Perspectives on Dredging Symposium

Australia has experienced unprecedented levels of dredging over the last two decades and recently there has been a focus on dredging research in Western Australia.

As a result, there have been some incredible advances in our understanding of impacts to the marine environment from dredging and how to better predict, monitor and manage dredging programs, such as the WAMSI Dredging Science Node.

The “Perspectives on Dredging” AMSA symposium brings together scientists, regulators, managers, industry and consultants with practical experience of dredging practices in the marine environment.

The session will focus on impact prediction, monitoring and the lessons learnt from implementing the vast range of dredging programs ranging from those associated recent mega-projects in Western Australian and Queensland, to small maintenance dredging programs in coastal waterways.

“Perspectives on Dredging” provides an opportunity for dredging professionals to demonstrate their contemporary practical experience and how the impacts of dredging on the marine environment are predicted, managed and monitored in real-world scenarios.

When: Wednesday 10 July 4-6pm

Where: AMSA Conference, The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, WA

 


Speakers

Dr. Chaojiao Sun

Senior Research Scientist

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

New guidelines on dredge plume modelling for environmental impact assessment

Mr. Paul Branson

Research Fellow

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation & The University of Western Australia

2D or not 2D: Is three-dimensional modelling required for passive dredging plume modelling?

Dr. Des Mills

N/a

N/A

Recent Developments in Estimating Source Terms for Far-Field Dredge Plume Model

Mr. Sterling Tebbett

PhD Student

James Cook University

Sediment Impacts and the Role of Algal Turfs in Sediment Dynamics on Coral Reefs

 

Prof. Paul Lavery

Professor

Edith Cowan University

Response and recovery of tropical seagrasses to variation in the frequency and magnitude of light deprivation

Dr. Brett Kettle

Visiting Scientist

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Oceans and Atmosphere

Closing the Gap: Perspectives on Using Best Practice Science in Best Practice Dredge Management

A/Prof. Kathryn Mcmahon

A/Prof

Edith Cowan University

Timing anthropogenic stressors such as dredging to mitigate their impact on marine ecosystem resilience

Mr. Ben Davis

Senior Consultant

BMT

Effectiveness of an environmental management framework in small-scale maintenance dredging

Chair

Dr Ross Jones

Australian Institute of Marine Science

Dredging report builds confidence for environmental regulators

A report released on one of the largest single-issue environmental research programs in Australia that gained unprecedented access to industry dredging data, has been recognised by industry and government as a ground-breaking step forward for environmental regulation.

Strategic Integrated Marine Science: Dredging – new Knowledge for better decisions and outcomes” is a synthesis of research from the WAMSI Dredging Science Node was released today by WAMSI CEO Dr Luke Twomey at the AMSA Conference in Fremantle.

The findings from the five-year Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) Dredging Science Node (DSN), are contributing to increased confidence, timeliness and efficiency of the environmental approval and regulatory processes associated with dredging projects, which is ultimately expected to reduce the cost to government and industry.

According to WA Environmental Protection Authority Chairman Dr Tom Hatton, it’s estimated that monitoring and management costs can exceed $100 million on a major dredging program in addition to the predictive uncertainty of risks to the environment itself.

“This program has delivered on its promise in full and in a form that has increased the confidence, timeliness and efficiency of the environmental approval and regulatory processes associated with dredging projects,” Dr Hatton said.

Woodside Energy Chief Environmental Scientist Dr Luke Smith said the $19 million program – $9.5 million of which came from industry offsets – has delivered a valuable set of information on environmental dredging thresholds.

“The Dredging Science Node was valuable for industry and the state – it provides important technical data to improve our environmental impact assessments and support industry approval documentation. By bringing together the key stakeholders – state, industry, ports and research agencies – we maximised the available funding and the scientific knowledge that came from the Node. This knowledge will support better and more concise dredging-related environmental impact assessments moving forward,” Mr Smith said.

The Node’s 114 scientists from 26 research organisations gained unprecedented access to environmental monitoring data on four large-scale capital dredging projects in the Pilbara region including the Pluto LNG project at Burrup Peninsula (Woodside), Cape Lambert A and B projects (Rio Tinto), the Gorgon project at Barrow Island (Chevron), and the Wheatstone project at Onslow (Chevron).

WAMSI Dredging Science Node Leader, Dr Ross Jones from the Australian Institute of Marine Science said the Node had brought together a raft of scientific literature on sediments in the water column in relation to dredging.

“Little of the available research on sediments was able to be used by dredging proponents and regulators to adequately assess risk, so we have designed the Node as a tool that gives industry and regulators greater confidence to better predict environmental outcomes around dredging,” Dr Jones said.

