Bulletin

Issue: July/August 2007

News

Aquatic canaries - National boost to study freshwater insects that alert us to the health of our major river systems

Studies at La Trobe University into Australian mayflies and other aquatic macroinvertebrates – key indicators of water quality used to monitor the health of river systems such as the Murray-Darling – are being supported by a new major government environmental research grant.

The project is led by the Head of Environmental Management and Ecology at the Albury-Wodonga campus, Associate Professor Phil Suter, and a purpose-formed research team. Partners in this initiative – funded by $5 million in the latest round of the Commonwealth Environmental Research Facilities (CERF) grants – include the CSIRO, the Australian National University, the University of Adelaide and the South Australian Museum. La Trobe University’s share of the grant is $600,000.

Dr Suter, an aquatic ecologist, said the collaborative research into the taxonomy of mayflies would help detect even subtle changes in water health affected by water management practices, environmental flow variations and other factors attributable to climate change.

The La Trobe research team includes a postdoctoral research fellow, a PhD student, and a research technician, using advanced research technologies, including DNA sequencing to assist with species identification and description. The team will be based in Australia’s major freshwater catchment area, at La Trobe’s Albury-Wodonga campus.

‘Apart from the expected improvements in knowledge, this project will train the next generation of Australian taxonomists and also develop web-based identification tools that will be made available to all aquatic researchers,’ Dr Suter said.

‘The knowledge and tools will also be accessible for government agencies, catchment management authorities, landcare branches, water watch groups and interested landholders.’

Dean of the Faculty of Science, Technology and Engineering, Professor David Finlay, said the government initiated this round of CERF research funding to improve Australia’s ability to identify and describe its native and introduced species, thus helping maintain national biodiversity.

Professor Finlay said La Trobe’s success in securing this project further enhanced the University’s freshwater and riverine research and teaching capability. ‘It complements our strong concentration in this very important area of environmental science resulting from the recent addition to the Faculty of scientists from the Murray-Darling Freshwater Research Centre.’

The Faculty also carries out a wide range of research into alpine and terrestrial ecology. (See previous issue of the Bulletin.)