Unlocking the secrets of the groundwater cycle using Si and Li isotopes. This project aims to determine how non-conventional lithium and silicon isotopes can be used to understand groundwater processes using an innovative source-to-target approach. The project aims to apply these isotope tracers to trace the water cycle within a well constrained system: an island aquifer with a dense borefield which has been analysed using traditional isotopic techniques. Supporting hydrochemical data will be us ....Unlocking the secrets of the groundwater cycle using Si and Li isotopes. This project aims to determine how non-conventional lithium and silicon isotopes can be used to understand groundwater processes using an innovative source-to-target approach. The project aims to apply these isotope tracers to trace the water cycle within a well constrained system: an island aquifer with a dense borefield which has been analysed using traditional isotopic techniques. Supporting hydrochemical data will be used to determine the relationship of the isotopes with environmental processes. The project impact will be the development of new methods to help understand our groundwater resource. The improved process understanding will be translated to groundwater management in general. The projects' focus on carbonate aquifer systems typical of coastal regions of southern, eastern and western Australia will have relevance to groundwater management in urban areas such as Perth and in rural areas for tourism and viticulture, and for management of natural resources in National Parks.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE170100007
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$552,000.00
Summary
A fisheries and oceanographic observing system for the continental shelf. This project aims to create a floating, mobile fisheries and oceanographic observing system for Eastern Australia. Australian oceanographic and fisheries research has been hampered by the lack of appropriately sized and equipped research vessels required to investigate continental shelf waters and beyond. The automated floating facility will provide data to support ongoing ARC-funded research programs in marine biogeochemi ....A fisheries and oceanographic observing system for the continental shelf. This project aims to create a floating, mobile fisheries and oceanographic observing system for Eastern Australia. Australian oceanographic and fisheries research has been hampered by the lack of appropriately sized and equipped research vessels required to investigate continental shelf waters and beyond. The automated floating facility will provide data to support ongoing ARC-funded research programs in marine biogeochemistry, climate change, ocean acidification, coastal hydrology, biological oceanography, active acoustics, and fisheries resources and technology in the continental shelf and beyond. The expected outcome will bridge a major gap in fisheries and oceanographic research capacity to make observations in a critical region of the Australian marine estate and provide a stronger scientific basis for early detection of changes in seawater chemistry, biology and fisheries in priority waters experiencing rapid change.Read moreRead less
Industry Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: IL230100175
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,763,434.00
Summary
Combatting wildlife crime and preventing environmental harm. Wildlife crime is one of the greatest threats to environmental and human security across the globe. In Australia, the illegal harvesting, killing, and trade of wild animals and plants endangers the country’s unique biodiversity and poses serious biosecurity risks to natural and agricultural systems. This Fellowship will deliver the intelligence tools and technologies, in wildlife forensics and cyber security, that are required for step ....Combatting wildlife crime and preventing environmental harm. Wildlife crime is one of the greatest threats to environmental and human security across the globe. In Australia, the illegal harvesting, killing, and trade of wild animals and plants endangers the country’s unique biodiversity and poses serious biosecurity risks to natural and agricultural systems. This Fellowship will deliver the intelligence tools and technologies, in wildlife forensics and cyber security, that are required for step-change reductions in wildlife crime in Australia, and Asia-Pacific. The project will establish new approaches for raising public awareness of the dangers of wildlife crime and provide much needed stewardship to protect Australia’s environmental assets and natural capital from current and future threats.Read moreRead less
Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact w ....Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact with each other and their surrounding environment to form blooms and produce toxins and other harmful metabolites. Such knowledge will inform risk assessment and provide strategies for the mitigation of future bloom events, improving the security of our increasingly valuable recycled water resources.Read moreRead less
On-line monitoring of cyanobacteria to predict coagulant doses and powdered activated carbon application in water treatment. Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, can impact water quality by releasing toxins that can be harmful to human health and imparting unpleasant taste and odours to the water. This project will support the water industry in managing these risks by providing a rapid, on-line tool to assist in their removal during water treatment.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE210100035
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,205,137.00
Summary
