field and planthouse studies discover the unknown effects of root expansion in altering the tidal wetland profile and elevation)

Stu

Is climate affecting mangroves of Moreton Bay? (Use a variety of tools including GIS to describe past changes in mangrove vegetation that might be attributed to changing climatic factors.)

Student Level: Honours Start Year: 2008 Sem Available: 1

Tidal pools in tidal wetlands Ð what are they, and why are they created. (Help us learn about tidal pools and the new ÔSinking CentreÕ hypothesis in Moreton Bay so we might reduce mosquito pests and smelly places.)

Student Level: Honours Start Y

Wetlands Watch Ð developing methods for monitoring the ecosystem health of tidal marine wetlands. (Work with community groups to develop real science methodology to monitor threatened mangrove and salt marsh habitat.)

Student Level: Honours Star

Students:

ALBERT Simon - PhD
ARTHUR Karen - PhD
KNIGHT Jonathan - PhD
MCMAHON Kathryn - PhD
AMIR Ahmad - PhD
SALMO Severino - PhD
MEYNECKE, Jan-Olaf
MACKENZIE Jock - PhD