Professor Kate O'Brien
Professor
School of Chemical Engineering
+61 7 336 53534
Researcher biography
Professor Kate O'Brien applies modelling and data analysis to explore sustainability challenges in engineered, ecological and human systems. Professor O'Brien works with a diverse network of local and international collaborators, from academia, government and industry, to tackle important questions such as: In restoring valuable coastal habitat, what is the minimum patch size required for success, and why? How much oil can individual fossil fuel producers extract without compromising global climate targets? Why is gender equality in the workplace so hard to achieve? She uses modelling as a tool to connect ideas across traditional disciplinary boundaries to promote innovation and tackle complex, open-ended problems. Professor O'Brien is the former Director of Teaching and Learning in the UQ School of Chemical Engineering. She has won numerous awards for teaching students critical thinking and other transferrable skills needed to lead the shift from the current "take-make-waste" paradigm to genuine sustainability. She teaches new academics to take a practical, student-centred approach to teaching called "Ruthless Compassion", and she is passionate about finding creative solutions to work-family conflict.
Publications
Book Chapters
Maxwell, Paul, Connolly, Rod, Roelfsema, Chris, Burfeind, Dana, Udy, James, O'Brien, Kate, Saunders, Megan, Barnes, Richard, Olds, Andrew, Hendersen, Chris and Gilby, Ben (2019). The seagrasses of Moreton Bay Quandamooka: Diversity, ecology and resilience. Moreton Bay Quandamooka and catchment: past, present and future. (pp. 279-298) edited by Ian R. Tibbetts, Peter C. Rothlisberg, David T. Neil, Tamara A. Homburg, David T. Brewer and Angela H. Arthington. Brisbane, QLD, Australia: Moreton Bay Foundation.
Connolly, Rod M., Jackson, Emma L., Macreadie, Peter I., Maxwell, Paul S. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2018). Seagrass dynamics and resilience. Seagrasses of Australia: structure, ecology and conservation. (pp. 197-212) edited by Anthony W. D. Larkum, Gary A. Kendrick and Peter J. Ralph. Cham, Switzerland: Springer . doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_7
O'Brien, Katherine R., Adams, Matthew P., Ferguson, Angus J. P., Samper-Villarreal, Jimena, Maxwell, Paul S., Baird, Mark E. and Collier, Catherine (2018). Seagrass Resistance to Light Deprivation: Implications for Resilience. Seagrasses of Australia: Structure, Ecology and Conservation. (pp. 287-311) edited by Anthony W. D. Larkum, Gary A. Kendrick and Peter J. Ralph. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_10
Ferguson, Angus J. P. , Scanes, Peter R. , Potts, Jaimie D. , Adams, Matthew P. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2018). Seagrasses in the South-East Australian Region - Distribution, Metabolism, and Morphology in Response to Hydrodynamic, Substrate, and Water Quality Stressors. Seagrasses of Australia: Structure, Ecology and Conservation. (pp. 419-444) edited by Anthony W. D. Larkum, Gary A. Kendrick and Peter J. Ralph. Cham, Switzerland: Springer. doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-71354-0_14
Journal Articles
Hall, Rebecca, Kenway, Steven, O'Brien, Katherine and Memon, Fayyaz (2025). Quantification of residential water-related energy needs cohesion, validation and global representation to unlock efficiency gains. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 207 114906, 114906. doi: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114906
Konarova, Muxina, Fitzgerald, Rachel, Birkett, Greg, Bakharia, Aneesha, Howes, Tony, Rufford, Tom and O'Brien, Kate (2024). AI: Educating the educators. The Chemical Engineer, 26-28.
