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Mine Water and Environment Ecology and
Ecotoxicology research.
Ecology of black-stripe minnow (Galaxiella nigrostriata,
Pisces: Galaxiidae) in remnant populations on the Swan Coastal Plain,
Western Australia
Research team:
Dave M. Galeotti (MiWER), Clint McCullough
(MiWER),
Mark Lund (MiWER), Mark Gell (KSS)
What habitat requirements does a fish that live in seasonal wetlands have and how does this relate to rehabilitating these wetlands from mining?
Ecotoxicity limitations following liming and nutrient enrichment to remediate
acid mine lakes
Research team:
Clint McCullough
(MiWER),
Luke Neil (CUT),
Mark Lund (MiWER),
Jess Sackmann (CWR, UWA), Anas Ghadouani (CWR, UWA), Yuri Tsvetnenko (CUT),
Jim Ranville (DCG-CSM), Louis Evans
(CUT)
Is liming and enhanced primary production able to reduce ecotoxicity and increase biodiversity of Collie lakes ?
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Twelve 1,200 L mesocosms at ECU have been filled with a 40 mm
layer of lake sediment from the bottom of the fast river-filled Lake
Kepwari. This representative sediment layer has then been covered with
Lake Kepwari water. Treatments have been allocated in a randomised two-way
factorial design to test the effects of liming, phosphorus enrichment and combined liming and
phosphorus amendment on different aspects of the AMD water chemistry,
ecotoxicity and ecology.
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Not limed |
Limed |
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No nutrients |
U U U |
U U U |
| Nutrients |
U U U |
U U U |
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Collecting
sediment from Lake Kepwari |
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The mesocosms
back @ ECU |
This is a collaborative
multidisciplinary project with co-supervised students at Curtin
University of Technology and University of
Western Australia. The Edith Cowan
University team is examining water chemistry, sediment and periphyton dynamics,
including the effect of liming and enhanced primary production upon
dissolved heavy metal and nutrient concentrations, alkalinity and pH.
Jess Sackmann is examining correlations between phytoplankton community
water quality, and Luke Neil is examining the effect of
different
treatments on aquatic ecotoxicity between each other and over time.
Output(s):
Neil, L. L. (2008). Bioassay assessment of mine pit lake
water for aquaculture and biodiversity conservation, Ph.D.
thesis, Curtin University of Technology, Perth, Australia.
298pp.
Neil, L.; McCullough, C. D.;
Lund, M.A. Tsvetnenko, Y. & Evans, L. (in review). Bioassay toxicity
assessment of mining pit lake water remediated with limestone and
phosphorus.
Neil, L. L.; McCullough, C. D.;
Tsvetnenko, Y. & Evans, L. (2006). Toxicity
assessment of limed and phosphorus amended mine pit lake
water. Proceedings of RACI/ASE Interact 2006
conference. Perth, Australia 24-28 September.
Sackmann, J. (2006). The effect of
experimental liming and nutrient addition on phytoplankton of an
acidic mine lake, B.E. (hons) thesis, University of Western
Australia, Perth, Australia. 50pp. |
Wetland riparian vegetation structure of natural wetlands
as guidelines to dredge pond rehabilitation, south-western Australia
Research team: Eddie van Etten (MiWER), Clint McCullough
(MiWER), Mark Lund (MiWER), Mark Gell (KSS)
What is the vegetation structure of typical seasonal
wetlands of the Kemerton region?
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Silica sand mining by Kemerton Silica Sand Pty. Ltd. in the Kemerton
region, south-western
Australia, is followed by rehabilitation of mined lands into
conservation areas after ore extraction is complete. Successful
rehabilitation to a natural structure is involving first studies into
what type of wetland (e.g., wetland riparian vegetation structure) is
typical of the area, and hence acceptable as a rehabilitation outcome.
Studies are focussing on both understanding natural wetland structure,
dynamics and environmental drivers, on also on understanding how
rehabilitation efforts are achieving desirable rehabilitation outcomes.
Output(s):
van Etten, E.; McCullough, C.
D. & Lund, M. A. (2008). Evaluation of rehabilitation efforts
at the Kemerton Silica Sand Pty. Ltd. project area, June 2007.
