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Norman D. YanProfessor of Biology, York University Recovery of Sudbury lakes from acid and metal contamination: local, not regional, processes regulate community re-assemblySmelters in Sudbury, Canada, were among the world's largest sources of sulphur dioxide and metal emissions, damaging 7000 lakes over a wide region; however, emissions have fallen by 90%, and the atten tion of ecotoxicologists has turned to questions of what processes regulate ecological recovery. I will present 35 years of water quality and plankton community composition data from four lakes which differ in residual metal contamination, highlighting the surprising result that Middle and Hannah lakes, the smallest lakes, in the most contaminated urban zone, with the highest residual metal levels, are recovering plankton biodiversity more rapidly than more distant lakes with lower metal levels. This was true even though species accumulation curves in Middle and Hannah lakes prove they are receiving fewer colonists than more distant lakes. I will argue that regional processes, i.e. colonist introduction rates, are not regulating recovery. Instead recovery is regulated by colonist establishment success, a local process. I summarize results from bioassays and biotic ligand modelling which prove that colonists can now survive and reproduce in Middle and Hannah lakes, despite their higher metal total metal concentrations. Comparing species sensitivity to water quality would appear to be critical to predicting recovery of plankton species richness. Understanding the roles of regional processes, Allee effects, and community interactions on recovery would appear to be less important. 4.00 pm Thursday, 12th November 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building David SampsonCentre for Microscopy, Characterisation & Analysis, and Microimaging at The University of Western AustraliaThe availability of cutting-edge core facilities is becoming an ever more important success factor in high-impact science. Beyond the latest in instrumentation, a key driver of success is high-level academic support of techniques and instruments to ensure their use is part of a vibrant academic interdisciplinary engagement that produces quality outcomes. 4.00 pm Thursday, 5th November 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building ALL WELCOMEConvenor: Carolyn Oldham (6488 3531)
Professor Rachel Cardell-OliverSchool of Computer Science & Software Engineering Environmental Monitoring with Wireless Sensor NetworksA wireless sensor network is a flexible and powerful system for monitoring highly complex real-world landscapes at a fine-grained temporal and spatial resolution. Sensor networks are made up of a collection of micro-computer nodes, each gathering data from attached sensors and relaying it hop by hop over low power radio links to a wireless gateway, and so to the web for analysis and visualisation. In this way sensor networks are able to gather finer-grained temporal and spatial data at a lower cost than has previously been possible. 4.00 pm Thursday, 29th October 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building ALL WELCOMEConvenor: Carolyn Oldham (6488 3531)
David PannellProfessor in Agricultural and Resource Economics at The University of Western Australia, Director of the Centre for Environmental Economics and Policy, and a Federation Fellow of the Australian Research Council. David’s research has won awards in the USA, Australia, Canada and the UK. In 2000 he was President of the Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society. Research to support and influence environmental managers and policy makersA lot of public funds in environmental programs are spent very poorly. The funds are not targeted to the best projects, the projects they do fund are poorly designed, and the works they undertake do not achieve their stated targets. We developed INFFER to try to turn this around. INFFER is a tool for developing and prioritising projects to address environmental issues such as water quality, biodiversity, environmental pests and land degradation. It aims to achieve the most valuable outcomes with the available resources. It has been developed in a highly participatory process with environmental managers and policy makers. It is being widely adopted, and is having a substantial influence on environmental policy. This seminar provides an overview of INFFER, why and how it was developed, and the difficult process of engaging with people to get it adopted. 4.00 pm Thursday, 22nd October 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building ALL WELCOMEConvenor: Carolyn Oldham (6488 3531)
Vera BiermannResearch Associate