WAMSI CEO Dr Luke Twomey said the more than 55 scientific publications produced by the Node so far was an extraordinary achievement for the investment and will go a long way towards much more informed debate and decision making on how best to predict and manage the potential impacts.

WAMSI DREDGING SCIENCE RESULTS IN USE 

  • Key findings from the project have been incorporated in the newly published Maintenance Dredging Strategy for Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Ports by the Queensland Government, a dredging management plan for maintenance dredging in Darwin Harbour (INPEX), a series of Sustainable Sediment Management Studies underway at various ports in northern Queensland (commissioned by the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation), and in a forthcoming publication by PIANC on Best Practice Guidelines for Dredging and Port Construction near Coastal Plant Habitats.
  • Internationally, relevant findings of the Node are being incorporated into dredging programs in the USA, the Netherlands, Monaco, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.
  • The new insights from the program are now being translated into improved dredging guidelines that will serve to streamline monitoring by focusing on the relevant and most sensitive aspects and help to improve the effectiveness of management approaches to minimise the hazards from dredging.
  • New guidelines for dredge plume modelling are being developed by CSIRO. The guidelines focus on establishing a consistent and sound approach to the modelling of dredge plumes for predicting the pressure field of suspended sediments when seeking Environmental Impact Assessment approval.
  • The WAMSI Dredging Science Node has been shortlisted for the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s 2019 Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence which recognises outstanding contributions to innovation and environmental outcomes in the resources sector.

 

The WAMSI Dredging Science Node is made possible through $9.5 million invested by Woodside, Chevron and BHP as environmental offsets. A further $9.5 million has been co-invested by the WAMSI Joint Venture partners, adding significantly more value to this initial industry investment. The node is also supported through critical data provided by Chevron, Woodside and Rio Tinto Iron Ore.

Category:

Dredging Science

Dredging report builds confidence for environmental regulators

A report released on one of the largest single-issue environmental research programs in Australia that gained unprecedented access to industry dredging data, has been recognised by industry and government as a ground-breaking step forward for environmental regulation.

Strategic Integrated Marine Science: Dredging – new Knowledge for better decisions and outcomes” is a synthesis of research from the WAMSI Dredging Science Node was released today by WAMSI CEO Dr Luke Twomey at the AMSA Conference in Fremantle.

The findings from the five-year Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) Dredging Science Node (DSN), are contributing to increased confidence, timeliness and efficiency of the environmental approval and regulatory processes associated with dredging projects, which is ultimately expected to reduce the cost to government and industry.

According to WA Environmental Protection Authority Chairman Dr Tom Hatton, it’s estimated that monitoring and management costs can exceed $100 million on a major dredging program in addition to the predictive uncertainty of risks to the environment itself.

“This program has delivered on its promise in full and in a form that has increased the confidence, timeliness and efficiency of the environmental approval and regulatory processes associated with dredging projects,” Dr Hatton said.

Woodside Energy Chief Environmental Scientist Dr Luke Smith said the $19 million program – $9.5 million of which came from industry offsets – has delivered a valuable set of information on environmental dredging thresholds.

“The Dredging Science Node was valuable for industry and the state – it provides important technical data to improve our environmental impact assessments and support industry approval documentation. By bringing together the key stakeholders – state, industry, ports and research agencies – we maximised the available funding and the scientific knowledge that came from the Node. This knowledge will support better and more concise dredging-related environmental impact assessments moving forward,” Mr Smith said.

The Node’s 114 scientists from 26 research organisations gained unprecedented access to environmental monitoring data on four large-scale capital dredging projects in the Pilbara region including the Pluto LNG project at Burrup Peninsula (Woodside), Cape Lambert A and B projects (Rio Tinto), the Gorgon project at Barrow Island (Chevron), and the Wheatstone project at Onslow (Chevron).

WAMSI Dredging Science Node Leader, Dr Ross Jones from the Australian Institute of Marine Science said the Node had brought together a raft of scientific literature on sediments in the water column in relation to dredging.

“Little of the available research on sediments was able to be used by dredging proponents and regulators to adequately assess risk, so we have designed the Node as a tool that gives industry and regulators greater confidence to better predict environmental outcomes around dredging,” Dr Jones said.

WAMSI CEO Dr Luke Twomey said the more than 55 scientific publications produced by the Node so far was an extraordinary achievement for the investment and will go a long way towards much more informed debate and decision making on how best to predict and manage the potential impacts.