de Oliveira, Mayara, Morrison, Tiffany, O'Brien, Katherine R. and Lovelock, Catherine E. (2024). Governance of coastal wetlands: beyond the community conservation paradigm. Ocean and Coastal Management, 255 107253, 107253. doi: 10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2024.107253
Hall, R., O'Brien, K.R., Kenway, S. and Memon, F.A. (2024). Heat loss from non-circulating domestic hot water pipes increases water consumption and energy demand. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 206 107658, 107658. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2024.107658
Spillias, Scott, Cottrell, Richard S., Layton, Cayne, O’Brien, Katherine R. and McDonald-Madden, Eve (2024). Having our kelp and eating it too: minimising trade-offs from seaweed farming. Journal of Cleaner Production, 448 141150. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2024.141150
Swinbourne, Cassady, Kenway, Steven and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2024). Urban greenery and alternative water sources critically interconnect water supply, cooling, and drainage in urban precincts. Urban Climate, 53 101812, 1-17. doi: 10.1016/j.uclim.2024.101812
Vilas, Maria P., Egger, Felix, Adams, Matthew P., Maier, Holger R., Robson, Barbara, Mestres, Jonathan Ferrer, Stewart, Lachlan, Maxwell, Paul and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2023). TALKS: a systematic framework for resolving model-data discrepancies. Environmental Modelling and Software, 163 105668, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2023.105668
Spillias, Scott, Valin, Hugo, Batka, Miroslav, Sperling, Frank, Havlík, Petr, Leclère, David, Cottrell, Richard S., O’Brien, Katherine R. and McDonald-Madden, Eve (2023). Reducing global land-use pressures with seaweed farming. Nature Sustainability, 6 (4), 380-390. doi: 10.1038/s41893-022-01043-y
O'Brien, Kate, Howes, Tony and Birkett, Greg (2023). Learning how to learn: the skill which underpins performance throughout one’s career. The Chemical Engineer (982), 33-35.
Spillias, Scott, Kelly, Rachel, Cottrell, Richard S., O’Brien, Katherine R., Im, Ran-Young, Kim, Ji Yoon, Lei, Chuan, Leung, Rainbow W. S., Matsuba, Misako, Reis, Juliana Albano, Sato, Yoichi, Sempert, Kai and McDonald-Madden, Eve (2023). The empirical evidence for the social-ecological impacts of seaweed farming. PLoS Sustainability and Transformation, 2 (2) e0000042, 1-23. doi: 10.1371/journal.pstr.0000042
Hagger, Valerie, Worthington, Thomas A., Lovelock, Catherine E., Adame, Maria Fernanda, Amano, Tatsuya, Brown, Benjamin M., Friess, Daniel A., Landis, Emily, Mumby, Peter J., Morrison, Tiffany H., O’Brien, Katherine R., Wilson, Kerrie A., Zganjar, Chris and Saunders, Megan I. (2022). Drivers of global mangrove loss and gain in social-ecological systems. Nature Communications, 13 (1) 6373, 1-16. doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-33962-x
Twomey, Alice J., Callaghan, David P., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Saunders, Megan I. (2022). Contextualising shoreline protection by seagrass using lessons from submerged breakwaters. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 276 108011, 1-10. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2022.108011
Thompson Brewster, Emma, Rounsefell, Beth, Lin, Fangzhou, Clarke, William and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2022). Adult incontinence products are a larger and faster growing waste issue than disposable infant nappies (diapers) in Australia. Waste Management, 152, 30-37. doi: 10.1016/j.wasman.2022.07.038
Spillias, Scott, Cottrell, Richard S., Kelly, Rachel, O’Brien, Katherine R., Adams, John, Bellgrove, Alecia, Kelly, Bronagh, Kilpatrick, Carley, Layton, Cayne, Macleod, Catriona, Roberts, Shane, Stringer, Damien and McDonald-Madden, Eve (2022). Expert perceptions of seaweed farming for sustainable development. Journal of Cleaner Production, 368 133052, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.jclepro.2022.133052
Plein, Michaela, O'Brien, Katherine R., Holden, Matthew H., Adams, Matthew P., Baker, Christopher M., Bean, Nigel G., Sisson, Scott A., Bode, Michael, Mengersen, Kerrie L. and McDonald‐Madden, Eve (2022). Modeling total predation to avoid perverse outcomes from cat control in a data‐poor island ecosystem. Conservation Biology, 36 (5) e13916. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13916
Kuehne, Lauren M., Rolls, Robert J., Brandis, Kate J., Chen, Kai, Fraley, Kevin M., Frost, Lindsey K., Ho, Susie S., Kunisch, Erin H., Langhans, Simone D., LeRoy, Carri J., McDonald, Gregory, McInerney, Paul J., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Strecker, Angela L. (2022). Benefits of permanent adoption of virtual conferences for conservation science. Conservation Biology, 36 (4) e13884, e13884. doi: 10.1111/cobi.13884
