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Fish fingerprints - signatures of oil contamination. The project aims to integrate chemical characterisation of crude oil with inorganic and organic markers in living organisms. Linking harmful effects on ecosystems with exposure to spilled crude oil remains a major challenge due to the ever-changing nature of oil in the environment. This project will expose fish to a range of fresh/weathered oils to mimic various exposure scenarios. The transition of oil to metabolites will be characterised in ....Fish fingerprints - signatures of oil contamination. The project aims to integrate chemical characterisation of crude oil with inorganic and organic markers in living organisms. Linking harmful effects on ecosystems with exposure to spilled crude oil remains a major challenge due to the ever-changing nature of oil in the environment. This project will expose fish to a range of fresh/weathered oils to mimic various exposure scenarios. The transition of oil to metabolites will be characterised in a suite of environmental and biological matrices using multi-dimensional chromatography/mass spectrometry, trace metals and compound-specific isotope analyses. This project will provide significant benefits by providing an improved capacity to link source oil with specific markers in living organisms.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100145
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$150,000.00
Summary
Three-dimensional analysis of important organic components in energy, environmental and earth systems. Australia’s ecosystems and water resources are sensitive to climate change and anthropogenic activities. A third degree of separation provided by this technique will improve our abilities to monitor the role of organic matter in modern systems. The characterisation of organics of petroleum mineral systems will sustain Australia's energy demand.
Rehabilitation strategies for metalliferous mine wastes using native metallophytes from Pb-Zn-Ag gossans, northwest Queensland. The global area covered with mine waste is in the order of 100 million hectares containing several 100,000 million tonnes of mine wastes. The long-term sustainable rehabilitation of metal mine sites is inhibited by our lack of knowledge of metal resistance and uptake by Australian native plants. This project will evaluate metallophytes naturally growing on metal-rich so ....Rehabilitation strategies for metalliferous mine wastes using native metallophytes from Pb-Zn-Ag gossans, northwest Queensland. The global area covered with mine waste is in the order of 100 million hectares containing several 100,000 million tonnes of mine wastes. The long-term sustainable rehabilitation of metal mine sites is inhibited by our lack of knowledge of metal resistance and uptake by Australian native plants. This project will evaluate metallophytes naturally growing on metal-rich soils, northwest Queensland, for their capabilities and revegetation potential when grown in mine wastes of the Cannington Ag-Pb-Zn mine. Outcomes will include practical, innovative methods of mine site rehabilitation that are low-cost and environmentally-friendly.Read moreRead less
Unravelling how aquatic coastal networks regulate nitrogen removal . The aim of this project is to determine the nitrogen removal pathways of the coastal zone using a number of innovative field and modelling approaches. Little is known about how the complex coastal landscape controls trade-offs that maximise nitrogen removal but minimise nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. The outcomes of this study will significantly advance our understanding of the coastal zone in regional and g ....Unravelling how aquatic coastal networks regulate nitrogen removal . The aim of this project is to determine the nitrogen removal pathways of the coastal zone using a number of innovative field and modelling approaches. Little is known about how the complex coastal landscape controls trade-offs that maximise nitrogen removal but minimise nitrous oxide (a potent greenhouse gas) emissions. The outcomes of this study will significantly advance our understanding of the coastal zone in regional and global nitrogen budgets. This will provide significant benefits such as a new science-based quantitative framework to facilitate best practice management to reduce terrestrial nitrogen loads and associated downstream impacts such as eutrophication, and reduce nitrous oxide emissions and associated global warming.
