Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network Conference

The Australian Mangrove and Saltmarsh Network Conference in Hobart was recently attended by Barefoot Biogeochemistry researchers Damien Maher and James Sippo. The catastrophic mangrove dieback in the Gulf of Carpentaria was one of the central themes of the meeting. The ‘Barefoot’ researchers have been focusing on the changes to the coastal carbon cycle following the large scale mangrove dieback which occurred in December 2015. It was a great opportunity to meet with collaborating researchers from all across Australia to discuss the topic.

The poster session with Judith Rosentreter and James Sippo. (Photo: Judith Rosentreter).

 

The team visited the Tasmanian saltmarshes

 

The scenic Tasmanian coastline

2nd NIES International Forum on

Sustainable Future in Asia

Author: Paul Macklin, PhD Researcher in Bali.

Recently I represented NMSC and SCU at the 2nd NIES International Forum on Sustainable Future in Asia at Udayana University in Bali discussing part of my PhD research on carbon dioxide fluxes in natural and artificial tropical lakes and the ramifications of predicted increases in reservoir construction in tropical regions. Other topics included carbon monitoring, waste management and recycling, biodiversity and environmental risk and health in Southeast Asia. There was a strong focus on exploring ways to link science and policy through discussions and networking while promoting investment at local, national and regional levels.   

 "Photo courtesy of Seiji Narita, official photographer of NIES."

It was also reassuring to see the level of scientific and financial commitment directed towards environmental remediation and monitoring and I was particularly impressed with recent advances in environmental satellite technology by the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) particularly with the planned launch of GOSAT 2 (http://global.jaxa.jp/projects/sat/gosat2/). I would like to see future collaborations with JAXA involving comparative in situ carbon dioxide and methane studies comparing our recent methodologies with the high-performance on-board observation sensors of GOSAT 2.

Also I had the chance to explore ways to make my current research here in Bali both easier and more effective while discussing the limitations and alternatives to reservoir construction with stakeholders and other potential collaborators. I made many friends, and developed professional relationships while enjoying some great food!

Dr I Gusti Ngurah Suryaputra, my collaborator from Ganesha University, Singaraja, and myself (photo: Agung Sumastra).

 

*This forum was organized by National Institute of Environmental Studies in collaboration with The University of Tokyo Integrated Research System for Sustainability Science, Udayana University and Bogor Agricultural University in Indonesia, and Asian Institute of Technology in Thailand. My attendance was made possible with conference funding from the Southern Cross University Graduate School. A special thanks to Helen Wolton and Gina Smith Lawson from the Graduate School in Lismore and also to my supervisors Prof Isaac Santos and Dr Damien Maher for their constant support. For more details on the conference see http://ifsfa2017.co.id/

 

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) displaying environmental monitoring data (photo: Paul Macklin).

 

Me flexing with (R-L) Dr Remi Chandra, Dr Takuya Saito and Dr Hibiki Noda (photo: Shiho Sato).

ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting

A barefoot crew just returned from the ASLO Aquatic Sciences Meeting in Hawaii. Lots of fun, good food, meeting old and new friends, and work during free time. Damien Maher and Isaac Santos chaired sessions on carbon cycling and submarine groundwater discharge. The following presentations were given.

Ashley with poster

Ben with poster

James with poster

In search of SGD in Japan

Barefoot Biogeochemists Isaac Santos and Douglas Tait got out of their comfort zone in Japan. They had to wear slippers in the lab and boots in the field to undertake a study on submarine groundwater discharge and carbon inputs into freezing Obama Bay.  

The research relied on collaboration with Japanese colleagues Dr. Ryo Sugimoto from Fukui Prefectural University and Prof. Makoto Taniguchi from the Research Institute of Humanity and Nature (RIHN), and was part of a visiting research fellowship at RIHN.

The project received outstanding support from Japanese students Shohei Takemoto, Hiroyuki Nishimura and Toshimi Nakajima as well as several colleagues from Kyoto. The highest snowfall in the district in over 40 years added a new challenge to groundwater sampling as well as having to use the research boat as an “ice breaker” to get through surface ice on the bay.

Obama Bay is well known for its abundant fisheries resources that are thought to be ultimately fed by groundwater inputs of nutrients.