Lambert, Victoria, Bainbridge, Zoe T., Collier, Catherine, Lewis, Stephen E., Adams, Matthew P., Carter, Alex, Saunders, Megan I., Brodie, Jon, Turner, Ryan D.R., Rasheed, Michael A. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2021). Connecting targets for catchment sediment loads to ecological outcomes for seagrass using multiple lines of evidence. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 169 112494, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2021.112494
Davis, Kirsten A., Mogg, William A., Callaghan, David P., Birkett, Greg R., Knight, David B. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2021). Introducing ‘Concept Question’ writing assignments into upper-level engineering courses. European Journal of Engineering Education, 46 (6), 1-20. doi: 10.1080/03043797.2021.1943649
Twomey, Alice J., Saunders, Megan I., Callaghan, David P., Bouma, Tjeerd J., Han, Qiuying and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2021). Lateral sediment erosion with and without the non-dense root-mat forming seagrass Enhalus acoroides. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, 253 107316, 1-12. doi: 10.1016/j.ecss.2021.107316
Neilen, Amanda D., Carroll, Anthony R., Hawker, Darryl W., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Burford, Michele A. (2020). Identification of compounds from terrestrial dissolved organic matter toxic to cyanobacteria. Science of the Total Environment, 749 141482, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2020.141482
Twomey, Alice J., O'Brien, Katherine R., Callaghan, David P. and Saunders, Megan I. (2020). Synthesising wave attenuation for seagrass: drag coefficient as a unifying indicator. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 160 111661, 111661. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2020.111661
Collier, C. J., Carter, A. B., Rasheed, M., McKenzie, L., Udy, J., Coles, R., Brodie, J., Waycott, M., O’Brien, K. R., Saunders, M., Adams, M., Martin, K., Honchin, C., Petus, C. and Lawrence, E. (2020). An evidence-based approach for setting desired state in a complex Great Barrier Reef seagrass ecosystem: a case study from Cleveland Bay. Environmental and Sustainability Indicators, 7 100042, 100042. doi: 10.1016/j.indic.2020.100042
Xiao, Man, Hamilton, David P., O’Brien, Katherine R., Adams, Matthew P., Willis, Anusuya and Burford, Michele A. (2020). Are laboratory growth rate experiments relevant to explaining bloom-forming cyanobacteria distributions at global scale?. Harmful Algae, 92 101732, 101732. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2019.101732
Adams, Matthew P., Koh, Edwin J. Y., Vilas, Maria P., Collier, Catherine J., Lambert, Victoria M., Sisson, Scott A., Quiroz, Matias, McDonald-Madden, Eve, McKenzie, Len J. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2020). Predicting seagrass decline due to cumulative stressors. Environmental Modelling and Software, 130 104717, 104717. doi: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2020.104717
Neilen, Amanda D., Carroll, Anthony R., Hawker, Darryl W., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Burford, Michele A. (2019). Effects of photochemical and microbiological changes in terrestrial dissolved organic matter on its chemical characteristics and phytotoxicity towards cyanobacteria. Science of the Total Environment, 695 133901, 133901. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.133901
O'Brien, Katherine R., Holmgren, Milena, Fitzsimmons, Terrance, Crane, Margaret E., Maxwell, Paul and Head, Brian (2019). What is gender equality in science?. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 34 (5), 395-399. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.02.009
Rekker, Saphira A. C., Humphrey, Jacquelyn E. and O’Brien, Katherine R. (2019). Do sustainability rating schemes capture climate goals?. Business & Society, 60 (1), 000765031982576-160. doi: 10.1177/0007650319825764
Prentice, Matthew J., Hamilton, David P., Willis, Anusuya, O’Brien, Katherine R. and Burford, Michele A. (2019). Quantifying the role of organic phosphorus mineralisation on phytoplankton communities in a warm-monomictic lake. Inland Waters, 9 (1), 10-24. doi: 10.1080/20442041.2018.1538717
