Contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge on the processes, kinetics and impacts to water quality of contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Extreme concentrations of highly reactive sulfides are forming in the surface sediments of floodplain drains, wetlands and agricultural soils. The newly forming sulfides are linked to severe oxygen depletion and acidification of coastal rivers a ....Contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. This project aims to generate fundamental knowledge on the processes, kinetics and impacts to water quality of contemporary sulfur biomineralisation in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Extreme concentrations of highly reactive sulfides are forming in the surface sediments of floodplain drains, wetlands and agricultural soils. The newly forming sulfides are linked to severe oxygen depletion and acidification of coastal rivers and the complete failure of floodplain vegetation, leaving soils susceptible to erosion. The proposed study will greatly advance our understanding of how our precious coastal floodplain soil and water resources are being degraded, and will guide better land management.
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Schwertmannite in acid sulfate soil landscapes: iron cycling induced acidification. Acid sulfate soils impact over 24 million ha of land throughout the world, 4 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia alone. Their oxidation and acidification are the cause of catastrophic declines in water quality, aquatic habitat, agricultural productivity and urban infrastructure. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling acidification a ....Schwertmannite in acid sulfate soil landscapes: iron cycling induced acidification. Acid sulfate soils impact over 24 million ha of land throughout the world, 4 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia alone. Their oxidation and acidification are the cause of catastrophic declines in water quality, aquatic habitat, agricultural productivity and urban infrastructure. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling acidification and water quality in these areas. Intellectual benefits include the development and application of novel geochemical concepts involving iron minerals relevant to acidity impacted coastal rivers, wetlands and estuaries; this project will enhance Australia's capacity for sustainable environmental management.Read moreRead less
Modelling contaminant dynamics in a well-mixed/stratified estuary. The proposed mixed/stratified estuarine model is unique and will predict effects of stormwater discharge on water quality, provide guidelines for loading from various contaminant sources, assess impact of marine construction activities, establish effects of natural and anthropogenic resuspension and determine spatial/temporal changes in contaminant distributions. Knowledge generated will assist making decisions locally and overse ....Modelling contaminant dynamics in a well-mixed/stratified estuary. The proposed mixed/stratified estuarine model is unique and will predict effects of stormwater discharge on water quality, provide guidelines for loading from various contaminant sources, assess impact of marine construction activities, establish effects of natural and anthropogenic resuspension and determine spatial/temporal changes in contaminant distributions. Knowledge generated will assist making decisions locally and overseas regarding the protection of valuable living resources, the future environmental status of estuarine systems under alternative management and remedial strategies, management contaminated sediments, new legislation for best management practise, and support for long-term policy development for this estuary type. Read moreRead less
Environmental proteomics: A new, more reliable method of measuring the effects of chemical pollution on Australia's coastal ecosystems. Our research will provide a new, more sensitive method of detecting the effects of pollution on animals living in coastal waterways, and allows contamination to be managed before it does permanent biological damage. Australia is one of the most urbanized nations in the world, with most of its population living on the coast and many of the nation's coastal waterw ....Environmental proteomics: A new, more reliable method of measuring the effects of chemical pollution on Australia's coastal ecosystems. Our research will provide a new, more sensitive method of detecting the effects of pollution on animals living in coastal waterways, and allows contamination to be managed before it does permanent biological damage. Australia is one of the most urbanized nations in the world, with most of its population living on the coast and many of the nation's coastal waterways are under unsustainable pressure from pollutants. There is an urgent need for new technologies to help protect Australia's biodiversity, while sustaining the continued human use of our iconic coastal environments. Our work will establish proteomics as new environmental monitoring system.Read moreRead less
Unraveling the oxidative geochemistry of nanoparticulate mackinawite in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Acid sulfate soils impact over 8 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia, and over 24 million ha throughout the world. Drainage from acid sulfate soil waterways is a major threat to water quality, ecosystem health, agricultural sustainability and fisheries productivity. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling water qualit ....Unraveling the oxidative geochemistry of nanoparticulate mackinawite in acid sulfate soil landscapes. Acid sulfate soils impact over 8 million ha of valuable coastal land in Australia, and over 24 million ha throughout the world. Drainage from acid sulfate soil waterways is a major threat to water quality, ecosystem health, agricultural sustainability and fisheries productivity. The practical benefits of this project arise from an improved understanding of the processes controlling water quality and associated resources in these areas. The intellectual benefits include the development of novel geochemical concepts involving sulfur minerals that are central to coastal rivers, wetlands and estuaries. This project will enhance Australia's capacity for sustainable environmental management.Read moreRead less
