Science advice for restoring the ecological character of the South Lagoon of the Coorong

News Title:

60 seconds with the Goyder Chair, Jody Swirepik, Update on the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre, Outputs from National Drinking Water Forum in remote First Nations communities Released, Successful Launch of the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre, New Fact Sheet: Translating Yannarumi into Water Resource Risk Assessments, Thank you for all those who attended Science in The Pub!, Join us for the Annual #WORLDWATERRUN from 18-24th March!, Science in the Pub presents "The Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth: A journey through droughts and floods.", Join us to Launch the New CLLMM Research Centre, New Project: Analysis of changes in high-intensity rainfall events in South Australia, Goyder Institute 2023 Annual Report Reflects on a Busy Year, New Project: Measuring the impact of Ground Water extractions on Mound Springs in Northern South Australia, CLLMM Research Centre announces a new location in the region, Goyder Institute for Water Research announces new Chair, New Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth Research Centre has hit the ground running. , New Project Aims to Understand the Environmental Response of the Coorong to the 2022-2023 River Murray Flood Event, Another New Member of Staff Joins the Goyder Institute, Goyder Institute welcomes another new staff member to the team, New Goyder Institute CLLMM Research Centre Participates in Collaborative Effort to Assist with Environmental DNA Sampling for Threatened Species, Delivering a Better Understanding of Water and Ecological interactions in the Braemar, Stuart Shelf and Northern Eyre Peninsula regions for Sustainable Development, Goyder Institute announces new Director, Goyder Institute welcomes three new staff to the team, Are you the Goyder Institute’s new Communications and Engagement Coordinator?, One Basin CRC holds its first annual event, Messages from the Working together for better drinking water in the bush forum warmly received by Federal Minister Plibersek, Research to continue on environmental impact of recent floods, Help us drive sustainable, innovative and integrated water management, Farewell to Daniel Pierce, Introducing the Goyder Institute's 2023-2026 Strategic Plan, Working together for better drinking water for bush communities, Coorong Research Hub to embark on program to address the effects of climate change, Goyder Institute welcomes two new staff to the team, Supporting climate change resilience in the Coorong, New website goes live, Institute research on show at Healthy Coorong Healthy Basin Science Forum, Goyder Institute takes home back-to-back national R&D excellence awards, Increased flushing vital to Coorong’s long-term health, Ruppia restoration strategy released for southern Coorong, Institute scientists head to River Murray to study environmental impacts of flood, Your chance to contribute to the development of a Resilient Water Future for Greater Adelaide, Institute embarks on a strategic planning refresh, Team Goyder is off and running again for World Water Day, Goyder Institute extended to 2026, New research report reveals pathway to keeping Adelaide’s liveable city status, Chair Prof Barry Hart releases Institute's 2022 Annual Report, A year in review and farewell from our Director, Goyder Institute’s Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Research Project wins R&D Excellence Award, How feasible is a water resource rating system for South Australia?, New research project in the South-East kicks off with aerial survey of groundwater, Australian Government announces new Research Hub of the Goyder Institute to support the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth region, Australian Government announces new Research Hub of the Goyder Institute to support the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth region, Chair announcement: Goyder Institute leadership update, Policy changes are needed to better protect environmental water from climate change in the Murray-Darling Basin, Join us as the Goyder Institute prepares to Sweat4Soap once more, Limestone Coast Landscape Board partners with the Goyder Institute to investigate adaptation of the South-East drainage network, New videos showcase research to inform the management of the Coorong, One Basin CRC takes initial steps towards shaping its research program, The South Australian Government and Goyder Institute partner to establish a Water Ambassador, One Basin CRC advances towards establishment with key roles formed, How feasible is land-based aquaculture in South Australia?, Major step towards Institute’s goals achieved as Coorong research concludes, Goyder Institute wins national award for Research Excellence, One Basin CRC to drive a sustainable future for the Murray-Darling Basin, New research project established to explore the feasibility of a water resource rating system, Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Program fieldwork wraps up, Goyder Institute research supports $10 million investment to improve shorebird habitat, Floods and recent climate projections highlight the importance of ongoing water reform, Water Resources Conference at the World Expo in Dubai identifies new international partnership opportunities, ONE Basin Cooperative Research Centre takes another