O'Brien, Katherine R., Waycott, Michelle, Maxwell, Paul, Kendrick, Gary A., Udy, James W., Ferguson, Angus J. P., Kilminster, Kieryn, Scanes, Peter, McKenzie, Len J., McMahon, Kathryn, Adams, Matthew P., Samper-Villarreal, Jimena, Collier, Catherine, Lyons, Mitchell, Mumby, Peter J., Radke, Lynda, Christianen, Marjolijn J. A. and Dennison, William C. (2018). Seagrass ecosystem trajectory depends on the relative timescales of resistance, recovery and disturbance. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 134, 166-176. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2017.09.006
Collier, Catherine J., Langlois, Lucas, Ow, Yan, Johansson, Charlotte, Giammusso, Manuela, Adams, Matthew P., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Uthicke, Sven (2018). Losing a winner: thermal stress and local pressures outweigh the positive effects of ocean acidification for tropical seagrasses. New Phytologist, 219 (3), 1005-1017. doi: 10.1111/nph.15234
Adams, Matthew P., Ghisalberti, Marco, Lowe, Ryan J., Callaghan, David P., Baird, Mark E., Infantes, Eduardo and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2018). Water residence time controls the feedback between seagrass, sediment and light: implications for restoration. Advances in Water Resources, 117, 14-26. doi: 10.1016/j.advwatres.2018.04.004
Rekker, Saphira A. C., O’Brien, Katherine R., Humphrey, Jacquelyn E. and Pascale, Andrew C. (2018). Comparing extraction rates of fossil fuel producers against global climate goals. Nature Climate Change, 8 (6), 489-492. doi: 10.1038/s41558-018-0158-1
Xiao, Man, Adams, Matthew P., Willis, Anusuya, Burford, Michele A. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2017). Variation within and between cyanobacterial species and strains affects competition: implications for phytoplankton modelling. Harmful Algae, 69, 38-47. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2017.10.001
Neilen, Amanda D., Hawker, Darryl W., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Burford, Michele A. (2017). Phytotoxic effects of terrestrial dissolved organic matter on a freshwater cyanobacteria and green algae species is affected by plant source and DOM chemical composition. Chemosphere, 184, 969-980. doi: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2017.06.063
Bors, Julijana, O'Brien, Katherine R., Kenway, Steven J. and Lant, Paul A. (2017). Regional-scale variability of cold water temperature: implications for household water-related energy demand. Resources Conservation and Recycling, 124, 107-115. doi: 10.1016/j.resconrec.2017.05.001
Collier,Catherine J. , Ow, Yan X. , Langlois, Lucas , Uthicke, Sven , Johansson, Charlotte L. , O'Brien, Katherine R. , Hrebien, Victoria and Adams, Matthew P. (2017). Optimum temperatures for net primary productivity of three tropical seagrass species. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8 1446. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2017.01446
Maxwell, Paul S., Eklof, Johan S., van Katwijk, Marieke M., O'Brien, Katherine R., de la Torre-Castro, Maricela, Bostrom, Christoffer, Bouma, Tjeerd J., Krause-Jensen, Dorte, Unsworth, Richard K. F., van Tussenbroek, Brigitta I. and van der Heide, Tjisse (2017). The fundamental role of ecological feedback mechanisms for the adaptive management of seagrass ecosystems - a review. Biological Reviews, 92 (3), 1521-1538. doi: 10.1111/brv.12294
Adams, Matthew P., Collier, Catherine J., Uthicke, Sven, Ow, Yan X., Langlois, Lucas and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2017). Model fit versus biological relevance: evaluating photosynthesis-temperature models for three tropical seagrass species. Scientific Reports, 7 (1) 39930, 1-12. doi: 10.1038/srep39930
O'Brien, Katherine R., Weber, Tony R., Leigh, Catherine and Burford, Michele A. (2016). Sediment and nutrient budgets are inherently dynamic: evidence from a long-term study of two subtropical reservoirs. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences, 20 (12), 4881-4894. doi: 10.5194/hess-20-4881-2016
Adams, Matthew P., Hovey, Renae K., Hipsey, Matthew R., Bruce, Louise C., Ghisalberti, Marco, Lowe, Ryan J., Gruber, Renee K., Ruiz-Montoya, Leonardo, Maxwell, Paul S., Callaghan, David P., Kendrick, Gary A. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2016). Feedback between sediment and light for seagrass: where is it important?. Limnology and Oceanography, 61 (6), 1937-1955. doi: 10.1002/lno.10319
Lam, Ka Leung, Lant, Paul A., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Kenway, Steven J. (2016). Comparison of water-energy trajectories of two major regions experiencing water shortage. Journal of Environmental Management, 181, 403-412. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2016.06.068
O'Brien, Kate and Birkett, Greg (2016). The human touch: what really matters in engineering education, and why aren't we doing more of it?. The Chemical Engineer, 903, 42-43.
