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C Sharples

Bio: C Sharples is an academic researcher from University of Tasmania. The author has contributed to research in topics: Ecosystem management & Geodiversity. The author has an hindex of 14, co-authored 66 publications receiving 2040 citations.


Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
Abstract: Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE; tidal marshes, mangroves and seagrasses) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here, we present organic carbon (C) storage in VCE across Australian climate regions and estimate potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and restoration. Australia contributes 5–11% of the C stored in VCE globally (70–185 Tg C in aboveground biomass, and 1,055–1,540 Tg C in the upper 1 m of soils). Potential CO2 emissions from current VCE losses are estimated at 2.1–3.1 Tg CO2-e yr-1, increasing annual CO2 emissions from land use change in Australia by 12–21%. This assessment, the most comprehensive for any nation to-date, demonstrates the potential of conservation and restoration of VCE to underpin national policy development for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Policies aiming to preserve vegetated coastal ecosystems (VCE) to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions require national assessments of blue carbon resources. Here the authors assessed organic carbon storage in VCE across Australian and the potential annual CO2 emission benefits of VCE conservation and find that Australia contributes substantially the carbon stored in VCE globally.

1,462 citations

01 Jan 1993
TL;DR: In this paper, the identification of significant landforms and geological sites (earth features) within the State Forests of Tasmania with a view to facilitating the conservation of geodiversity (Geoconservation) through appropriate management prescriptions is discussed.
Abstract: The specific focus of this report is the identification of significant landforms and geological sites (earth features) within the State Forests of Tasmania with a view to facilitating the conservation of geodiversity (Geoconservation) through appropriate management prescriptions.

99 citations

01 Jan 1995
TL;DR: Geoconservation aims to maintain the diversity of geological, geomorphological and soil features, systems and processes as discussed by the authors, and the successful management of geodiversity requires the existence of databases indicating the types, conditions and vulnerability of the features and assemblages present.
Abstract: Geoconservation aims to maintain the diversity of geological, geomorphological and soil features, systems and processes. As with biodiversity, the more vulnerable aspects of geodiversity will not be preserved on multiple-use land tenures unless they are specifically managed for. The successful management of geodiversity requires the existence of databases indicating the types, conditions and vulnerability of the features and assemblages present, and a procedure for identifying features of geoconservation significance and arriving at appropriate management prescriptions for those which are vulnerable to disturbance. These requirements are at an early stage of development compared with biodiversity management, but in Tasmania are the subject of ongoing projects within both Forestry Tasmania and the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service.

83 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The sediment compartments approach was first used in the 1960s in the United States to define sections of the Australian coast, but had not been uniformly adopted around the nation in the way that has underpinned management, as in other countries.

78 citations

01 May 2006
TL;DR: In this paper, a digital map set that was developed during 2004 - 2006 to provide an indicative (or "first pass") identification of Tasmanian coastal areas potentially vulnerable to increased storm surge flooding, shoreline erosion, rock falls, and slumping as a result of global climate change and sea-level rise is presented.
Abstract: Considerable geological and geomorphic evidence, direct observations of subsiding coasts, theoretical considerations and experimental investigations demonstrate that rising sea levels result in significant physical changes to shorelines, as they adapt to the changing sea-level conditions. Physical changes resulting from sea-level rise, especially on soft sandy shores and in low-lying coastal areas, are likely to be sufficiently significant in some areas, over future decades, as to pose risks for buildings, roads and other infrastructure in vulnerable coastal locations, as well as causing changes to coastal landform process systems and biological communities. This report describes and explains a digital map set that was developed during 2004 - 2006 to provide an indicative (or "first pass") identification of Tasmanian coastal areas potentially vulnerable to increased storm surge flooding, shoreline erosion, rock falls, and slumping as a result of global climate change and sea-level rise. The mapping additionally identifies some Tasmanian shores having minimal vulnerability to these hazards.

57 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: An overview of oligonucleotide-based drug platforms is provided, focusing on key approaches — including chemical modification, bioconjugation and the use of nanocarriers — which aim to address the delivery challenge.
Abstract: Oligonucleotides can be used to modulate gene expression via a range of processes including RNAi, target degradation by RNase H-mediated cleavage, splicing modulation, non-coding RNA inhibition, gene activation and programmed gene editing. As such, these molecules have potential therapeutic applications for myriad indications, with several oligonucleotide drugs recently gaining approval. However, despite recent technological advances, achieving efficient oligonucleotide delivery, particularly to extrahepatic tissues, remains a major translational limitation. Here, we provide an overview of oligonucleotide-based drug platforms, focusing on key approaches - including chemical modification, bioconjugation and the use of nanocarriers - which aim to address the delivery challenge.