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Evaluating a biogeochemical mechanism for soil anomaly formation using diffusive thin-film samplers in geochemical exploration. We expect to develop new and effective technology for geochemical exploration for gold and base metals. This technology will take the form of: (i) increased understanding of, and a new conceptual model for, biogeochemical formation of soil geochemical anomalies in transported overburden; (ii) new chemical analysis techniques for soils and groundwater in mineralised area ....Evaluating a biogeochemical mechanism for soil anomaly formation using diffusive thin-film samplers in geochemical exploration. We expect to develop new and effective technology for geochemical exploration for gold and base metals. This technology will take the form of: (i) increased understanding of, and a new conceptual model for, biogeochemical formation of soil geochemical anomalies in transported overburden; (ii) new chemical analysis techniques for soils and groundwater in mineralised areas. Improved models for anomaly formation will provide a clearer frame work for exploration in terrain under transported cover. New methodology has the potential to enhance anomaly detection for buried mineralisation, especially if the anomaly has formed biogeochemically.Read moreRead less
Unraveling the nitrogen cycle in a periodically anoxic estuary. Climate change is likely to lead to reduced river inflows to estuaries which can lead to oxygen depletion and major changes in nutrient cycling. This project will help inform the public and policy makers about the role of environmental flows in maintaining estuarine function, and thus guide future decisions on environmental flow requirements in the Yarra River Estuary. The benefits of this understanding will also flow on to improv ....Unraveling the nitrogen cycle in a periodically anoxic estuary. Climate change is likely to lead to reduced river inflows to estuaries which can lead to oxygen depletion and major changes in nutrient cycling. This project will help inform the public and policy makers about the role of environmental flows in maintaining estuarine function, and thus guide future decisions on environmental flow requirements in the Yarra River Estuary. The benefits of this understanding will also flow on to improved understanding and management of nitrogen loads to Port Phillip Bay. This project will form a close collaborative partnership between Monash University, Melbourne Water and the EPA. This collaboration will ensure the integration of cutting edge science with innovative management regimes Read moreRead less
Unravelling the cycling of nitrogen along a subtropical freshwater-marine continuum using a multi-isotope, multi-tracer and modelling approach. This project will significantly advance our understanding of the sources, cycling and pathways of nitrogen along a sub-tropical catchment-river-estuary. As such, the findings from this research will have direct implications to the management, rehabilitation and protection of waterways (including biodiversity) in Australia.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100127
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
High resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (Orbitrap) for analyses of polar compounds in biomass, petroleum, potable and reclaimed water. Climate change and human impact can harm sensitive ecosystems, significantly threatening Australian biodiversity and water resources. Chemical and biological characterisation of aquatic and terrestrial environments is paramount to assessing and responding to these threats, as well as assisting natural resource utilisation. The high structural pola ....High resolution liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (Orbitrap) for analyses of polar compounds in biomass, petroleum, potable and reclaimed water. Climate change and human impact can harm sensitive ecosystems, significantly threatening Australian biodiversity and water resources. Chemical and biological characterisation of aquatic and terrestrial environments is paramount to assessing and responding to these threats, as well as assisting natural resource utilisation. The high structural polarity of many environmentally occurring organics from biological, petroleum and anthropogenic sources, unamenable to gas chromatographic resolution, can now be accommodated by the advanced organic analytical technology sought in this proposal. This project will enable scholars and young professionals to be skilled in state-of-the-art technology, and prepare quality scientists, ready for employment.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0668345
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$390,700.00
Summary
A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technolo ....A highly sensitive mass spectrometer for trace analysis of biomarker molecules to study changes in recent and ancient environments. Maintaining the quality of water and soil is a critically important issue for Australia's economic and social development. To be able to predict and plan the future of our natural assets, it is critical to understand their ecological past and their state before and after European settlement. We will utilize the new instrument to develop and apply innovative technologies providing Australia with new knowledge about the causes and effects of toxic cyanobacterial blooms, eutrophication, and contamination of reservoirs by bush-fires. The new facility will also supply advanced oil fingerprinting techniques to the petroleum industry minimizing exploration risk and increasing the chance of the discovery of new oil deposits.Read moreRead less
Hyper-accumulations of monosulfidic sediments: Exploring a biogeochemical extreme to resolve fundamental sulfur biomineralisation pathways. The hyper-accumulation of monosulfidic sediments has a directsocial, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia, including highly valued wetland systems such as the Ramsar wetlands of the lower Murray Darling Basin and internationally recognised Peel-Harvey Estuary of WA. Maintenance dredging of these materials alone costs th ....Hyper-accumulations of monosulfidic sediments: Exploring a biogeochemical extreme to resolve fundamental sulfur biomineralisation pathways. The hyper-accumulation of monosulfidic sediments has a directsocial, economic and environmental impact on communities in many parts of Australia, including highly valued wetland systems such as the Ramsar wetlands of the lower Murray Darling Basin and internationally recognised Peel-Harvey Estuary of WA. Maintenance dredging of these materials alone costs the nation millions of dollars annually. The hyper monosulfidic sediments are also linked to severe environmental impacts. This project will inform how these materials develop and accumulate. This new knowledge will be of immediate relevance for the management of eutrophic estuaries.Read moreRead less