Collier, C. J., Adams, M. P., Langlois, L., Waycott, M., O'Brien, K. R., Maxwell, P. S. and McKenzie, L. (2016). Thresholds for morphological response to light reduction for four tropical seagrass species. Ecological Indicators, 67, 358-366. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2016.02.050
Saeck, Emily Ann, O'Brien, Katherine Rosemary and Burford, Michele Astrid (2016). Nitrogen response of natural phytoplankton communities: a new indicator based on photosynthetic efficiency Fv/Fm. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 552, 81-92. doi: 10.3354/meps11729
O'Brien, Katherine R., Weber, Tony R., Leigh, Catherine and Burford, Michele A. (2016). Major flood dominates 14 year sediment and nutrient budgets for two subtropical reservoirs. Hydrology and Earth System Sciences Discussions, 1-29. doi: 10.5194/hess-2016-89
Baird, Mark E., Adams, Matthew P., Babcock, Russell C., Oubelkheir, Kadija, Mongin, Mathieu, Wild-Allen, Karen A., Skerratt, Jennifer, Robson, Barbara J., Petrou, Katherina, Ralph, Peter J., O'Brien, Katherine R., Carter, Alex B., Jarvis, Jessie C. and Rasheed, Michael A. (2016). A biophysical representation of seagrass growth for application in a complex shallow-water biogeochemical model. Ecological Modelling, 325, 13-27. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2015.12.011
van Katwijk, Marieke M., Thorhaug, Anitra, Marba, Núria, Orth, Robert J., Duarte, Carlos M., Kendrick, Gary A., Althuizen, Inge H. J., Balestri, Elena, Bernard, Guillaume, Cambridge,Marion L., Cunha, Alexandra, Durance, Cynthia, Giesen, Wim, Han, Qiuying, Hosokawa, Shinya, Kiswara, Wawan, Komatsu, Teruhisa, Lardicci, Claudio, Lee, Kun-Seop, Meinesz, Alexandre, Nakaoka, Masahiro, O'Brien, Katherine R., Paling, Erik I., Pickerell, Chris, Ransijn, Aryan M. A. and Verduin,Jennifer J. (2016). Global analysis of seagrass restoration: the importance of large-scale planting. Journal of Applied Ecology, 53 (2), 567-578. doi: 10.1111/1365-2664.12562
Burford, M. A., Valdez, D., Curwen, G., Faggotter, S. J., Ward, D. P. and O'Brien, K. R. (2016). Inundation of saline supratidal mudflats provides an important source of carbon and nutrients in an aquatic system. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 545, 21-33. doi: 10.3354/meps11621
Adams, Matthew P., Ferguson, Angus J. P., Maxwell, Paul S., Lawson, Brodie A. J., Samper-Villarreal, Jimena and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2016). Light history-dependent respiration explains the hysteresis in the daily ecosystem metabolism of seagrass. Hydrobiologia, 766 (1), 75-88. doi: 10.1007/s10750-015-2444-5
Adams, Matthew P., Saunders, Megan I., Maxwell, Paul S., Tuazon, Daniel, Roelfsema, Chris M., Callaghan, David P., Leon, Javier, Grinham, Alistair R. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2016). Prioritizing localized management actions for seagrass conservation and restoration using a species distribution model. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 26 (4), 639-659. doi: 10.1002/aqc.2573
Vonk, J. Arie, Christianen, Marjolijn J. A., Stapel, Johan and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2015). What lies beneath: why knowledge of belowground biomass dynamics is crucial to effective seagrass management. Ecological Indicators, 57, 259-267. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.05.008
Willis, Anusuya, Adams, Matthew P., Chuang, Ann W., Orr, Philip T., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Burford, Michele A. (2015). Constitutive toxin production under various nitrogen and phosphorus regimes of three ecotypes of Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii ((Wołoszyńska) Seenayya et Subba Raju). Harmful Algae, 47, 27-34. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2015.05.011
O'Brien, Katherine R., Scheffer, Marten, van Nes, Egbert H. and van der Lee, Romy (2015). How to break the cycle of low workforce diversity: a model for change. PLoS One, 10 (7) e0133208, 1-15. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133208
Prentice, Matthew J., O'Brien, Kate R., Hamilton, David P. and Burford, Michele A. (2015). High- and low-affinity phosphate uptake and its effect on phytoplankton dominance in a phosphate-depauperate lake. Aquatic Microbial Ecology, 75 (2), 139-153. doi: 10.3354/ame01751
Kehoe, M., O'Brien, K. R., Grinham, A. and Burford, M. A. (2015). Primary production of lake phytoplankton, dominated by the cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii, in response to irradiance and temperature. Inland Waters, 5 (2), 93-100. doi: 10.5268/IW-5.2.778
Kilminster, Kieryn, McMahon,Kathryn, Waycott, Michelle, Kendrick, Gary A., Scanes, Peter, McKenzie, Len, O'Brien, Katherine R., Lyons, Mitchell, Ferguson, Angus, Maxwell, Paul, Glasby, Tim and Udy, James (2015). Unravelling complexity in seagrass systems for management: Australia as a microcosm. Science of the Total Environment, 534, 97-109. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2015.04.061