important step forward, New project established to inform future urban water management options for Adelaide, In Focus: Research providing knowledge to identify climate adaptation pathways for the Coorong and Lower Lakes region, Running for World Wetlands Day (2 February 2022), 2022 shaping up to be an important year, Great progress towards our third term goals as 2021 draws to a close, In Focus: Research providing knowledge to restore a functioning Coorong food web, Welcome news for the ONE Basin Cooperative Research Centre, Impact of second-term projects continue to ‘flow’, Goyder Institute announced as winner of Australian Water Association’s SA Branch R&D award, The Goyder Institute’s new Interim Director looks to an exciting year ahead, In Focus: Research providing knowledge to maintain viable waterbird populations in the Coorong South Lagoon, Goyder Institute team surpasses its #Sweat4Soap target, Call for participation – water resources conference at World Expo in Dubai, Independent evaluation highlights success of Institute’s second term, Goyder Institute team commits to #Sweat4Soap, In Focus: Research providing knowledge to inform the future management of aquatic plants and algae in the Coorong South Lagoon, In Focus: Research providing knowledge to inform the future management of nutrient levels in the Coorong South Lagoon, Goyder Institute partners in the ONE Basin CRC rebid, IPCC 2021 Report on Climate Change emphasises need for the Goyder Institute to continue to support climate mitigation and adaptation, Goyder Institute showcases its Strategic Plan, Goyder Institute unveils new branding, The Sustainable Development Goals and the Goyder Institute for Water Research, Coorong scientific research project crosses halfway mark, Translating Ngarrindjeri Yannarumi into water resource risk assessments, Reducing fine sediment loads into Adelaide’s coastal waters, Project Coorong’s Science Forum resources now available, From South Lagoon to Siberia: tracking Coorong waterbirds via satellite, Interim management updates, New South Australian Government Climate Change Action Plan provides framework for future research of the Goyder Institute, Institute welcomes new Research Program Manager, ONE Basin CRC bid Stage 2 progresses to final stages, Congratulations Prof McKay – winner Premier’s Water Professional of the Year Award, Second term finishes strong – a year in review from the Director, ANNOUNCEMENT: Goyder Institute welcomes a new Chair and Management Board and Research Advisory Committee representatives, Citizen Science: a key part of the Goyder Institute’s involvement in the HCHB program, Finding ancient water in the outback – new research to support remote communities and enterprises, Vale Professor Peter Teasdale, Goyder Institute partners with the Australian and South Australian governments to restore a wetland of international importance - the Coorong’s South Lagoon, ANNOUNCEMENT: Goyder Institute partners establish the third term of the Institute, ONE Basin CRC bid continues to take shape to address the needs of basin governments, industries and communities, Flow on effects – new tools to support the integrated management of river flows and floodplain infrastructure along the River Murray, Advancing integrated management of Spencer Gulf for economic, social and ecological outcomes, Sea grass communities in Gulf St Vincent to benefit from new stormwater management intervention project, ICE WaRM ceases operations after 15 years of advancing excellence in water leadership across the globe, Agricultural technologies in South Australia survey, Investigations underway to help restore the Coorong, Expert panel recommendations inform changes to groundwater management in the Lower Limestone Coast, ONE Basin CRC bid gains momentum, R&D plan charts course for the year ahead, New research papers outline innovative approaches for water exploration and palaeovalley evolution, Call for expressions of interest – ONE Basin Cooperative Research Centre, A year in review from the Director, Research establishes proof of concept for blue carbon benefits from tidal reconnection of coastal wetlands, New research identifies the importance of healthy coastal habitats for combating climate change, New tools to help growers sustainably expand production in the Northern Adelaide Corridor, New research advances blue carbon opportunities in South Australia, Goyder Institute joins Smart Water Mission to New Zealand, Women changing the future of water, State Government seeks community feedback on Healthy Coorong, Healthy Basin Action Plan, Water managers now able to predict potential foodweb changes associated with floodplain inundation, Women in Water -- visibility matters, SA's droughts are getting worse -- new published research informed by Institute's SA Climate Ready data, G-FLOWS project enters final stages -- characterising the dimensions of a newly discovered paleochannel in the APY Lands, Goyder Institute for Water Research awarded Minister's Award for Excellence, Goyder Institute projects recognised for informing international best practice approaches to Indigenous engagement, Congratulations to Darryl Day -- Water Professional of the Year, Goyder Institute releases findings of independent review of the science underpinning water allocation reductions in the South East, Carbon offsets research to support the State Carbon Sequestration Strategy

