Texas Water Resources Institute’s Post

Our latest newsletter just came out, with stories on a paper that just got accepted for publication in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, our recent project deploying 24 artificial reef modules, our updated ecosystem health report card, and more. Sarasota Bay’s water quality is not pristine - nothing in Florida is - but it’s better than at anytime over the last 10 to 15 years. Our main challenge right now isn’t to improve water quality, but how to not let this hard-earned (and expensive) recovery slip away from us again. Complicating matters, we are impacted by phenomena outside of our local control. Like red tides. That study referenced in our Newsletter found that 77% of the variability in the duration of red tides in Southwest Florida could be explained by variability in the amount of nitrogen discharged by the Caloosahatchee River during the 30 days just before, and just after, we reach “high” levels of the red tide organism. More nitrogen loads - longer lasting red tides. Want to cut back on the duration of red tide events? Then do more to reduce nitrogen loads coming down the river. In Sarasota Bay, we have shown we can improve our water quality and ecosystem health by reducing our most important local pollutant loads. But the coastal waters of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico are nowhere near as clean as they were in pre-development times, nor are they as clean as they could be, if we do more, more quickly to get our regional and state-wide pollutant loads under control. #sarasotabay #waterquality #redtide

🎉 Exciting news! A review paper on the occurrence of CECs in different water samples from the lower part of Middle Danube Basin has been published as an Open Access publication - it is a result of collaboration of researchers from Faculty of Technology Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, and Institute of Environmental Assessment and Water Research (IDAEA-CSIC) within TwiNSol - CECs project. This paper provides the first comprehensive overview of studies on CECs in waters from countries in the lower Middle Danube Basin. It also highlights similarities and differences in experimental approaches and discusses them in the context of current research trends in the European Union. Key strengths and gaps in the region's ability to conduct wide-range CECs surveillance are summarized, offering a valuable foundation for improving monitoring efforts and the chemical status of water resources, particularly in areas with inadequate wastewater management. You can check it out here: https://lnkd.in/dTT2TMty #OpenAccess #EnvironmentalPollution #Danube #ScientificPublication

Check out this pic of the 2022 DRBC Biomonitoring Team collecting samples from the Delaware River at Callicoon. This water quality monitoring program surveys sediment, rocks, algae, aquatic insects and water chemistry at 25 sites throughout the 200 miles of the non-tidal Delaware River from Hancock, N.Y. to Trenton, N.J. Data provide a complete overview of the diversity and health of the aquatic life community and overall water quality of this stretch of river, which is protected by DRBC's Special Protection Waters regulations. As we always say, you can't manage what you don't measure. Sampling is next planned for this summer. More about the program: https://lnkd.in/eH4tavnY #DRBC #delawarebasin #waterquality #waterqualitymonitoring #biologicalsciences #watermonitoring #watermanagement #youcantmanagewhatyoudontmeasure #scienceandenvironment #watershed #waterresourcemanagement #waterresources

We are proud to announce that Cefas’ Professor Michelle Devlin, in collaboration with Amelia Wenger, co-authored a chapter in the 2022 Scientific Consensus Statement on Reef Water Quality. 🌊📘 Read the chapter here: https://lnkd.in/eZFvkW2B This statement is the most comprehensive review to date on land-based impacts on the water quality and ecosystem health of the Great Barrier Reef. It represents two years of work involving 200 experts, including 147 authors. 🌊 🐠 The chapter: ✅ Delves into the key successes of monitoring and evaluation programmes to support coastal and marine water quality management. 🌏Highlights innovative monitoring and evaluation frameworks, methods, and approaches applicable to the Great Barrier Reef. 🌊Explores how human activities and behaviours can affect water quality and how improvements can be made. For more information on the Scientific Consensus Statement, visit: https://lnkd.in/eABJRqsD

❗NEWS: "Theoretical modelling of the effects of stressors on chironomid populations over multiple generations!" Here is the link to the manuscript (50 days free access): https://lnkd.in/dvGg_yuC