Saunders, Megan I., Leon, Javier, Phinn, Stuart R., Callaghan, David P., O'Brien, Katherine R., Roelfsema, Chris M., Lovelock, Catherine E., Lyons, Mitchell B. and Mumby, Peter J. (2013). Coastal retreat and improved water quality mitigate losses of seagrass from sea level rise. Global Change Biology, 19 (8), 2569-2583. doi: 10.1111/gcb.12218
Saeck, Emily A., O’Brien, Katherine R., Weber, Tony R. and Burford, Michele A. (2013). Changes to chronic nitrogen loading from sewage discharges modify standing stocks of coastal phytoplankton. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 71 (1-2), 159-167. doi: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2013.03.020
Brookes, Justin D., O'Brien, Katherine R., Burford, Michele A., Bruesewitz, Denise A., Hodges, Ben R., McBride, Chris and Hamilton, David P. (2013). Effects of diurnal vertical mixing and stratification on phytoplankton productivity in geothermal Lake Rotowhero, New Zealand. Inland Waters, 3 (3), 369-376. doi: 10.5268/IW-3.3.625
Burfeind, Dana D., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Udy, James W. (2013). Water temperature and benthic light levels drive horizontal expansion of Caulerpa taxifolia in native and invasive locations. Marine Ecology Progress Series, 472, 61-72. doi: 10.3354/meps10044
Saeck, Emily A., Hadwen, Wade L., Rissik, David, O'Brien, Katherine R. and Burford, Michele A. (2013). Flow events drive patterns of phytoplankton distribution along a river-estuary-bay continuum. Marine And Freshwater Research, 64 (7), 655-670. doi: 10.1071/MF12227
Kehoe, M., O'Brien, K., Grinham, A., Rissik, D., Ahern, K. S. and Maxwell, P. (2012). Random forest algorithm yields accurate quantitative prediction models of benthic light at intertidal sites affected by toxic Lyngbya majuscula blooms. Harmful Algae, 19, 46-52. doi: 10.1016/j.hal.2012.05.006
O'Brien, Katherine R. and Hapgood, Karen P. (2012). The academic jungle: Ecosystem modelling reveals why women are driven out of research. Oikos, 121 (7), 999-1004. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0706.2012.20601.x
Burford, Michele A., Green, Susanne A., Cook, Andrew J., Johnson, Suzanne A., Kerr, Jason G. and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2012). Sources and fate of nutrients in a subtropical reservoir. Aquatic Sciences, 74 (1), 179-190. doi: 10.1007/s00027-011-0209-4
O'Brien, Kate and Hapgood, Karen (2011). Part-time balance. Nature, 479 (7372), 257-258. doi: 10.1038/nj7372-257a
O'Brien, Kate and Hapgood, Karen (2011). Part-time balance. Nature, 479, 257-258.
McNichol, Heidi, Davis, Julie Margaret and O'Brien, Katherine R. (2011). An ecological footprint for an early learning centre: Identifying opportunities for early childhood sustainability education through interdisciplinary research. Environmental Education Research, 17 (5), 689-704. doi: 10.1080/13504622.2011.572161
Hamilton, David P., O'Brien, Katherine R., Burford, Michele A., Brookes, Justin D. and McBride, Chris G. (2010). Vertical distributions of chlorophyll in deep, warm monomictic lakes. Aquatic Sciences, 72 (3), 295-307. doi: 10.1007/s00027-010-0131-1
O'Brien, Kate R., Menache, Julien and O'Moore, Liza M. (2009). Impact of fly ash content and fly ash transportation distance on embodied greenhouse gas emissions and water consumption in concrete. International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, 14 (7), 621-629. doi: 10.1007/s11367-009-0105-5
O'Brien, Katherine R., Burford, M.A. and Brookes, J.D. (2009). Effects of light history on primary productivity in a phytoplankton community dominated by the toxic cyanobacterium Cylindrospermopsis raciborskii. Freshwater Biology, 54 (2), 272-282. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2427.2008.02106.x
O'Brien, Katherine R., Waite, Anya M., Alexander, Bridget L., Perry, Karen A. and Neumann, Luis E. (2006). Particle tracking in a salinity gradient: A method for measuring sinking rate of individual phytoplankton in the laboratory. Limnology and Oceanography: Methods, 4 (9), 329-335. doi: 10.4319/lom.2006.4.329
O'Brien, Katherine R., Meyer, David L., Waite, Anya M., Ivey, Gregory N. and Hamilton, David P. (2004). Disaggregation of Microcystis aeruginosa colonies under turbulent mixing: laboratory experiments in a grid-stirred tank. Hydrobiologia, 519 (1-3), 143-152. doi: 10.1023/B:HYDR.0000026501.02125.cf
OBrien, Katherine R., Ivey, Gregory N., Hamilton, David P., Waite, Anya M. and Visser, Petra M. (2003). Simple mixing criteria for the growth of negatively buoyant phytoplankton. Limnology And Oceanography, 48 (3), 1326-1337. doi: 10.4319/lo.2003.48.3.1326
Conference Papers
Hall, Rebecca, O'Brien, Kate, Kenway, Steven and Memon, Fayyaz (2023). Simulating the influence of domestic hot water distribution system configurations and user behaviour on water and energy losses. Sustainable Development of Energy, Water and Environment Systems, Dubrovnik, Croatia, 24-29 September 2023.
