NESP Project
Valuing Indigenous cultural connections
In Kakadu, our focus is on research that addresses threats such as fire, weeds and feral cats, both across the landscape and in riparian and floodplain areas. We are also working closely with the Park’s Traditional Owners to identify and undertake action-research partnerships. A new suite of three projects is working to ensure the world-class rehabilitation of the Ranger Uranium Mine site. Other Hub research across northern Australia, on topics such as Indigenous land management, environmental monitoring techniques, fire and carbon, is also generating information to support the management of environmental resources in Kakadu. Our Kakadu-focused research projects are listed below.
Completed project
Valuing Indigenous cultural connections
Kakadu National Park’s threatened species
Managing savanna riparian zones
Bininj/Mungguy healthy country indicators
Rehabilitated mine sites and Top End animals
Research priorities for Indigenous Protected Areas across northern Australia
Investigating feral cats in small mammal decline
Indigenous NRM in Kakadu National Park
Fish movement and sensitivity to contaminated mine water
Investing in Indigenous cultural and natural resource managers
Monitoring terrestrial animals in Kakadu
Tree water use and sensitivity to contaminated mine water
Ecogenomic approaches to monitor Kakadu estuaries
Aquatic biodiversity conservation and management
Water and sediment movement in the Alligator Rivers estuaries
Managing threats to floodplain biodiversity and Indigenous values
Remote sensing to map & monitor coastal habitats and water quality
River to landscape connections and biodiversity
Floodplain foodwebs
Info Sheet
October 2025
The use and impacts of wet-season burning in the tropical savannas of Kakadu National Park (info-sheet)
Video
June 2025
Kakadu Research Strategy announcement
Research product or tool
June 2025 | Open Access
Kakadu Research Strategy
Cooper, V., Calma, B., Nayinggul C., Rawlinson, M., Dobbs, R., Rossiter-Rachor, N. and Douglas, M. 2024. Kakadu Research Strategy 2025-2035. Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, Canberra. CC BY 4.0.
Info Sheet
January 2025
Biodiversity and bushtucker in Kakadu (info sheet)
Douglas, M. (2024) Identifying important areas for biodiversity and bush-tucker for targeted management in Kakadu National Park Fact Sheet for the Resilient Landscapes Hub of the Australian Government’s National Environmental Science Program. University of Western Australia.
Scientific Paper
August 2023 | Open Access
Accounting for Indigenous cultural connections to land: insights from two Indigenous groups of Australia (scientific paper)
Finau G, Jarvis D, Stoeckl N, Larson S, Grainger D, Douglas M, Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation, Barrowei R, Coleman B, Groves D, Hunter J, Lee M and Markham M (2023) 'Accounting for Indigenous cultural connections to land: insights from two Indigenous groups of Australia', Accounting, Auditing and Accountability Journal, 36(9):370–389, doi:10.1108/AAAJ-08-2022-5971.
Scientific Paper
January 2023 | Open Access
Evaluation and refinement of a fish movement model for a tropical Australian stream subject to mine contaminant egress (scientific paper)
Crook DA, Wedd D, Adair BJ, Mooney TJ, Harford AJ, Humphrey CL, Morrongielo JR and King AJ (2023) ‘Evaluation and refinement of a fish movement model for a tropical Australian stream subject to mine contaminant egress’, Environmental Biology of Fishes, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10641-022-01381-y
Scientific Paper
January 2023 | Open Access
Piecemeal stewardship activities miss numerous social and environmental benefits associated with culturally appropriate ways of caring for Country (scientific paper)
Larson S, Jarvis D, Stoeckl N, Barrowei R, Coleman B, Groves D, Hunter J, Lee M, Markham M, Larson A, Finau G and Douglas M (2023) 'Piecemeal stewardship activities miss numerous social and environmental benefits associated with culturally appropriate ways of caring for Country', Journal of Environmental Management 326(B): 116750, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2022.116750.
