Exploring Unseen Threats: Contaminant trends and impacts in Port Phillip Bay
Background
With scarce information available on contaminants and their impacts on estuarine and Port Phillip Bay health, this project draws together scientists, industry, and community to address this knowledge gap. By monitoring for 40,000+ contaminants and performing biological impact assessments, data collected will inform evidence-based management actions to address revealed issues.
Key Points
- The program will be conducted across 19 estuaries which enter Port Phillip Bay, and within the nearshore areas of the Bay itself.
- On the traditional lands of the Bunurong, Wadawurrung, and Wurundjeri Woiwurrung Peoples.
- Volunteers will be engaged to support monitoring activities. Email aquest@rmit.edu.au to register your interest
- Passive samplers for contaminant monitoring with be deployed in up to 3 monitoring events and 120 samples per year for 3 years.
- Toxicology assessments (Laboratory based) will be conducted on water samples collected from sites identified as high concern during monitoring.
- Pollution workshops will be held to discuss outcomes of monitoring with stakeholders, project partners, volunteers, industry, government and community. Email aquest@rmit.edu.au to register your interest
- A technical working group and steering committee will summarise and interpret results as we go and allow for reassessment of the monitoring design.
- This project builds on:
- Western Port Toxicants Study
- Baseline micro-pollutant study for Port Phillip Bay
- And will contributes significantly to:
Toxicants in Estuaries and Bays
Project Partners
This Exploring Unseen Threats: Contaminant Trends and Impacts in Port Phillip Bay is supported by the Victorian Government’s Port Phillip Bay Fund. https://www.marineandcoasts.vic.gov.au/grants/port-phillip-bay-fund
Expected completion date
June 2027
For more information
Contact: aquest@rmit.edu.au