WAMSI Dredging Science results in use:

  • Key findings from the project have been incorporated in the newly published Maintenance Dredging Strategy for Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area Ports by the Queensland Government, a dredging management plan for maintenance dredging in Darwin Harbour (INPEX), a series of Sustainable Sediment Management Studies underway at various ports in northern Queensland (commissioned by the North Queensland Bulk Ports Corporation), and in a forthcoming publication by PIANC on Best Practice Guidelines for Dredging and Port Construction near Coastal Plant Habitats.
  • Internationally, relevant findings of the Node are being incorporated into dredging programs in the USA, the Netherlands, Monaco, South Africa, Kazakhstan and Saudi Arabia.
  • The new insights from the program are now being translated into improved dredging guidelines that will serve to streamline monitoring by focusing on the relevant and most sensitive aspects and help to improve the effectiveness of management approaches to minimise the hazards from dredging.
  • New guidelines for dredge plume modelling are being developed by CSIRO. The guidelines focus on establishing a consistent and sound approach to the modelling of dredge plumes for predicting the pressure field of suspended sediments when seeking Environmental Impact Assessment approval.
  • The WAMSI Dredging Science Node has been shortlisted for the WA Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety’s 2019 Golden Gecko Award for Environmental Excellence which recognises outstanding contributions to innovation and environmental outcomes in the resources sector.

South coast on national stage

The waters off Western Australia’s south coast will be a focus of discussion at a special symposium of a national marine science conference to be held in Fremantle in July.

Western Australian Marine Science Institution Research Director Jenny Shaw says the symposium is an opportunity to bring the south coast to the attention of government bodies and the wider marine science community.

“This is the first step in understanding what knowledge is available ahead of canvassing government, industry, community and research views on management and what’s important to them about the south coast,” Dr Shaw says.

Click here for the full story in Voiceofthesouth

WAMSI Bulletin July 2019

Symposium: The South Coast of Western Australia: research for management

The South Coast of Western Australia: research for management symposium aims to uncover previous and current research being conducted off the south coast and to bring the south coast to the attention of the wider marine science community and government bodies.

The economic, social and environmental dimensions of the waters off the isolated south coast of Western Australia are poorly understood. Knowledge gaps identified by researchers and the impacts the south coast faces under a changing climate will help to develop a strong case for a future Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) research program to support marine management in this region.

This symposium brings together 15 researchers working off the south coast of Western Australia and welcomes collaborative input into informing management with good science.

When: Tuesday 9 July 10.30am-3.30pm
Where: AMSA Conference, The Esplanade Hotel, Fremantle, WA
Chair: Jenny Shaw, Research Director, WAMSI

Speakers:
Dr. Mark Buckley
Research Fellow
The University of Western Australia Wave Energy Research Centre
Observations and modeling of waves and currents in Albany, WA

Dr. Michael Cuttler
Research Associate
The University of Western Australia
Seasonal and interannual variability of the wave climate at a wave energy hotspot off the southwestern coast of Australia

Connor Gorham
Edith Cowan University
CARBON STORAGE BY TIDAL MARSH ECOSYSTEMS IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA

Mr. Jeffrey Norriss
Research Scientist
Western Australian Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
Bycatch of Flesh-footed shearwaters (Ardenna carneipes) recorded by a purse seine fishery is closely associated with their annual breeding cycle

Dr. Harriet Paterson
Lecturer
UWA
Seasonal Dynamics of Plastic on the South Coast of WA and its Impact on Flesh-footed Shearwaters

Mr. Thomas Crutchett
Master’s Student
The University of Western Australia
Microplastics identified in commercially caught Western Australian Sardines (Sardinops sagax)

Dr. Claire Ross
Research Scientist
Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation And Attractions
Growth and physiology of high-latitude corals in Bremer Bay, Western Australia (34.4°S)

Mr David Juszkiewicz
Honours Student
Curtin University
Phylogeography of Plesiastrea versipora (Cnidaria: Scleractinia: Plesiastreidae): an integrated taxonomic approach reveals cryptic speciation

Miss Savita Goldsworthy
Student, Curtin University
The Composition of Shallow Water Temperate Reef Assemblages in Western Australia

Mr. Jack Parker
Master Student, Curtin University
The changes in distributions and function of Labridae in temperate South Western Australia.

Kyle Stewart
Murdoch University
Food resource partitioning among three key fishery species in the Walpole-Nornalup Estuary

Mr. Tim Leary
Technical Officer
Western Australian Department Primary Industries And Regional Development
Human capital in the south coast WA fishing industry: an exceptional ageing workforce or in line with broader demographic trends?

Dr. Wiebke Ebeling
Centre Manager, Wave Energy Research Centre
The University of Western Australia
Great Southern Marine Research Facility – a new hub for Australia’s Blue Economy

Dr. Elke Reichwaldt
Environmental Officer
Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
Linking the management of catchment and sandbar opening to estuary health – a case study from Wilson Inlet, Western Australia

Mrs Alessandra Mantovanelli
Environmental Officer
Western Australian Department of Water and Environmental Regulation
Integrated approach for managing estuaries of South-West Australia