Scientific Paper
December 2022 | Open Access
Co-production mechanisms to weave Indigenous knowledge, artificial intelligence and technical data to enable Indigenous-led adaptive decision-making: lessons from Australia’s joint-managed Kakadu National Park (scientific paper)
Robinson CJ, Macdonald J, Perry J, Bangalang N, Nayinggul A, Nadji J, Nayinggul A, Dempsey S, Nadji S, McCartney S, Taylor A, Hunter F, May K, Cooper D, Moyle F, Drummond A, Borovac C, van Bodegraven S, Gilfedder M, Setterfield S and Douglas MM (2022) ‘Coproduction mechanisms to weave Indigenous knowledge, artificial intelligence, and technical data to enable Indigenous-led adaptive decision making: lessons from Australia’s joint managed Kakadu National Park’, Ecology & Society 27(4):36, https://doi.org/10.5751/ES-13747-270436.
Report
July 2022
Valuing Indigenous cultural connections (final report)
Jarvis D, Stoeckl N, Douglas M, Grainger D, Larson S, Finau G, LarsonA , Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation, Barrowei R, Coleman B, Groves D, Hunter J, Lee M and Markham M (2022) Valuing Indigenous cultural connections. James Cook University, Cairns.
Scientific Paper
July 2022 | Open Access
Faunal standards for the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems: a framework and its application to a high-profile case study (scientific paper)
Andersen AN, Einoder LD, Fisher A, Hill B and Oberprieler SK (2022) ‘Faunal standards for the restoration of terrestrial ecosystems: a framework and its application to a high-profile case study’, Restoration Ecology, 31: e13735, https://doi.org/10.1111/rec.13735.
Report
July 2022
Northern Hub Final Report 2021
Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub. 2021. Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub Final Report. Charles Darwin University, Darwin.
Scientific Paper
January 2022 | Open Access
Understanding Indigenous values and priorities for wetlands to guide weed management actions: Lessons from the Nardab floodplain in northern Australia’s Kakadu National Park (scientific paper)
Bangalang N-g, Nadji J, Nayinggul A, Nadji S, Nayinggul A, Dempsey S, Mangiru K, Dempsey J, McCartney S, Mairi Macdonald J. and Robinson CJ (2022) ‘Understanding Indigenous values and priorities for wetlands to guide weed management actions: lessons from the Nardab floodplain in northern Australia’s Kakadu National Park’, Ecological Management and Restoration, 23:105-116. https://doi.org/10.1111/emr.12542.
Report
November 2021
Assessment of the potential changes in wellbeing of key interest groups in the Fitzroy River catchment under alternative development scenarios: Traditional Owners’ workshop (report)
Kiatkoski Kim, M.,1 Alvarez-Romero, J.,2 Wallace, K.,1 Pannell, D.,1 Hill, R.3 and Pressey, R.2 2021. Assessment of the potential changes in wellbeing of key interest groups in the Fitzroy River catchment under alternative development scenarios: Traditional Owners’ workshop. The University of Western Australia, Perth.
Scientific Paper
November 2021
Deuterium depletion in xylem water and soil isotopic effects complicate the assessment of riparian tree water sources in the seasonal tropics (scientific paper)
Duvert, C, Canham, CA, Barbeta, A, et al. Deuterium depletion in xylem water and soil isotopic effects complicate the assessment of riparian tree water sources in the seasonal tropics. Ecohydrology. 2021;. Accepted Author Manuscript. e2383 https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2383
Report
November 2021
Terrestrial fauna monitoring in Kakadu National Park (final report)
Einoder LD, Gillespie GR and Buckley KA (2020) Terrestrial fauna monitoring in Kakadu National Park. Northern Territory Department of Environment, Parks and Water Security, Darwin.
