It’s always a pleasure to hear about how our water quality research is actually delivering for our stakeholders in the real world. Sometimes this can happen in unusual ways that might not be generally associated with conventional reef science research programs.
For example, in this issue of our newsletter we hear about how some cane growers in the Burdekin are saving money on their power bills by adopting innovative irrigation technology developed through one of our Hub’s projects. They’re also simultaneously saving water and reducing runoff from their properties.
Other projects that have enabled landholders to successfully remediate eroding gullies, not only saving their own land but also significantly reducing the amount of sediment entering nearby catchments, were demonstrated to an international audience at the recent Gully Erosion conference in Townsville.
In another example, after Tropical Cyclone Debbie damaged one of the Whitsundays’ most popular snorkeling sites, the local reef tourism industry feared the worst in terms of economic impact. Sixteen months after collaborative remediation works at the site, a survey conducted through our reef restoration evaluation project has found that corals that would otherwise have died have survived, new coral recruits have arrived, and the fish have returned. Importantly for the region’s economy, so have the tourists.
As always, close collaborative relationships between researchers, managers and stakeholders is the key to achieving these outcomes.
More information on the Tropical Water Quality Hub is available at www.nesptropical.edu.au.