I recently heard from Professor Ralf Haese at the University of Melbourne, who reached out with a question about the new WaterWatch data portal. While helping him resolve a technical hiccup, I was very happy to learn how the data is being used in his classes.
Professor Haese uses the WaterWatch and EstuaryWatch data in a second-year Environmental Geoscience assignment. Students explore a real-world issue in the Anglesea River, plotting monthly pH levels against local rainfall data (sourced from nearby Aireys Inlet). They then review historical reports and research on the causes of acidity in the river.
Through this task, students summarise competing theories on the source of the acidity, analyse patterns related to rainfall and estuary openings, and consider the complex interactions between soils, hydrology and chemical processes.
As Professor Haese says:
“The students really enjoy the assignment because it is about a real-world case study (sadly). They learn to use databases such as yours, and they need to consider the whole system—rainfall, chemical reactions in soils, hydrology—to understand what’s going on.”
I am so thrilled to see the WaterWatch and EstuaryWatch datasets being used in such a meaningful way.
Please contact me if you have any questions or more examples of how your are using the data: justine.holmes@ccma.vic.gov.au