Optimising biodegradation and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater using constructed wetlands. The urgency of water recycling is dictated by drying climate and rapid expansion of population in Australia. Constructed wetlands are environmentally-benign way to purify wastewater by removing inorganics and facilitating biodegradation of organic pollutants, thus producing recycled water that can be used in a variety of fit-for-purpose applications. This project will produce a dec ....Optimising biodegradation and removal of organic and inorganic pollutants in wastewater using constructed wetlands. The urgency of water recycling is dictated by drying climate and rapid expansion of population in Australia. Constructed wetlands are environmentally-benign way to purify wastewater by removing inorganics and facilitating biodegradation of organic pollutants, thus producing recycled water that can be used in a variety of fit-for-purpose applications. This project will produce a decision-support system for optimising wetland performance in removing inorganics and biodegrading organic pollutants from wastewater, thus enhancing water recycling and reuse in this drying continent of ours.Read moreRead less
The Australian historic shipwreck protection project: the in situ preservation and reburial of a colonial trader - Clarence (1850). The project will use cutting-edge technology to study and preserve an early colonial shipwreck at risk and develop a world-class strategy for the reburial and preservation of endangered historic shipwrecks. The project will help develop new national policy and technical guidelines for site managers of historic shipwrecks and offer new insights into colonial shipbuil ....The Australian historic shipwreck protection project: the in situ preservation and reburial of a colonial trader - Clarence (1850). The project will use cutting-edge technology to study and preserve an early colonial shipwreck at risk and develop a world-class strategy for the reburial and preservation of endangered historic shipwrecks. The project will help develop new national policy and technical guidelines for site managers of historic shipwrecks and offer new insights into colonial shipbuilding.Read moreRead less
Arsenic and copper cycling in the soil-plant continuum in water-limited mining environments. This project will characterise cycling of arsenic and copper in the landscape after gold mining and will establish environmental risk-assessment framework. The results of this project will improve rehabilitation of mining-affected areas.
Risks to human health and the ecosystem from feral pigs in Perth metropolitan water catchments. This project aims to investigate the potential risk feral pigs pose to public health through the dissemination of water borne pathogens within water catchment areas, and to investigate their role in the maintenance and spread of diseases of public and animal health concern in the south west of Western Australia. As well as providing a frontline approach to protecting our water supplies, this project ....Risks to human health and the ecosystem from feral pigs in Perth metropolitan water catchments. This project aims to investigate the potential risk feral pigs pose to public health through the dissemination of water borne pathogens within water catchment areas, and to investigate their role in the maintenance and spread of diseases of public and animal health concern in the south west of Western Australia. As well as providing a frontline approach to protecting our water supplies, this project will also provide valuable data on the nature and extent of the risk feral pigs pose to biodiversity conservation and the environment generally. The outcomes of this research will provide a scientific basis for the development of prioritised strategies for the control of feral pigs in Western Australia.Read moreRead less
DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE DRILLING FLUIDS. An innovative technique of micro-emulsion of vegetable oils and water has been developed to create a new generation, low-toxicity drilling fluids for use by the petroleum exploration industry. The project aims at investigating the chronic toxicity of new generation drilling fluids to fish, and re-formulate the drilling fluids to minimize the toxic ingredients. Biomarkers of exposure and effects such as, but not limited to, EROD ind ....DEVELOPMENT OF NOVEL ENVIRONMENTALLY ACCEPTABLE DRILLING FLUIDS. An innovative technique of micro-emulsion of vegetable oils and water has been developed to create a new generation, low-toxicity drilling fluids for use by the petroleum exploration industry. The project aims at investigating the chronic toxicity of new generation drilling fluids to fish, and re-formulate the drilling fluids to minimize the toxic ingredients. Biomarkers of exposure and effects such as, but not limited to, EROD induction, DNA damage and stress proteins will be explored in fish exposed chronically to drilling fluids or their ingredients. Outcomes include environmentally acceptable drilling fluids, and will represent the start point for multi-million dollars agriculture and manufacturing industry in Australia.Read moreRead less
Environmental risk assessment of acid sulfate soil formation and pollutant generation in Swan Coastal Plain. The urgency and importance of securing water sources for human use in a sustainable manner is dictated by drying climate and rapid population expansion in Australia. Dropping groundwater levels (less recharge, increased abstraction, enhanced drainage) result in formation of acid sulfate soils in oxidised layers that contain acid-bearing minerals. This project will produce an environmental ....Environmental risk assessment of acid sulfate soil formation and pollutant generation in Swan Coastal Plain. The urgency and importance of securing water sources for human use in a sustainable manner is dictated by drying climate and rapid population expansion in Australia. Dropping groundwater levels (less recharge, increased abstraction, enhanced drainage) result in formation of acid sulfate soils in oxidised layers that contain acid-bearing minerals. This project will produce an environmental risk assessment framework as a basis for (i) educated decisions regarding land development and soil disturbance vs conservation as well as (ii) identifying areas suitable for water abstraction from groundwater resources. This will ensure sustainable use of precious groundwater resources in this drying continent of ours.Read moreRead less