I'm thrilled to announce the release of a new paper! 🎉 📢 This paper presents the findings of a two-year investigation into the dynamics of dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration and characteristics in four Australian rivers and reservoirs. These water bodies were severely impacted by either bushfires (wildfires) or a tropical cyclone. Following these extreme events, all studied water sources exhibited significant changes in DOM concentration. Specifically, the DOM in surface water exposed to the cyclone demonstrated higher molecular weight, coagulability, and UV-vis absorbance compared to the DOM in fire-affected catchments. Our findings underscore the importance of rapidly identifying high DOM loadings in surface waters after extreme climate events. Utilising a field-deployed fDOM sensor to assess coagulability characteristics can assist in catchment management and drinking water treatment by enabling timely control decisions in response to such impacts. The fluorescence signal from a field-deployable fluorescent DOM (fDOM) sensor shows promise as an online monitoring tool for assessing DOM concentration in surface waters, even under extreme conditions. You can access the full paper through the following link: https://lnkd.in/g3gdzc_T I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the co-authors of the paper: Dr. Edoardo Bertone, Professor Rodney Stewart, Dr. John Awad, Dr. Adam Leavesley, Dr. Matthew Gale, Dr. Eriita Jones, Dr. Kathy Cinque, Mr. Mark Agnew, Dr. Hugh Burger, and Professor John Leeuwen (Van Leeuwen) for their support and guidance. Special thanks also go to our industrial and academic partners, including Cities Research Institute, University of South Australia, Xylem Analytics Australia, Melbourne Water, and Seqwater, for their contributions to this research project. #water #research #ExtremeClimateEvent #Bushfire #Wildfire #TropicalCyclone #DOMConcentration #DOMCharacteristics #WaterTreatment #NaturalOrganicMatter #SurfaceWaters

🌊 Restoring Danube Floodplains: A Vital Step for Our Ecosystems 🌿 Floodplains are a fundamental source of multiple functions and services, yet we have seen a dramatic reduction in floodplain areas across most large river systems due to human modifications. In fact, the extent of Danube floodplains has been reduced by around 79%. With support from representatives of Danube countries, we identified 24 potential floodplains for restoration. This analysis enhances our understanding of both the current and past floodplain situation, increases awareness of the dramatic floodplain loss along the Danube, and serves as a foundation for future floodplain management. GWP is proud to contribute to this important, open-access publication through the Danube4All project under BOKU leadership. We continue to engage citizens in restoration efforts. Together, we can work towards a healthier and more resilient Danube ecosystem! Link to the publication 👉 https://lnkd.in/eav_xnWF #Danube4All #FloodplainRestoration #EnvironmentalAwareness #SustainableFuture

All the information from a very successful Burdekin Region Water Quality Science Forum in Townsville last week is now available for viewing or download at NQ Dry Tropics’ website. Visit the forum page (https://lnkd.in/gyYb2iHQ) to view complete videos of any, or all, of the 13 formal presentations; download the presenters’ slides, or read a summary of each presentation to get a quick appreciation of the material discussed. Speakers covered a range of topics emanating from the 2021-2022 Scientific Consensus Statement, an excellent overview of which was delivered by C2O Consulting’s Senior Scientist, Jane Waterhouse. They covered topics including the region’s progress report card, the regional Water Quality Improvement Plan and the strategy behind that. Presenters outlined particular ground-level projects aimed at reducing sediment and nutrient run-off into waterways draining into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. Scientists presented detailed explanations of the monitoring and constant assessment of water quality being carried out. There were also presentations about how projects involving Traditional Owners contributed to better land husbandry leading to water quality outcomes and how TO groups were able to participate in the decision-making around water quality activities. This forum was jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland government’s Paddock to Reef Integrated Monitoring, Modelling and Reporting Program and the Australian government’s Reef Trust program. Visit the page here: https://lnkd.in/gyYb2iHQ

URGENT: Expert Warns of Flawed Fire Ant Eradication Program Media Alert International entomologist specialising in fire ants and fire ant management, Professor of Biology at University of Central Florida Dr. Joshua King, has sounded the alarm on the National Fire Ant Eradication Program in Queensland and New South Wales. He has cited serious concerns over its effectiveness and potential environmental harm and highlights the need for a more targeted and sustainable approach. Key Findings: 1. Excessive use of toxic baits, risking ecological damage and non-target impacts. 2. Lack of alternative management approaches, neglecting sensitive ecosystems. 3. Historical failures of eradication programs, potentially hastening fire ant spread. Call to Action: We urge media outlets to investigate and report on this critical issue, ensuring the public is informed and prompting policymakers to reassess the program.

Excellent open access paper in Chemosphere by researchers at USGS about 6PPD and 6PPD-Q. The title of the paper covers the topics.