848 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors developed a Coastal City Flood Vulnerability Index (CCFVI) based on exposure, susceptibility and resilience to coastal flooding, which is applied to nine cities around the world, each with different kinds of exposure.
Abstract: Worldwide, there is a need to enhance our understanding of vulnerability and to develop methodologies and tools to assess vulnerability. One of the most important goals of assessing coastal flood vulnerability, in particular, is to create a readily understandable link between the theoretical concepts of flood vulnerability and the day-to-day decision-making process and to encapsulate this link in an easily accessible tool. This article focuses on developing a Coastal City Flood Vulnerability Index (CCFVI) based on exposure, susceptibility and resilience to coastal flooding. It is applied to nine cities around the world, each with different kinds of exposure. With the aid of this index, it is demonstrated which cities are most vulnerable to coastal flooding with regard to the system’s components, that is, hydro-geological, socio-economic and politico-administrative. The index gives a number from 0 to 1, indicating comparatively low or high coastal flood vulnerability, which shows which cities are most in need of further, more detailed investigation for decision-makers. Once its use to compare the vulnerability of a range of cities under current conditions has been demonstrated, it is used to study the impact of climate change on the vulnerability of these cities over a longer timescale. The results show that CCFVI provides a means of obtaining a broad overview of flood vulnerability and the effect of possible adaptation options. This, in turn, will allow for the direction of resources to more in-depth investigation of the most promising strategies.

538 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Advances in genomic analysis are described that have enabled novel genetic discoveries, more than doubled the number of genetic loci associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and uncovered several novel candidate genes for diabetes complications.
Abstract: Diabetes is one of the fastest growing diseases worldwide, projected to affect 693 million adults by 2045. Devastating macrovascular complications (cardiovascular disease) and microvascular complications (such as diabetic kidney disease, diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy) lead to increased mortality, blindness, kidney failure and an overall decreased quality of life in individuals with diabetes. Clinical risk factors and glycaemic control alone cannot predict the development of vascular complications; numerous genetic studies have demonstrated a clear genetic component to both diabetes and its complications. Early research aimed at identifying genetic determinants of diabetes complications relied on familial linkage analysis suited to strong-effect loci, candidate gene studies prone to false positives, and underpowered genome-wide association studies limited by sample size. The explosion of new genomic datasets, both in terms of biobanks and aggregation of worldwide cohorts, has more than doubled the number of genetic discoveries for both diabetes and diabetes complications. We focus herein on genetic discoveries for diabetes and diabetes complications, empowered primarily through genome-wide association studies, and emphasize the gaps in research for taking genomic discovery to the next level.

466 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors review the challenges associated with mapping the geography of climate change vulnerability are non-trivial, both conceptually and technically, suggesting the need for more critical evaluation of this practice.
Abstract: There is growing demand among stakeholders across public and private institutions for spatially-explicit information regarding vulnerability to climate change at the local scale. However, the challenges associated with mapping the geography of climate change vulnerability are non-trivial, both conceptually and technically, suggesting the need for more critical evaluation of this practice. Here, we review climate change vulnerability mapping in the context of four key questions that are fundamental to assessment design. First, what are the goals of the assessment? A review of published assessments yields a range of objective statements that emphasize problem orientation or decision-making about adaptation actions. Second, how is the assessment of vulnerability framed? Assessments vary with respect to what values are assessed (vulnerability of what) and the underlying determinants of vulnerability that are considered (vulnerability to what). The selected frame ultimately influences perceptions of the primary driving forces of vulnerability as well as preferences regarding management alternatives. Third, what are the technical methods by which an assessment is conducted? The integration of vulnerability determinants into a common map remains an emergent and subjective practice associated with a number of methodological challenges. Fourth, who participates in the assessment and how will it be used to facilitate change? Assessments are often conducted under the auspices of benefiting stakeholders, yet many lack direct engagement with stakeholders. Each of these questions is reviewed in turn by drawing on an illustrative set of 45 vulnerability mapping studies appearing in the literature. A number of pathways for placing vulnerability mapping on a more robust footing are also identified.

427 citations