Report
November 2021
Fish migration in Magela Creek and potential impacts of mining-related solutes (final report)
Crook D, Wedd D, Adair B, King A, Mooney T, Harford A and Humphrey C (2021) Fish migration in Magela Creek and potential impacts of mining-related solutes. Charles Darwin University, Darwin.
Report
October 2021
Ecohydrology and sensitivity of riparian flora, Magela Creek, Ranger uranium mine (final report)
Hutley LB, Duvert C, Setterfield SA, Bourke A, Canham CA, Freestone FL, Cavalieri OO, Alvarez-Cortez D and Brand M (2021) Ecohydrology and sensitivity of riparian flora, Magela Creek, Ranger uranium mine. Charles Darwin University, Darwin.
Video
October 2021
Fish movement and sensitivity to contaminated mine water (impact video)
Info Sheet
September 2021
Fauna monitoring in Kakadu National Park (wrap-up factsheet)
Report
September 2021
Using Bininj/Mungguy indicators to monitor the health of Country in Kakadu National Park (final report)
Scientific Paper
September 2021 | Open Access
Indigenous-led responsible innovation: lessons from co-developed protocols to guide the use of drones to monitor a biocultural landscape in Kakadu National Park, Australia (scientific paper)
Macdonald, J.M., Robinson, C.J., Perry, J., Lee, M., Barrowei, R., Coleman, B., Markham, J., Barrowei, A., Markham, B., Ford, H., Douglas, J., Hunter, J., Gayoso, E., Ahwon, T., Cooper, D., May, K., Setterfield, S.A & Douglas., M.M. 2021. Indigenous-led responsible innovation: lessons from co-developed protocols to guide the use of drones to monitor a biocultural landscape in Kakadu National Park, Australia, Journal of Responsible Innovation, DOI: 10.1080/23299460.2021.1964321
Video
August 2021
NESP Northern Hub wrap-up video
Scientific Paper
August 2021
Using knowledge to care for country: Indigenous-led evaluations of research to adaptively co-manage Kakadu National Park, Australia (scientific paper)
Robinson, C.J., Macdonald, J.M., Douglas, M., Perry, J., Setterfield, S., Cooper, D., Lee, M., Nadji, J., Nadji, S., Nayinggul, A., Nayinggul, A., Mangiru, K., Hunter, F., Coleman, B., Barrowei, R., Markham, J. Alderson, J., Moyle, F., May, K., and Bangalang, N. 2021. Using knowledge to care for country: Indigenous-led evaluations of research to adaptively co-manage Kakadu National Park, Australia. Sustain Sci (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11625-021-01015-9
Scientific Paper
July 2021 | Open Access
Australian Indigenous insights into ecosystem services: Beyond services towards connectedness – People, place and time (scientific paper)
Stoeckl, N., Jarvis, D., Larson, S., Larson, A., Grainger, D., and Ewamian Aboriginal Corporation. 2021. Australian Indigenous insights into ecosystem services: Beyond services towards connectedness – People, place and time. Ecosystem Services. Volume 50, ISSN 2212-0416. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2021.101341.
