Aquatic Monitoring
The aquatic monitoring capability in ANSTO's Institute for Environmental Research uses a range of divisional facilities as well as collaborative links with external researchers. The Geohydrosphere Program is capable of sampling and identifying biota including algae, macro-invertebrates and fish, measuring a variety of water quality parameters, and sampling for the detailed determination of radionuclides and general water chemistry. Univariate and multivariate statistical analyses are used to interpret the data and provide information on the relationships between biological and chemical parameters.
Our aquatic monitoring capability is applied to research that uses stream biota (for example microscopic algae such as diatoms) to indicate stream health - we have significant experience with stream ecosystems affected by metal pollution, particularly those receiving acid drainage from mine sites. The capability is also used for biological monitoring of low levels of radionuclides that enter the marine environment and are taken up by fish, barnacles and algae.