Twomey, Alice, O'Brien, Katherine, Callaghan, David and Saunders, Megan (2023). Wave drag coefficient useful for nature: seagrass-based coastal protection design in estuaries. 37th Conference on Coastal Engineering, Sydney, NSW Australia, 4-9 December 2022. Reston, VA USA: American Society of Civil Engineers. doi: 10.9753/icce.v37.management.57
Hall, Rebecca, Memon, Fayyaz, O'Brien, Kate and Kenway, Steven (2023). Simulating water and energy wasted due to heat loss from domestic hot water distribution piping. Advances in Water Research & Innovation: 1998 to 2023 and Beyond, Exeter, United Kingdom, 31 August-1 May 2023.
Lambert, V., Adams, M. P., Collier, C., Carter, A., Saunders, M., Brodie, J., Bainbridge, Z., Rasheed, M., Turner, R. and O'Brien, K. R. (2019). Towards ecologically relevant targets: Impact of flow and sediment discharge on seagrass communities in the great barrier reef. 23rd International Congress on Modelling and Simulation - Supporting Evidence-Based Decision Making: The Role of Modelling and Simulation, MODSIM 2019, Canberra, ACT, Australia, 1 - 6 December 2019. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand Inc. (MSSANZ). doi: 10.36334/modsim.2019.G1.lambert
Lambert, Victoria, Whitehead, Jake and O’Brien, Kate (2018). The Brisbane River is a mixed blessing for travel behaviour and commuting emissions. Australasian Transport Research Forum, Darwin, Australia, 30 October – 1 November 2018. Canberra, ACT, Australia: ATRF, Commonwealth of Australia.
Coulter, Beverly , Petelin, Roslyn , Gannon, Justine , O’Brien, Kate and Macdonald, Corrie (2017). Enhancing technical writing skills for undergraduate engineering students. 28th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education (AAEE 2017), Sydney, Australia , 10-13 December 2017. Sydney, Australia: School of Engineering, Macquarie University.
Adams, M. P., Ferguson, A. J. P., Collier, C. J., Baird, M. E., Gruber, R. K. and O'Brien, K. R. (2015). Assessment of light history indicators for predicting seagrass biomass. International Congress on Modelling and Simulation, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 29 November - 4 December 2015. CHRISTCHURCH: The Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MSSANZ).
McCredden, Julie E., O'Brien, Katherine R. and Roberts, Tony P. (2013). Applied dimensional problems in mathematics courses: how small-scale partnerships across disciplines can improve mathematical problem-solving skills of engineering students. AAEE 2013: 24th Annual Conference of the Australasian Association for Engineering Education, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 8-11 December, 2013. Nathan, QLD, Australia: Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University.
Saunders, Megan I., Baldock, Tom, Brown, Christopher J., Callaghan, David P., Golshani, Aliastair, Hamylton, Sarah, Leon, Javier, Lovelock, Catherine E., Lyons, Mitchell B., O'Brien, Katherine R., Mumby, Peter J., Phinn, Stuart R. and Roelfsema, Christiaan M. (2013). Direct and indirect impacts of predicted sea level rise on seagrass. AMSA 2013: Australian Marine Science Golden Jubilee Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, 7-11 July 2013. Kilkivan, QLD, Australia: Australian Marine Science Association (AMSA).
Adams, Matthew P., Maxwell, Paul, Samper-Villarreal, Jimena, Ferguson. Angus and O’Brien, Kate (2013). Predicting the impact of light deprivation on seagrass production and viability. AMSA 2013: Australian Marine Science Golden Jubilee Conference, Gold Coast, Australia, 7-11 July 2013. Kilkivan, QLD, Australia: Publisher.
