The Aquatic Health Unit
About Us
The Aquatic Health Unit (AHU) of NRETAS is responsible for marine, estuarine and freshwater monitoring and interpretation in the Darwin harbour and selected catchments in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
The AHU also has an established record in monitoring and collaborative research in fresh, marine and estuarine water quality including biological health projects in the region.
The team has expertise in aquatic ecology, limnology, estuarine science, catchment water quality modelling and water quality evaluation. The unit maintains laboratory facilities, a survey vessel, and instrumentation.
Research and projects undertaken by the Aquatic Health Unit and its collaborators include:
- development of Water Quality Protection Plan for Darwin Harbour
- development of Water Quality Objectives
- macroinvertebrate and ecological health assessment of local waterways and Darwin Harbour
- mapping water quality parameters
- urban and rural catchment event-based pollutant load assessment during wet seasons at hydrographic gauge sites
- assessment of the fate of nutrients and sediment in the Daly River
- monitoring and assessment of macrophytes and water quality in local wetland lagoons
- urban stormwater effects on mangrove sediment
- improving the Darwin Harbour hydrodynamic model
The AHU provides advice to stakeholders and publishes the results of projects on its or collaborator’s websites.