Video
June 2021
Kakadu & Cape York NESP teams iAwards (video)
Impact Storie
May 2021
Strengthening and sharing knowledge for land and sea management (impact story 2020)
Impact Storie
May 2021
Engagement is a two-way street: Creating symbols for science communication (impact story 2020)
Other
March 2021
More Than Words (CSIRO Double Helix article Jan 2021)
Other
January 2021
2020 Microsoft Sustainability Report (Jan 2021)
Info Sheet
January 2021
Small mammal declines in the Top End: Feral cats, dingoes, feral herbivores and habitat complexity (science summary January 2021)
Info Sheet
January 2021
Kakadu floodplain research synthesis (start-up factsheet)
Other
November 2020
NESP State & Territory showcase (2020)
Video
November 2020
Rehabilitated mine sites and Top End animals (impact video)
Video
November 2020
Using Bininj knowledge to care for Nardab (video Nov 2020)
Impact Storie
October 2020
Filling knowledge gaps for the rehabilitation of Ranger uranium mine (impact story 2019)
Video
October 2020
Kakadu NESP team – Eureka STEM Inclusion Prize finalist (video)
Other
August 2020
National Environmental Science Program 2020 Outcomes document
Impact Storie
August 2020
Keeping Country healthy in Kakadu National Park (impact story 2019)
Other
August 2020
The mystery of the Top End’s vanishing wildlife, and the unexpected culprits (article)
Video
July 2020
Launch of Our Knowledge Our Way: Indigenous-led best practice guidelines
Other
July 2020
Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country: Summary
Other
July 2020
Our Knowledge Our Way in caring for Country: Indigenous-led approaches to strengthening and sharing our knowledge for land and sea management
Scientific Paper
June 2020
Bottom-up and top-down processes influence contemporary patterns of mammal species richness in Australia’s monsoonal tropics (scientific paper)
Stobo-Wilson, A.M., Stokeld, D., Einoder, L.D., Davies, H.F., Fisher, A., Hill, B.M., Mahney, T., Murphy, B.P., Scroggie, M.P., Stevens, A., Woinarski, J.C.Z., Bawinanga Rangers, Warddeken Rangers & Gillespie, G.R. (2020).
Bottom-up and top-down processes influence contemporary patterns of mammal species richness in Australia's monsoonal tropics. Biological Conservation, Volume 247, 2020, 108638, ISSN 0006-3207. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2020.108638.
Info Sheet
May 2020
Tree water use and sensitivity to contaminated mine water (project update April 2020)
Scientific Paper
April 2020 | Open Access
Habitat structural complexity explains patterns of feral cat and dingo occurrence in monsoonal Australia (scientific paper)
Stobo‐Wilson AM, Stokeld D, Einoder LD, Davies HF, Fisher A, Hill BM, Mahney T, Murphy BP, Stevens A, Woinarski JCZ, Djelk Rangers, Warddeken Rangers, & Gillespie GR. Habitat structural complexity explains patterns of feral cat and dingo occurrence in monsoonal Australia. Divers Distrib. 2020; 00: 1– 11. https://doi.org/10.1111/ddi.13065
Scientific Paper
April 2020
The importance of sampling intensity when assessing ecosystem restoration: ants as bioindicators in northern Australia (scientific paper)
Oberprieler, S.K. and Andersen, A.N. (2020). The importance of sampling intensity when assessing ecosystem restoration: ants as bioindicators in northern Australia. Restoration Ecology. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/rec.13172
Info Sheet
March 2020
Valuing Indigenous cultural connections (start-up factsheet Feb 2020)
Scientific Paper
February 2020 | Open Access
Effect of elevated magnesium sulfate on two riparian tree species potentially impacted by mine site contamination (scientific paper)
Canham, C.A., Cavalieri, O.Y., Setterfield, S.A. et al. Effect of elevated magnesium sulfate on two riparian tree species potentially impacted by mine site contamination. Sci Rep 10, 2880 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-020-59390-9
Other
February 2020
Long-term Kakadu animal monitoring continues in 2019 (booklet)
Scientific Paper
February 2020
Effect of elevated magnesium sulfate on two riparian tree species potentially impacted by mine site contamination (scientific paper dataset)