Founding an Australian Critical Zone Observatory Network. This proposal founds a new network of Australian Critical Zone Observatories. The network will fill essential knowledge gaps about interactions of under- and above-ground environmental processes and their responses to disturbance and change. These interactions determine the sustainability of food, clean water, mineral resources and Australian ecosystems, and cannot be studied with existing environmental infrastructure. The 5 foundation ....Founding an Australian Critical Zone Observatory Network. This proposal founds a new network of Australian Critical Zone Observatories. The network will fill essential knowledge gaps about interactions of under- and above-ground environmental processes and their responses to disturbance and change. These interactions determine the sustainability of food, clean water, mineral resources and Australian ecosystems, and cannot be studied with existing environmental infrastructure. The 5 foundational sites will host integrated monitoring equipment to observe stocks and fluxes of carbon, water, energy and mass across the “Critical Zone” – the vertical span from plant canopies to fresh bedrock. Joining a burgeoning international movement, the network will catalyse Critical Zone science in Australia.Read moreRead less
Sustainability of water and wastewater treatment chemicals. In recent years, the environmental design and management of water and wastewater treatment facilities has broadened from consideration of water quality outcomes to include the environmental consequences of energy and material inputs. This has produced nationally agreed approaches to estimating greenhouse gas emissions from power consumption, but for important chemical additives analysts are forced to work with low-quality estimated dat ....Sustainability of water and wastewater treatment chemicals. In recent years, the environmental design and management of water and wastewater treatment facilities has broadened from consideration of water quality outcomes to include the environmental consequences of energy and material inputs. This has produced nationally agreed approaches to estimating greenhouse gas emissions from power consumption, but for important chemical additives analysts are forced to work with low-quality estimated data. In a time when society wants to account for the 'carbon-footprint' of decisions and more broadly consider the resources used and emissions produced by industry, this research will make this quantitatively possible for chemicals used in water and wastewater treatment.Read moreRead less
Fluorescence as a tool for sensitive detection of failures in recycled water treatment and distribution systems. Water reuse is emerging as a key strategy for the conservation of drinking water supplies around Australia. Accordingly, there is a need for fast, reliable, affordable and highly sensitive means of ensuring the reliability of treatment processes and final water quality. This research aims to meet such needs by providing new tools based on fluorescence analysis. These tools are to be i ....Fluorescence as a tool for sensitive detection of failures in recycled water treatment and distribution systems. Water reuse is emerging as a key strategy for the conservation of drinking water supplies around Australia. Accordingly, there is a need for fast, reliable, affordable and highly sensitive means of ensuring the reliability of treatment processes and final water quality. This research aims to meet such needs by providing new tools based on fluorescence analysis. These tools are to be implemented for online monitoring of treatment performance and for the identification of accidental contamination of drinking waters by recycled water. The enhanced ability to ensure both recycled water quality and drinking water quality will have public health and environmental benefits as well as protecting public confidence in water recycling systems.Read moreRead less
Automated Sensors for a ‘wetland in a box’. Globally, and particularly in Australia, water supply and water pollution is one of the most critical constraints to our health and growth. This project seeks to validate a new portable remediation system suitable for deployment at regional locations through the integration and development of advanced sensors. We aim to develop the world’s first completely integrated platform for monitoring both water chemistry and microbiology to provide near-real-tim ....Automated Sensors for a ‘wetland in a box’. Globally, and particularly in Australia, water supply and water pollution is one of the most critical constraints to our health and growth. This project seeks to validate a new portable remediation system suitable for deployment at regional locations through the integration and development of advanced sensors. We aim to develop the world’s first completely integrated platform for monitoring both water chemistry and microbiology to provide near-real-time information regarding the quality of the remediated water. We expect this to improve the availability of regional water resources by providing a low-cost remediation solution with integrated monitoring to provide assurances of meeting the Australian Guidelines for Water Recycling (2006).Read moreRead less
Sewer Monitoring and Management in the Digital Era. Overflow, flooding, corrosion, and odorous emissions are persistent issues for utilities managing sewers. Current sewer maintenance is reactive, and focuses on solving problems in local networks, despite that optimal solutions require a system-wide approach. Capitalising on recent development in IoT sensors, wireless transmission, and machine learning, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop digital-twin supported data analytics for proa ....Sewer Monitoring and Management in the Digital Era. Overflow, flooding, corrosion, and odorous emissions are persistent issues for utilities managing sewers. Current sewer maintenance is reactive, and focuses on solving problems in local networks, despite that optimal solutions require a system-wide approach. Capitalising on recent development in IoT sensors, wireless transmission, and machine learning, this multidisciplinary project aims to develop digital-twin supported data analytics for proactive sewer management including network-wide real-time control. The project aims to generate significant social, environmental and economic benefits by enabling utilities to better protect public and environmental health, reduce sewer odour and greenhouse gas emissions, and extend sewer asset life.Read moreRead less