Acidic saline groundwater in the WA wheatbelt - distribution and treatment optionsDryland salinisation, due to clearing of native vegetation for agriculture, affects more than 1,000,000 hectares in the south-west agricultural region of Western Australia. Landholders are using engineering options such as drainage to manage salinity. However, naturally occurring acidic saline groundwater is widespread in the WA wheatbelt and can pose an environ¬mental risk when it is discharged to creeklines, floodways and lakes. The use of deep drains to manage dryland salinity can result in the discharge of acidic saline water. To mitigate off-site impacts acidic drainage water may require management and treatment prior to its disposal. In a first step towards managing acidic saline groundwater the extent of its occurrence was determined. Monitoring data from groundwater bores was analysed and used to develop probability maps for the distribution of acidic groundwater. In a second step laboratory tests and field trials were performed to adapt passive treatment technologies used to treat acidic mine drainage in the northern hemisphere to conditions in the WA wheatbelt. These technologies are mainly based on limestone dissolution, microbial sulfate reduction under anaerobic (waterlogged) conditions or a combination of both. Laboratory tests showed that locally available organic substrates were suitable to treat acidic saline water. Two pilot scale passive treatment systems, an open limestone channel and a compost wetland, have been built and continue to be monitored. Design, construction and performance data of both treatment systems are presented. 4.00 pm Thursday, 15th October 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building ALL WELCOMEConvenor: Carolyn Oldham (6488 3531)
Shannon M. JohnsResearch Geoscientist
Hydrothermal vent and plume mapping in the southwest PacificThe discovery of seafloor hydrothermal vents in 1977 created a new frontier in seafloor exploration. At sites of hydrothermal activity and venting, hot and acidic hydrothermal fluids interact with cold seawater (~ 2°C). This chemical reaction releases many elements into the water and causes minerals to precipitate, producing hydrothermal plumes and forming chimney-like deposits around the vents. Over a 15 year period, hydrothermal plumes associated with massive sulphide deposits in the eastern Manus basin of Papua New Guinea, have been characterised and mapped in 3D, providing the first long-term time-series of hydrothermal plume behaviour in back-arc basins. CTD, light transmission and water chemistry data from two of the major vent fields (SuSu Knolls and PACMANUS) were processed and modelled using a new 3D visualization method. In the SuSu Knolls vent field, four hydrothermal plumes between approximately 900 and 1800 m in depth, display significant and rapid (< 1 year) temporal variations in orientation, number, intensity and areal extent. Enrichments relative to background seawater were found in Al, Cd, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo and Zn, with low pH values typical. In the PACMANUS vent field, two temporally stable hydrothermal plumes at approximately 1300 and 1900 m depth, had anomalous concentrations of Al, Ba, Cd, Cr, Co, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Pb, Se and Zn relative to background seawater. These results indicate that hydrothermal plumes in back-arc basins may be complex and relatively short-lived transient systems, which has implications for the genesis and accumulation of seafloor massive sulphide deposits. 4.00 pm Thursday, 8th October 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building ALL WELCOME
Sarath WijeratneResearch Assistant
Underwater Diver Detection Sonar (Cerberus) Performances in Coastal and Estuarine EnvironmentsAn underwater threat has become a concern for protecting commercial and naval ports infrastructure as well as ships. During the past few decades, several incidents have been reported within the Sri Lanka Waters due to underwater terrorist activities. These include suicide diver and unmanned underwater explosive vehicle attacks to Naval and Commercial ports and ships. Recently, underwater surveillance systems have been placed by relevant authorities to prevent the harbours and surrounding areas from being targeted by terrorist activities. One such instrument, deployed to detect underwater diver movements, is Cerberus’, a 100 kHz diver-detection system manufactured by Qinetiq, U.K. The optimal detection range of the Cerberus is more than 800 m in favourable sea water conditions (homogeneous, calm sea and flat seafloor). However, under certain hydrographic conditions and at different seasons this detection range can be as low as 200 m. The coastal and estuarine environment leads to time variant horizontal and vertical stratified water conditions. The upper layer is the most variable part of the water column due to the different time scale forcing agents. CTD and SVP probe profiles were conducted in daily basis as well as fortnightly to examined stratification and sonic layer depth (SLD) variability in Trincomalee Harbour and Bay. This presentation provides the daily and seasonal variability of diver detection ranges in estuarine and coastal environments in Sri Lanka in relation to hydrographic conditions and surface mixed layer depth variability. The model is applied and compared with actual detection ranges in different hydrographic conditional and seasons. 4.00 pm Thursday, 1st October 2009Blakers Lecture Theatre, Mathematics Building ALL WELCOMEConvenor: Carolyn Oldham (6488 3531)
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