Assessing the impact of human activities on water resources and aquatic ecosystems is a key component of the Centre’s research and development program. The program undertakes fundamental studies on aquatic biota in south-eastern Australia as well as undertaking quantitative assessments of the impacts of water use on aquatic ecosystems. Research and development projects focus on plants, microbes and landscape-scale biogeochemical processes, using a wide range of approaches including water-quality studies, molecular and genetic techniques, autecological population and synecological community studies, and spatial analysis.

The aims of the research program include:
Understanding the fundamental ecology of key aquatic organisms and major aquatic ecosystems, by focusing on life-history traits of aquatic species, inter-species interactions, and the role of environmental filters .
Developing robust techniques to quantitatively assess the impacts of human activities on aquatic systems in south-eastern Australia.
Developing and trailing approaches for ameliorating impacts and improving the ecological condition of degraded aquatic systems.

Some current projects:

NHT Strategic Reserve - Conserving Victoria's saltmarshes
Land & Water Australia – Innovative techniques for managing multiple threats to high-value aquatic systems.

Sustainable Tourism CRC – Development of indicators and methods for monitoring impacts of tourism on aquatic ecosystem health.
Department of Sustainability & Environment and Gippsland Coastal Board – Acid-sulfate soils associated with the Gippsland Lakes: spatial extent, ecological implications and management responses.
ARC (pending) – Backwaters and billabongs: important contributors to poor water quality.

For more information contact:

Professor Paul I Boon
Biogeochemical processes, aquatic botany, water-quality analysis
Ph: +61 3 9365 2210
Email: paul.boon@vu.edu.au