Canham, C. (Creator), Cavalieri, O. Y. (Creator), Setterfield, S. (Creator), Freestone, F. (Creator) & Hutley, L. B. (Creator). (19 Feb 2020). Effect of elevated magnesium sulfate on two riparian tree species potentially impacted by mine site contamination. The University of Western Australia. https://doi.org/10.26182/5e61d3ad6a460
Scientific Paper
November 2019 | Open Access
Tracking the resource pulse: Movement responses of fish to dynamic floodplain habitat in a tropical river (scientific paper)
Crook, D.A., Buckle, D.J., Morrongiello, J.R., Allsop, Q.A., Baldwin, W., Saunders, T.M. & Douglas, M.M. (2019), Tracking the resource pulse: Movement responses of fish to dynamic floodplain habitat in a tropical river. J Anim Ecol. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13146
Video
November 2019
Kakadu and artificial intelligence to manage Country (video Nov 2019)
Info Sheet
September 2019
Recommended standards for fauna recovery at rehabilitated mine sites (wrap-up factsheet Aug 2019)
Video
September 2019
Using technology to monitor country – Bininj/Mungguy healthy Country indicators (video Sept 2019)
Info Sheet
September 2019
Fish movement and sensitivity to contaminated mine water (project update August 2019)
Video
August 2019
Fish movement and sensitivity (video Aug 2019)
Report
August 2019
Recommended faunal standards for the rehabilitation of Ranger uranium mine (final report)
Report
August 2019
Invertebrate assemblages at Ranger uranium mine’s trial revegetation sites compared with natural reference sites (report)
Report
August 2019
Rehabilitation of vertebrate assemblages at Ranger uranium mine: Assessment standards and monitoring methodology (report)
Info Sheet
July 2019
Monitoring terrestrial animals in Kakadu (start-up factsheet)
Impact Storie
June 2019
Telling our stories face to face (impact story)
Info Sheet
May 2019
Freshwater customary harvesting practices and climate change adaptation in the Alligator Rivers region, NT (science summary)
Video
May 2019
Bininj/Mungguy healthy country indicators in Kakadu National Park
Info Sheet
April 2019
Bininj/Mungguy healthy country indicators (start-up factsheet)
Presentation
February 2019
Prioritising threatened species in northern Australia (presentation Feb 2019)
Info Sheet
February 2019
Supporting savanna fire management through carbon farming (wrap-up factsheet)
Other
October 2018
NESP Indigenous collaboration (brochure)
Other
October 2018
Indigenous science partnerships (brochure)
Report
October 2018
Northern Hub Annual Report 2017
Info Sheet
July 2018
What do crocodiles eat? (research story)
Info Sheet
July 2018
Rehabilitated mine sites and Top End animals (start-up factsheet)
Info Sheet
July 2018
Fish movement and sensitivity to contaminated mine water (start-up factsheet)
Info Sheet
July 2018
Tree water use and sensitivity to contaminated mine water (start-up factsheet)
Scientific Paper
March 2018
What do predator diets tell us about mammal declines in Kakadu National Park? (scientific paper)
Stokeld D, Fisher A, Gentles T, Hill B, Triggs B, Woinarski J.C.Z. & Gillespie G.R. 2018. What do predator diets tell us about mammal declines in Kakadu National Park?. Wildlife Research 45:92-101.
Scientific Paper
March 2018
Conserving biodiversity and Indigenous bush tucker: Practical application of the strategic foresight framework to invasive alien species management planning (journal article)
Adams VM, Douglas MM, Jackson SE, Scheepers K, Kool JT & Setterfield SA. 2018. Conserving biodiversity and Indigenous bush tucker: Practical application of the strategic foresight framework to invasive alien species management planning. Conservation Letters e12441. https://doi.org/10.1111/conl.12441
Other
May 2017
Top End research overview (brochure Jun 2018)
Scientific Paper
April 2017
Understanding climate-change adaptation on Kakadu National Park, using a combined diagnostic and modelling framework: a case study at Yellow Water wetland (scientific paper)
Leo X. C., Bayliss P., McGregor S., Christophersen P., Scheepers K., Woodward E., Ligtermoet E., & Melo L.F. C. (2017). Understanding climate-change adaptation on Kakadu National Park, using a combined diagnostic and modelling framework: a case study at Yellow Water wetland. Marine and Freshwater Research 69, 1146-1158.
