ECU offers innovative and practical courses across a variety of disciplines and we have a vibrant research culture. ECU is a leader in developing alternative entry pathways to higher education.
We have three campuses in Western Australia. Joondalup and Mount Lawley in the Perth metropolitan area and our South West campus in Bunbury, 200km south of the Perth CBD.
ECU provides a variety of services and facilities that go beyond the classroom, with opportunities for personal development and social interaction for students and staff.
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At ECU we concentrate our research in areas of strength to deliver tangible outcomes.
There are several ways to get involved with research at ECU.
ECU has a lively research community that is committed to supporting research students.
Research Services provides comprehensive support services to researchers.
We value industry partnerships and offer access to world-class research across our nine ECU Strategic Research Institutes and Centres.
ECU links our stakeholders to our professional talent pool across a range of disciplines and research topics.
We collaborate with all types of businesses, including new start-ups, small to medium enterprises, not-for-profits, community organisations, government and large corporates in the resources sector.
ECU delivers training that can be tailored to industry needs.
Extra-curricular learning for childrenChildren's University Edith Cowan aims to inspire students between seven and fourteen to develop confidence and a love of learning through validated activities beyond the school curriculum.
The Inspiring Minds scholarship program are equity scholarships that give students an opportunity to access an education that may otherwise be out of reach.
EventsCatch up with fellow graduates at one of our regular alumni events.
We love to see our graduates back at ECU helping current students achieve their dreams.
Tell us what you've been up to since you graduated or stay in the alumni loop.
Take advantage of a range of career development or other alumni benefits.
Seaweed Laurencia brongniartii before and after treatment period
Macroalgae are a valuable commodity to the marine ecosystem as they are primary producers, provide a three dimensional habitat for small herbivores and are a sink for atmospheric CO2. Water acidification and ocean warming caused by anthropogenic activities are proving detrimental to many marine flora and fauna. We subjected three species of macroalgae (Ecklonia radiata, Sargassum linearifolium, and Laurencia brongniartii) to future climate change conditions. This was achieved by investigating the combined effects of increased temperature (+5°C), increased pCO2 and decreased pH (-0.5 pH units) on the physiological and chemical ecology of the algae. We then conducted a series of feeding assays using local herbivores to identify the indirect effects of these treatment conditions on feeding rates. Each algae had a species specific response to the treatment conditions. For example, E. radiata became more palatable to herbivores and the C:N ratios were altered, dependent on the treatment. In increased temperatures, S. linearifolium bleached significantly and reduced in effective quantum yields. L. brongniartii was effected in all physiological and chemical aspects, with increases in bleaching, blade density, and C:N ratios and decreases in growth, maximum quantum yield, blade toughness, total phenolics and consumption by mesograzers. This study reflects the importance of finding the thresholds of stress that ecologically important macroalgae and their associated mesograzers have to the changing environment.
2014 -2016
Mrs Charlie Phelps
Dr Megan Huggett
Assoc Prof Mary Boyce
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