March 29th, 2023A ‘weather eye’ for water quality
CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, last week launched AquaWatch Australia, a mission to deliver a world first ground-to-space water quality monitoring system for Australia and the globe.
AquaWatch will provide near real-time updates and predictive forecasting – a weather service for water quality – once fully operational.
Using an extensive network of Earth observation satellites and ground-based water sensors, it will support better water quality management, with early warning of harmful events such as toxic algal blooms, blackwater and runoff contamination.
The system will also increase the resilience of Australian communities who depend on water, as well as improved outcomes for our natural environment after events like bushfires and floods.
CSIRO, with foundation partner SmartSat CRC, is bringing together research, government, and industry with an initial co-investment of $83 million to design and develop AquaWatch.
CSIRO Chief Executive, Larry Marshall, said water is one of the most important and vital resources in Australia and across the globe.
“Imagine taking your family to the local swimming spot and being able to open your phone and check the water quality before they dive in. Or better yet, getting a forecast for the water quality days before you planned your family day out,” Dr Marshall said.
“Now imagine the impact of this if you were an environment manager, able to receive advance warning of the oxygen-depleted blackwater events often responsible for mass fish kills. Or an aquaculture farmer able to plan ahead for an impending algal bloom.
“Overseas, in places where people still face the risk of unsafe water for basic needs like drinking and sanitation, such a service could be a game-changer.
“The ingenuity behind AquaWatch is it integrates Earth observation with other science capabilities like in-situ sensing, ecosystem modelling, engineering, data science and artificial intelligence.
“It is the latest example of CSIRO’s Missions Program which are large-scale scientific and collaborative research initiatives aimed at accelerating the pace and scale at which we can solve some of the nation’s greatest challenges,” he said.
Working with a range of implementation partners, AquaWatch will extend from rivers to coasts, with the ability to monitor bays, coastal wetlands, aquaculture farming, mangrove forests and coral reefs, including the Great Barrier Reef.