Assessing and understanding ecological changes in highly disturbed estuaries: addressing the complexity of multiple stressors. The conservation of estuarine ecosystems is necessary due to the intrinsic value of their biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide to humans (food, tourism, recreation). This project will identify anthropogenic stressors that pose ecological threats to estuaries. We will identify indicator species and biomarkers that are cost-effective signs of ecological cha ....Assessing and understanding ecological changes in highly disturbed estuaries: addressing the complexity of multiple stressors. The conservation of estuarine ecosystems is necessary due to the intrinsic value of their biodiversity and the ecosystem services they provide to humans (food, tourism, recreation). This project will identify anthropogenic stressors that pose ecological threats to estuaries. We will identify indicator species and biomarkers that are cost-effective signs of ecological change, useful to any manager of Australian estuaries. The simultaneous assessment of multiple stressors is a great advance in the ecological assessment of estuarine health. We will develop a manual of methods and indicators for measuring the success of environmental management programs.Read moreRead less
Reverting coastal acid sulfate soils to wetlands: Biogeochemical processes and environmental benefits. Reverting acid sulfate soils to wetlands offers an economically viable alternative management opportunity to lock up acidity, metals and nutrients to protect our rivers and estuaries. This study will re-establish a salt water and fresh water wetland in a severely degraded acid sulfate soil area and monitor the biogeochemistry to assess how well wetlands can reduce acid sulfate soil impacts. T ....Reverting coastal acid sulfate soils to wetlands: Biogeochemical processes and environmental benefits. Reverting acid sulfate soils to wetlands offers an economically viable alternative management opportunity to lock up acidity, metals and nutrients to protect our rivers and estuaries. This study will re-establish a salt water and fresh water wetland in a severely degraded acid sulfate soil area and monitor the biogeochemistry to assess how well wetlands can reduce acid sulfate soil impacts. The systematic and detailed investigation being proposed will greatly advance the national and international understanding of how acid sulfate soils can be managed to protect our precious coastal floodplain soils and water resources.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668039
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$160,000.00
Summary
Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science (SHIMS) aquarium facility. With the global proportion of people living in cities now exceeding 50%, the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science will champion the area of urban marine science. The proposed aquarium facility will support multidisciplinary research to find solutions for the environmental problems of marine habitats in urban areas. Research at SHIMS will examine how coastal environments are affected by human impacts, recreational fisheri ....Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science (SHIMS) aquarium facility. With the global proportion of people living in cities now exceeding 50%, the Sydney Harbour Institute of Marine Science will champion the area of urban marine science. The proposed aquarium facility will support multidisciplinary research to find solutions for the environmental problems of marine habitats in urban areas. Research at SHIMS will examine how coastal environments are affected by human impacts, recreational fisheries, invasive pests; develop novel technologies for detection of environmental and climate change; and provide management options to protect ports and harbours from threatening processes. The location in such a commercially and recreationally busy harbour provides excellent opportunities for research and education.Read moreRead less
Drains in acid sulfate soils: behaviour and management for optimal water quality. Water draining from acid sulfate soil (ASS) into rivers via drains is often severely polluted, resulting in massive fish kills and chronic environmental and economic damage. Effective drain management techniques to minimise the export of acidity and deoxygenating drain oozes will be developed. The basic processes that affect hydraulic functioning, acidity and toxic drain ooze export in ASS drainage systems will be ....Drains in acid sulfate soils: behaviour and management for optimal water quality. Water draining from acid sulfate soil (ASS) into rivers via drains is often severely polluted, resulting in massive fish kills and chronic environmental and economic damage. Effective drain management techniques to minimise the export of acidity and deoxygenating drain oozes will be developed. The basic processes that affect hydraulic functioning, acidity and toxic drain ooze export in ASS drainage systems will be addressed. This project will provide the basis for the environmentally sound management of these drains. The technology developed here will be applicable throughout Australia and can be exported overseas, especially to south-east Asia.Read moreRead less
Anthropogenic influences on the source, transformation and fate of carbon and nitrogen in coastal waters: a case study of the Derwent Estuary. Ninety five percent of Australia's population live in the coastal zone on the shores of our major bays and estuaries. These water bodies are valuable resources for recreation, boating, fishing, marine transport and industry, but some activities, particularly the release of nitrogen, impose an environmental and economic cost. This project will significant ....Anthropogenic influences on the source, transformation and fate of carbon and nitrogen in coastal waters: a case study of the Derwent Estuary. Ninety five percent of Australia's population live in the coastal zone on the shores of our major bays and estuaries. These water bodies are valuable resources for recreation, boating, fishing, marine transport and industry, but some activities, particularly the release of nitrogen, impose an environmental and economic cost. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the natural processes that control the transformation and fate of nitrogen in coastal waters. As such the outcomes of this study will provide key information for managers on the environmental outcomes of nutrient management strategies.Read moreRead less