Project Partners:

SARDI, The University of Adelaide, Flinders University, and CSIRO

Research Theme:

N/A

Status:

Project Overview

The Coorong, the most important waterbird wetland in the Murray-Darling Basin, has been degraded to the point where it is at risk of losing the key elements which make it such an iconic wetland of international importance. On top of a long-term trend in decline due to water extractions, the Coorong, and in particular the South Lagoon, was substantially damaged as during the Millennium Drought. It now contains a fraction of the waterbirds and fish that were measured in the 1980s, and there has been a recent change from an aquatic plant dominated system to an algal dominated system. The increasing prevalence of filamentous algae in the system is preventing aquatic plants from completing their life-cycle and interfering with the ability of waterbirds to feed on plants and invertebrates in the mudflats. The system is now in a vulnerable state and may have little capacity to absorb continued and cumulative environmental stress as a result of human-induced and climate changes. Given this, the Minister for Environment and Water and the Department for Environment and Water sought the following scientific information from the Goyder Institute for Water Research: • advice on whether the South Lagoon of the Coorong is currently supporting the agreed ecological values as defined by the Ecological Character Description • recommended actions for restoring the agreed ecological values as defined by the updated ecological character description. The purpose of this project is to provide decision-makers with a clear, simple high-level description of the drivers that make the Southern Lagoon of the Coorong such a unique and valuable ecological system. The description will consider the internal dynamics of the system and the interplay with the River Murray, Southern Ocean and Upper South East, as well as the role of the Coorong in the broader landscape in terms of supporting populations of migratory birds. This project will identify key knowledge gaps that currently limit the ability of decision-makers to intervene with confidence to shift the ecosystem back to the ecological character defined under the Ramsar Agreement.

Progress Update and Key Findings

Project Impacts

The review will deliver the following products. • High-level description of the character and drivers for the South Lagoon ecosystem for 1980s and currently. • Expert advice on whether the South Lagoon is currently supporting agreed ecological values. • Recommendations on what drivers need to be addressed so that the South Lagoon supports the agreed ecological values. • Recommendations on the science that is required to support the future management of the region. The outputs will provide clear guidance to governments and the community to make decisions regarding the future actions that are required to maintain the values of this important cultural, ecological and economically valuable site into the future.

Research Outputs

The current state of food resources supporting waterbird and fish populations in the Coorong

Experimental testing of Coorong filamentous algal growth with increasing temperature and salinity

An initial assessment of the potential for wetlands in the South East and Lower Lakes regions of South Australia to support key species of Coorong waterbirds

Coorong Dynamics Model sensitivity tests and gap identification

Assessment of Tolderol Game Reserve in autumn 2019 to support key species of Coorong waterbirds

Recommended actions for restoring the ecological character of the South Lagoon of the Coorong

Investigation of the application of remote sensing to estimate coverage of surface exposed (floating) filamentous algae in the Coorong, South Australia

Project News