Overview
In 2017, Gladstone Healthy Harbour Partnership (GHHP) awarded $26,000 to Port Curtis Harbour Watch to run a Citizen Science Project investigating the water health of Gladstone Harbour and it's catchment waterways.
The Harbour Watch Citizen Science Project aims to broaden the awareness and knowledge of the local community, by training the public in the use of high quality water testing equipment to monitor the health of the waterways.
The GHHP Citizen Science Grant allows the local Gladstone public and community groups to participate in scientific water monitoring of selected waterways in and around Gladstone.
Harbour Watch trains citizens to independently operate industry-standard water quality equipment and scientifically measure abiotic and biotic water quality factors.
The citizen science water quality project aims to monitor and inform local citizens of the health of our local waterways.
Harbour Watch facilitates and assists citizen scientists to write, publish and present scientific data.
Aim
- To increase the knowledge of the general community in relation to the science of monitoring and reporting of waterway health
- To expand Harbour Watch to include monitoring parts of the broader Gladstone Harbour catchment areas (fresh, estuarine and marine)
Outline
Discovery Science
- Establish baseline water quality data of waterways within the Gladstone and Boyne or Tannum regions
Equipment
- High quality, industry standard WQ instruments
- Easy to use and reliable
- Routine maintenance and calibration completed by Harbour Watch
Sites
- Selected waterways around Gladstone and Boyne or Tannum
- Volunteer availability and interests as well as flexible
Method
- Spot monitoring
- Simple and reliable in-field measurement recorded
- Stored in data logger and logged on data-sheet
- Results checked and entered into database
- Results published on international water quality database and publicly accessible on EarthEcho
- Results published on Harbour Watch MyWater Portal where raw water sample results are uploaded and interpreted with each of the site indicators being awarded an instantaneous grade from A-E
Analysis and Conclusion
- Citizen scientists to be trained in interpreting results and drawing conclusions
- Encouraged to write papers, attend conferences
