2017 Pre-wet REMP Sampling in the Fitzroy Basin

Hydrobiology’s Ecology and Biodiversity Management team have recently completed several receiving environment monitoring program (REMP) surveys across the Fitzroy Basin. There have been strong rainfalls throughout the region over the past two months, and many sites that have often been dry are now flowing. Hydrobiology have critically sampled and assessed aquatic habitat, stream flow, surface…

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Perth Office has moved

After 9 years in our previous office in East Perth, we have moved to the suburb of West Leederville. It’s about the same distance from the CBD (a few blocks) but in a more high-profile location and closer to most of our Perth clients. The new office has better storage and meeting facilities as well…

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Southwestern Snake-necked Turtle

Our latest encounter with the Southwestern Snake-necked Turtles (Chelodina (Macrodiremys) colliei) as part of our recent surveys of the Avon River in Western Australia. The survey included sampling of water quality, macroinvertebrates and fish. The Southwestern Snake-necked turtle is endemic to the region and lives in permanent freshwater and seasonal swamps. Females will start laying their eggs in the coming…

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DGT Conference 2017

At the DGT 2017 Conference held on the Gold Coast from the 5th to the 8th of September, Dr Trang Huynh discussed the challenges of using the Diffusive Gradients in Thin films (DGT) technique in regulatory application to replace the four steps in the ANZECC decision tree for assessing metals in water and the advantages…

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Groundwater Dependent Ecosystem (GDE) analysis using remote imagery

Hydrobiology has been conducting multi-spectral imagery analysis to implement a range of recently developed tools available in the literature to mining projects across Australia and internationally. This has included assessing the rate of change of groundwater use indicators across the dry season, such as vegetation health (NDVI), landscape “wetness” (NDWI), actual Evapotranspiration (WIRADA/CMRSET data), groundwater…

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Samarco’s Fundão Dam failure

Hydrobiology experts have been providing on-ground support to BHP on a regular basis since dam failure in late 2015. This has involved impact characterisation related to: aquatic ecology, marine and fresh water quality, and geomorphology. Support has involved regular site visits as well as remote data analysis in Australia. In conjunction with Brazilian scientists, Hydrobiology has…

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The Malolo in action

Hydrobiology staff have recently been implementing a monthly marine monitoring program for ERM and Qantas on Moreton Bay and the Brisbane River. Our new commercial vessel, the Malolo (“relax” in Tok-Pisin), performed well providing a very smooth ride. While conditions were often glassy, it was not always smooth sailing!

DGT research at Hydrobiology

Hydrobiology is conducting a research project “Using an eco-toxicological approach to validate the Diffusion Gradients in Thin Film technique (DGT) for the measurement of bioavailable metal concentrations and applied to address the ANZECC and ARMCANZ (2000) framework test for bioavailable metal concentrations”. The research team has considerable experience in DGT technique, ecotoxicology, mine water chemistry,…

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