Mining, irrigation, and groundwater: Towards a reliable protocol for assessing the impacts of extraction on groundwater fauna and ecology. Groundwater fluctuations associated with mining and increased irrigation demands, potentially threaten many of Australia's unique groundwater invertebrates (stygofauna) with extinction. Stygofauna represent a hidden store of biodiversity and are thought to have a critical, but poorly understood, role in enhancing groundwater quality. Environmentally sustainab ....Mining, irrigation, and groundwater: Towards a reliable protocol for assessing the impacts of extraction on groundwater fauna and ecology. Groundwater fluctuations associated with mining and increased irrigation demands, potentially threaten many of Australia's unique groundwater invertebrates (stygofauna) with extinction. Stygofauna represent a hidden store of biodiversity and are thought to have a critical, but poorly understood, role in enhancing groundwater quality. Environmentally sustainable development of groundwater resources is hampered by a dearth of information on the ecological needs of stygofauna and how they respond to human-induced change. Using field and laboratory experiments, we aim to determine how water table fluctuations threaten stygofauna. From our results we will develop sampling and management protocols to monitor and protect stygofauna communities.Read moreRead less
The cause(s) and management of the Eucalyptus gomphocephala decline epidemic in Western Australia. Tree declines are prevalent throughout rural and metropolitan Australia. Apart from loss of habitat, biodiversity, shade and aesthetics, tree death is a financial burden to land managers. This project will increase our understanding of factors that drive tree declines by: (a) understanding changes in hydrological processes that occur through declining rainfall or ground water use; (b) exploring t ....The cause(s) and management of the Eucalyptus gomphocephala decline epidemic in Western Australia. Tree declines are prevalent throughout rural and metropolitan Australia. Apart from loss of habitat, biodiversity, shade and aesthetics, tree death is a financial burden to land managers. This project will increase our understanding of factors that drive tree declines by: (a) understanding changes in hydrological processes that occur through declining rainfall or ground water use; (b) exploring tree nutrient requirements in relation to soil fertility and land management; (c) identifying revegetation strategies for disturbed lands; and (c) through linking environmental correlates with tuart decline. It will provide the community with tools to mitigate decline such as though improved revegetation strategiesRead moreRead less
Linking River Health with Urban Drains: the Swan-Canning River Case Study. The continuous deterioration of the Swan-Canning estuary in WA has triggered the need to identify the effects of chronic contamination on biota. Contaminant entry points into the river have been identified as being urban drains and the Helena river. The aim of this research is to relate effects observed in 'drain fish' to effects observed in 'river fish'. Biomarkers of fish health such as EROD and ECOD activities, DNA dam ....Linking River Health with Urban Drains: the Swan-Canning River Case Study. The continuous deterioration of the Swan-Canning estuary in WA has triggered the need to identify the effects of chronic contamination on biota. Contaminant entry points into the river have been identified as being urban drains and the Helena river. The aim of this research is to relate effects observed in 'drain fish' to effects observed in 'river fish'. Biomarkers of fish health such as EROD and ECOD activities, DNA damage, stress proteins, biliary metabolites, etc. will be compared between drain and river fishes. Chemical analysis of contaminants will complement biomarker determinations. The outcomes will be applicable Australia wide, and provide information to better manage urban drain systems to reduce their impacts on native biota.Read moreRead less
Environmental DNA: Integration of new methods to enhance marine management. Environmental DNA: Integration of new methods to enhance marine management. This project aims to develop new environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods of managing humanity’s impact on valuable marine resources. eDNA preserved in seawater provides a lens to study and monitor marine biota and ecosystems. This project will work with fisheries managers and the environmental consulting sector, and focus on sites in the Kimberley ....Environmental DNA: Integration of new methods to enhance marine management. Environmental DNA: Integration of new methods to enhance marine management. This project aims to develop new environmental DNA (eDNA)-based methods of managing humanity’s impact on valuable marine resources. eDNA preserved in seawater provides a lens to study and monitor marine biota and ecosystems. This project will work with fisheries managers and the environmental consulting sector, and focus on sites in the Kimberley, Cocos-Keeling Islands, Fremantle and Deep-sea oil/gas sites to demonstrate the value of eDNA methods in best-practice monitoring. A multi-proxy toolkit (including eDNA) that can audit and baseline marine biota could make balancing conservation and sustainable exploitation achievable. Anticipated outcomes are improved management and monitoring of fisheries, ports and offshore oil/gas sites.Read moreRead less