Dr Isaac Santos and friends

Gas for thought in Kawar Ijen crater-lake, Indonesia

Author: Paul Macklin

 

Banyupahit River with drone. Photo: Paul Macklin

Recently, a last second invitation from a friend, led me on a sudden, chaotic drive through the west coast of Bali, followed by a sleepy ferry trip peering into the deep blue waters of the Java Strait; a breathtaking drive through Mount Bromo, before finally relaxing for a riverside dinner under a large tree next to Banyupahit River in the Kawar Ijen region of East Java.

Further upstream from our resting spot, the deep magmatic sulfuric acid waters were seeping into the 200 metre deep Kawar Ijen, before connecting to receiving rivers and springs. Unknowingly (as a habit of curiosity, with a banana in one hand) due to the yellowish-green colour of the river water, I dabbed a generous serving of the world’s most highly acidic magmatic water onto my tongue. As my mouth silently sizzled away, my previous views of groundwater, as a palatable concoction, were quickly fading away.

The lesson of the burning tongue was emphasized further when we visited the Kawar Ijen crater lake after a challenging 3 hour walk in the darkness very early the next morning. On arrival my first thought did not involve the undeniable beauty of the lake, but rather, the safety of our small group, particularly myself. “Has this erupted recently?”….I coughed, before putting my makeshift gas mask on. With the combination of the lava, the fluorescent bubbling of the lake and the clouds of sulfur gases invading my early morning torch light, to say things were looking pretty unstable was an understatement.

The next day, exhausted, and lying down in the safety of my air-con room, I reflected on how my global lake and groundwater chemistry perspectives had changed with my introduction to this “highly polluted” and “natural” lake. Recent scientific biogeochemical research has tended to bundle global lakes into broad-ranged inventories, but this may become tricky when applied to groundwater and inland waters, particularly in understudied tropical volcanic regions. Perhaps we should be more careful when upscaling variables in these regions or maybe begin to invest in research initiatives which combine research specialties (like our own) with remote sensing technologies for a more rapid assessment of hard-to-access zones. Have a great 2017 all!

Interesting links for Kawar Ijen:

National Geographic, Stunning Electric-Blue Flames Erupt From Volcanoes:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/01/140130-kawah-ijen-blue-flame-volcanoes-sulfur-indonesia-pictures/

Kawah Ijen Volcano, Blue flames and the largest highly acidic lake in the world.

http://geology.com/volcanoes/kawah-ijen/

Science Alert, Welcome to the largest, most highly acidic crater lake in the world

Mount Bromo smoking away on the road to Ijen. Photo: Michael Ishak

Kawar Ijen Blue flame at night.

“Muddy toes in freshwater wetland”.

Last week the barefoot team got their toes muddy spending a week in a coastal freshwater wetland near Taree. This research trip was part of a larger ARC linkage project with SCU Geoscience, MidCoast Council, Deakin University (Melbourne) and the Murray Darling Catchment Authority. Whilst the Geoscience and Deakin teams spent time gathering sediment core baseline data and microbiology samples, the primary focus for the barefoot team was capturing a methane flux dataset as part of Luke Jeffrey’s PhD, whilst assisting local council to look at ways of maximising carbon sequestration in freshwater wetlands.

Recent Posts

The quest for carcass leachate in beach groundwater.

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Barefoot scientists engaging in the next generation of researchers through kids TV.

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A PhD in tropical Bali

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Barefoot scientists to develop a new laboratory

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Barefoot annual camp

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SCU’s Climate

Change Challenge.

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Isaac Santos has recently joined the Associate Editor group at Marine Chemistry.

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Southern Cross University researchers are investigating a massive dieback of mangroves in northern Australia.

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Barefoot team starts work on wetland carbon sequestration project

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Gama in USA

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Goldschmidt in Japan

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Danny Smoak visit

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David Ho visit

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Honours student Rowena Diggle

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Honours study a valuable management tool

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Past posts

The Everglades with Damien and Judith

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Hawkesbury Estuary (August 2016)

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Tara Coal Seam Gas baseline studies 

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CSG Baseline Studies (January 2014)

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Residential canal estate management

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Coral Reef research

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Marnie's well sampling

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Helping to make drinking water safe

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Bribie ICOLLs

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Hat Head

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Methane, Carbon and North Creek 

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Hinchinbrook Island and global climate  

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