Coorong champions lead the way
The world-famous South Australian wetlands region, the Coorong, is the focus of a new multi-million-dollar research partnership that aims to restore the ecological health of the region and protect threatened birds and fish. Led by University of Adelaide scientist Dr Mike Geddes, the multi-disciplinary research team will carry out a detailed study of the Coorong, the Lower Lakes and the Murray Mouth (CLLAMM) ecosystems. Researchers will produce models to predict how future environmental management decisions may affect this vulnerable region. Partners in the new research cluster (CLLAMMecology) are: the CSIRO, through its National Research Flagship Water for a Healthy Country, the University of Adelaide, Flinders University, and the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI) Aquatic Sciences. The program will receive $2.2 million from the CSIRO Collaboration Fund, with a total investment of $5.3 million over three years. "This is the first comprehensive research program for this estuary," Dr Geddes said. "We will examine hydrology, aquatic, bird and fish ecology, and social sciences. "The research aims to improve the habitat of migratory birds, increase the numbers of estuarine fish, promote the growth of aquatic plants and to protect the Coorong as an internationally recognised wetland which is suffering salinity problems." Dr Geddes said the Coorong, made world-famous in the Australian movie Storm Boy, was recognised internationally as one of Australia's major wetlands and was listed in the international RAMSAR Convention on Wetlands. "Despite this worldwide recognition, the Coorong is in a bad way," he said. "There's serious ecological degradation, and hyper-salinity is threatening various species of fish and birds. The Coorong is particularly significant for many species of migratory waterbirds." Dr Geddes said the study aimed to deliver a set of ecosystem-level models which could be used to evaluate alternative future scenarios within the larger Coorong region. There will be four key research activities, each headed by a leading researcher at one of the partner institutions. These are: - idocumenting the responses of key species to changes in aquatic environments under different management regimes Dr David Paton, University of Adelaide);
- examining the effects of increased water flows and whether these lead to increased productivity in the food-chain (Dr Justin Brooks, University of Adelaide);
- producing a dynamic model of the extent and quality of the habitat (Dr Jason Tanner, SARDI Aquatic Sciences);
- and bringing these lines of ecological information together to produce ecosystem-level models (Professor Peter Fairweather, Flinders University).
Together these studies will enable researchers and water managers to predict the impact of changes in water flow on the ecology of the region. A number of management agencies are supporting the development of the program, including the SA Department of Water, Land and Biodiversity Conservation, SA Department of Environment and Heritage, the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Land and Water Australia, the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, and the South Australian Murray Darling Natural Resource Management Board. Story by Robyn Mills
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