Report number 2008-10. Centre for Ecosystem Management, Edith
Cowan University, Perth, Australia. 60pp. Unpublished report to
Kemerton Silica Sand Pty Ltd.
van Etten, E.;
McCullough, C. D. & Lund, M. A. (in prep). Riparian
vegetation characteristics of seasonal wetlands in
Kemerton, south-western Australia Report number 2008-17.
Mine Water Environment Research, Centre for Ecosystem
Management, Edith Cowan University, Perth, Australia.
Unpublished report to Kemerton Silica Sand Pty
Ltd. |
A typical seasonal waterbody of the
Kemerton wetlands |
Dr. Eddie van Etten surveying
vegetation rehabilitation success and rehabilitated slope topography and
soil structure |
Topography, vegetation structure
and soil structure profile of a seasonal Kemerton wetland |
Aquatic macroinvertebrates of the seasonal Kemerton
Wetlands south-western Australia
Research team: Clint McCullough
(MiWER), Mark Lund (MiWER), Mark Gell (KSS)
What are the aquatic macroinvertebrate communities of the
Kemerton Wetlands, and what environmental variables are their primary
determinants?
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Silica sand mining by Kemerton Silica Sand Pty. Ltd. in the Kemerton wetlands, south-western
Australia, is followed by rehabilitation of mined lands into
conservation areas after ore extraction is complete. Assessment of
successful rehabilitation to a natural wetland ecological community
involves comparing biotic communities of rehabilitated wetlands with
local natural reference wetland communities. Aquatic macroinvertebrates
are a industry-standard for such ecological assessment. Studies are
examining what aquatic macroinvertebrate communities are present in
seasonal Kemerton wetlands, and what environmental parameters are the
major determinants of these communities. This understanding will also
lead to guidelines as to what entails a rehabilitated wetland, and how
it may best be achieved.
Output(s):
McCullough, C. D. & Lund, M. A.
(in prep). Aquatic macroinvertebrates in seasonal and
rehabilitated wetlands of the Kemerton Silica Sand Pty
Ltd project area. Mine Water and Environment/Centre
for Ecosystem Management Report 2008-16. Edith Cowan
University, Perth, Australia. Unpublished report
to Kemerton Silica Sand Pty Ltd.
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Dr. Clint McCullough collecting
water quality data from a seasonal Kemerton Wetland in late winter |
Assoc. Prof. Mark Lund collecting a
macroinvertebrate a sample along a stratified-habitat transect line |
Preliminary abundance and
biodiversity of aquatic macroinvertebrates in Kemerton Wetlands |
Environmental limitations to the marron fishery in acid
pit lakes of Collie, south-west Western Australia
Research team: Clint McCullough (MiWER),
Joseph Steenbergen (HZ),
Carlieke te Beest (HZ),
Mark Lund (MiWER)
What environmental variables may be limiting the
establishment of a viable marron fishery in pit lakes of Collie?
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Marron
have been collected from the differing pit lakes of Black Diamond, Blue
Waters, Ewington, Stockton Lake, Centaur Lake along with environmental
information of the habitat availability, other crayfish species present
and water chemistry. Data on secondary and primary production (including
stable isotopes d15N
and d13C
of potential food resources) and production/respiration ratios of each
lake will be collected in late 2006. Individual marron have been
examined for their health and are also being sampled for total nitrogen,
phosphorus and carbon, and the stable isotopes
d15N and
d13C.
These data are being examined to determine what
environmental variables; water chemistry, food or shelter, are limiting
to marron in Collie pit lakes.
Output(s):
McCullough, C. D.; Steenbergen, J.; te Beest,
C. & Lund, M. A. (in prep). Environmental limitations to
the marron (Parastacidae: Cherax cainii) fishery in acid
pit lakes of Collie, south-west Western Australia. |
Marron under a rocky outcrop in
Bluewaters Lake |
Hogeschool Zeeland (Netherlands) exchange student
Joseph Steenbergen with a successful marron catch |
PCA analysis of marron body heavy
metal burdens across Collie lakes |
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