O'Brien, K. R., Grinham, A., Roelfsema, C. M., Saunders, M. I. and Dennison, W. C. (2011). Viability criteria for the presence of the seagrass Zostera muelleri in Moreton Bay, based on benthic light dose. Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand (MODSIM 2011), Perth, Australia, 12 - 16 December 2011. Perth, Australia: Modelling and Simulation Society of Australia and New Zealand.
O'Brien, K. R., Olive, R., Hus, Y.C., Bell, R., Morris, L. and Kendall, N. (2009). Life Cycle Assessment: Reusable and disposable nappies in Australia. 6th Australian Conference on Life Cycle Assessment, Melbourne, 17-19 February. Melbourne, Australia: Australian Life Cycle Assessment Society.
O'Moore, Lisa M. and O'Brien, Kate R. (2009). Impact of supplementary cementitious material content and transportation distance on greenhouse gas emissions embodied in concrete. 24th Biennial Conference of Concrete Institute of Australia (Concrete 09), Sydney , Australia, 17-19 September 2009. Sydney, Australia: Concrete Institute of Australia.
Hearps, P., O'Brien, K. and O'Chee, W. (2008). The role of public transport in reducing Brisbane's greenhouse gas emissions and oil consumption. Enviro 08 - Australasia's Environmental & Sustainability Conference and Exhibition, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 5-7 May 2008.
Creative Works
O'Brien, Katherine R., Vilas, Maria P., Egger, Felix, Langsdorf, Hayley, Weber, Tony, Turner, Ryan, McCloskey, Gillian, Di Bella, Lawrence, Baird, Mark, Burford, Michele, Dean, Angela, Hamilton, David, Maier, Holger, Maxwell, Paul, O'Neill, Andrew, Shaw, Melanie and Adams, Matthew (2024). A guide to building informed trust in environmental models. Brisbane: School of Chemical Engineering. doi: 10.6084/m9.figshare.26925841.v1
O'Brien, Katherine R., Vilas, Maria P., Adams, Matthew P., Egger, Felix, Maxwell, Paul S., O'Neill, Andrew and Langsdorf, Hayley (2022). “The marriage of models and data”: a light-hearted animation with a serious purpose. figshare: Thoughts Drawn Out.
Research Reports
Lambert, Victoria M., Collier, Catherine, Brodie, Jon, Adams, Matthew P., Baird, Mark, Bainbridge, Zoe, Carter, Alex, Lewis, Stephen, Rasheed, Michael, Saunders, Megan and O'Brien, Kate (2020). Connecting sediment load targets to ecological outcomes for seagrass: report to the National Environmental Science Program. Cairns, Qld, Australia: Reef and Rainforest Research Centre.
Babcock, R. C., Baird, M. E., Pillans, R., Patterson, T., Clementson, L. A., Haywood, M. E., Rochester, W., Morello, E., Kelly, N., Oubelkheir, K., Fry, G., Dunbabin, M., Perkins, S., Forcey, K., Cooper, S., Adams, M., O'Brien, K., Donovan, A., Kenyon, R., Carlin, G., Wild-Allen, K. and Limpus, C. (2015). An integrated study of the Gladstone marine system. CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
Collier, Catherine J., Devlin, Michelle, Langlois, Lucas, McKenzie, Len J., Petus, Caroline, Teixeira da Silva, Eduardo, McMahon, Kathryn, Adams, Matthew, O'Brien, Kate, Statton, John and Waycott, Michelle (2014). Final report on thresholds and indicators of declining water quality as tools for tropical seagrass management: a summary of findings from Project 5.3 Vulnerability of seagrass habitats in the GBR to flood plume impacts: light, nutrients and salinity.
O'Brien, Katherine, Tuazon, Daniel, Grinham, Alistair and Callaghan, David (2012). Impact of mud deposited by 2011 flood on marine and estuarine habitats in Moreton Bay. Brisbane, Australia: Healthy Waterways.
Department Technical Reports
McAlister, Tony and O'Brien, Kate (2007). Moggill Creek sewer overflow abatement program: Water quality modelling study. R.B16455.002.00.doc. Brisbane City Council, South East Queensland Healthy Waterways Partnership.
O'Brien, K. R., Burford, M. A., Kehoe, M., Muhid, P. and Posselt, A. (2007). Assessing the effects of PRW on phytoplankton in Lake Wivenhoe. Technical report submitted to the Western Corridor Recycling expert panel, via SEQWater. School of Civil Engineering, University of Queensland.