Scientific Paper
April 2017
An integrated risk-assessment framework for multiple threats to floodplain values in the Kakadu Region, Australia, under a changing climate (scientific paper)
Bayliss P., Finlayson C. M., Innes J., Norman-López A., Bartolo R., Harford A., Pettit N. E., Humphrey C. L., van Dam R., Dutra L. X. C., Woodward E., Ligtermoet E., Steven A., Chariton A., Williams D. K. (2017) An integrated risk-assessment framework for multiple threats to floodplain values in the Kakadu Region, Australia, under a changing climate. Marine and Freshwater Research 69, 1159-1185. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF17043
Report
March 2017
Experimental evaluation of the role of feral cat predation in the decline of small mammals in Kakadu National Park (final report)
Report
March 2017
Experimental evaluation of the role of feral cat predation in the decline of small mammals in Kakadu National Park (final report)
Info Sheet
February 2017
Feral cats and small mammal decline in Kakadu National Park (wrap-up factsheet)
Info Sheet
February 2017
Feral cats and small mammal decline in Kakadu National Park (wrap-up factsheet)
Info Sheet
September 2016
Indigenous NRM in Kakadu National Park (start-up factsheet)
Scientific Paper
July 2016
Multiple cameras required to reliably detect feral cats in northern Australia tropical savanna: an evaluation of sampling design when using camera traps (scientific paper)
Stokeld, Danielle, Frank, Anke S. K, Hill, Brydie, Choy, Jenni Low, Mahney, Terry, Stevens, Alys, . . . Gillespie, Graeme R. (2015). Multiple cameras required to reliably detect feral cats in northern Australian tropical savanna: An evaluation of sampling design when using camera traps. Wildlife Research, 42(8), 642-649.
Presentation
June 2016
Camera traps for terrestrial biodiversity monitoring in northern Australia (presentation May 2016)
Scientific Paper
April 2016
Bacteria in tropical floodplain soils are sensitive to changes in saltwater (scientific paper)
Nelson Tiffanie M., Streten Claire, Gibb Karen S., Chariton Anthony A. (2016) Bacteria in tropical floodplain soils are sensitive to changes in saltwater. Marine and Freshwater Research 69, 1110-1123. https://doi.org/10.1071/MF16033.
Scientific Paper
April 2016
Assessing sea level-rise risks to coastal floodplains in the Kakadu Region, northern Australia, using a tidally driven hydrodynamic model (scientific paper)
Bayliss P.A.E., Saunders K.B.C., Dutra, L.X.C., Melo, L.F.C., Hilton J.B., Prakash M.B., and Woolard, F.B. (2016). Assessing sea level-rise risks to coastal floodplains in the Kakadu Region, northern Australia, using a tidally driven hydrodynamic model. Marine and Freshwater Research - http://dx.doi.org/10.1071/MF16049
Other
October 2015
Kakadu Research News: October 2015
Report
March 2015
Hydrodynamic modelling of tidal inundation from sea level rise in Kakadu National Park
Scientific Paper
March 2015
Dynamics of plant communities and the impact of saltwater intrusion on the floodplains of Kakadu National Park (journal article)
Report
March 2015
Hydrodynamic modelling of saline inundation from sea level rise in Kakadu National Park
Scientific Paper
March 2015
Assessing sea level-rise risks to coastal floodplains in the Kakadu Region, northern Australia, using a tidally driven hydrodynamic model (journal article)
Scientific Paper
March 2015
Seasonal habitats, decadal trends in abundance and cultural values of magpie geese (Anseranus semipalmata) on coastal floodplains in the Kakadu Region, northern Australia (journal article)
Other
March 2015
Alligator Power (RipRap article)
Other
December 2014
Kakadu Research News: December 2014
Other
July 2014
Kakadu Research News: July 2014
Other
October 2013
Kakadu Research News: October 2013
Other
April 2013
Kakadu Research News: April 2013
Other
November 2012
Kakadu Research News: November 2012
