Frequently asked questions

Citizen science, also known as community science or public participation in scientific research is the involvement of volunteers in scientific research, projects or in the case of EstuaryWatch and Waterwatch, water quality data collection.

The Ten Principles of Citizen Science were developed by the European Citizen Science Association to provide a framework for designing, implementing, and evaluating citizen science projects. These principles help ensure that citizen science projects are ethical, effective, and meaningful for both participants and researchers, the principles (below) have been adopted by The Australian Citizen Science Association in consultation with the European Citizen Science Associations and its members.

10 principles of Citizen Science

1. Citizen science projects actively involve citizens in scientific endeavour that generates new knowledge or understanding. Citizens may act as contributors, collaborators, or as project leader and have a meaningful role in the project.
2. Citizen science projects have a genuine science outcome. For example, answering a research question, informing conservation action, or facilitating policy decisions.
3. Citizen science provides benefits to both science and society. Benefits may include learning opportunities, personal enjoyment, social benefits, the publication of research outputs, contributing to scientific evidence that can influence policy on many scales (locally, nationally, and internationally), and connecting the wider community with science.
4. Citizen scientists may participate in various stages of the scientific process. This may include developing research questions, designing methods, gathering and analysing data, and communicating results.
5. Citizen scientists receive feedback from the project. For example, how their data are being used and the research, policy or societal outcomes.
6. Citizen science, as with all forms of scientific inquiry, has limitations and biases that should be considered and controlled for. However, unlike traditional research approaches, citizen science provides greater opportunity for public engagement and participation, increasing accessibility of science in society.
7. Where possible and suitable, project data and meta-data from citizen science projects are made publicly available and results are published in an open access format. Data sharing may occur during or after the project, unless there are security or privacy concerns that prevent this from occurring.
8. Citizen scientists are suitably acknowledged by projects. This may include acknowledgement in project communications, result reporting and publications.
9. Citizen science programs offer a range of benefits and outcomes which should be acknowledged and considered in project evaluation. Communication and evaluation of projects could include scientific outputs, data quality, participant experience and learning, knowledge sharing, social benefits, capacity building, new ways of science engagement, enhanced stakeholder dialogue, and wider societal or policy impact.
10. The leaders of citizen science projects take into consideration legal and ethical considerations of the project. These considerations include copyright, intellectual property, data sharing agreements, confidentiality, attribution, participant safety and wellbeing, traditional owner consultation, and the environmental impact of any activities.

What is a stream or river?

A stream forms when water collects from an area and moves gradually downhill in a continuous flow. As streams connect, they gradually grow larger, and at some point, become large enough to be called a river. Streams which feed into a river are sometimes called tributaries. Over time, a stream or river may cut a channel into the underlying soil or rock. This may then form defined river banks which the river runs between.

Rivers are important habitats for many water dependent animals and plants, such as fish, waterbirds, frogs, turtles and platypus. Rivers allow water to flow and connect with habitats such as wetlands, pools, lagoons, swamps and floodplain pools. Rivers can be connected to groundwater, both receiving water from underground and helping to replenish groundwater aquifers.

Why are rivers and river water important?

Rivers and streams are important sources of water for both humans and the environment. Many plants and animals rely on healthy rivers for habitat, food, and breeding, and it’s important that we manage water to support them.

Rivers and streams are also an important part of First Nations culture. First Nations people rely on river water to carry out cultural traditions such as fishing, hunting and ceremonies, and to maintain a connection to Country. Many rivers are also sacred and spiritually significant sites for First Nations communities.

Estuaries

An estuary is a body of water that joins the sea – it has a mouth that can be “open” or “closed” to the sea. This means that the estuary water is salty. It is more salty at the mouth of the estuary and less salty further up where a river joins it.

Estuaries contain a wide variety of habitats where fresh and salt water meet and mix in a continually changing environment. Fresh water does not readily mix with salt water. Fresh water flowing from upstream is relatively light and rides over the more dense salt water from the ocean. This difference in density causes layering or stratification of the water, which in turn affects water quality and currents in the estuary. If tidal flow is very strong, the fresh and salt water layers may completely mix. Unlike the one-way flow of rivers, water in estuaries often cycles backwards and forwards before finally leaving. Water borne pollutants and sediment may remain in the estuary for a long time and harm plants and animals. This is particularly so in estuaries that are large but have a narrow opening to the ocean.

 

Estuaries are an important link between the ocean and the land, where salty marine waters mix with freshwater from rivers and streams. Estuaries are dependent on fresh and saltwater to provide a healthy environment. The amount of freshwater f lowing into an estuary can vary from season to season, year to year and location. These variations along with tide, sea state, light availability and even sediment in the water all contribute to creating unique environments. Estuaries are as diverse in their physical form as they are in their state of health. However, they all share the distinction of being highly valued by the small communities living alongside them.

Estuary facts

• Estuaries rank along with tropical rainforests and coral reefs as the world’s most productive ecosystems.
• Many different habitat types are found in and around estuaries, including shallow open waters, freshwater and salt marshes, wetlands, sandy beaches, mud and sand flats, rocky shores, mangrove forests, tidal pools, and sea grass meadows.
• The protected waters of estuaries make them ideal breeding grounds for fish. Many fish species lay their eggs in estuaries or use them to migrate to freshwater. As a result, estuaries are often referred to as the nurseries of the sea.
• Estuaries are important filters in our environment. As water f lows through estuarine wetlands, much of the sediment contaminants and pollutants washed from the land are f iltered out by surrounding wetland plants, creating cleaner, clearer water.
• Estuarine wetlands act as storm buffers to prevent flooding, and minimise damage such as erosion caused by large storms.
• Estuaries play an important role in our economy. They provide tourism opportunities, attracting tourists who like fishing, boating and other recreational activities. Exploring Estuaries A teacher’s guide to the estuaries in Victoria

What are some of the problems facing estuaries?

• Urban development – housing, recreation and fishing.
• Habitat loss and degradation – clearing of vegetation, pollution or other sources.
• Agricultural activities – runoff from agricultural land can affect the health of estuaries. For example the use of certain fertilisers can increase nutrient levels and stimulate algal growth in estuaries.
• Damming and power stations – differences in water temperature can affect aquatic organisms. Cold water from dams and warm water from power stations are forms of thermal pollution that affect waterways.
• Industries – fishing and oyster farming can cause issues for water quality in an estuary. Over fishing and habitat loss reduces the number of fish and in turn affects the food chain.
• Boating – boating activities such as boat wakes, boat propellers and anchoring can cause bank erosion and damage fragile seagrass beds. • Structures – breakwaters, drains, bridges, rock falls and other man-made structures affect the passage of water and conditions in an estuary. They can also have negative impacts on species that need to migrate from rivers to estuaries as part of their life cycle.
• Erosion – excess sediment in estuaries from erosion can smother seagrass and other aquatic vegetation. This reduces habitats and food sources.
• Litter – pollutants such as plastic and other non biodegradable litter causes many issues in our marine and estuarine environments. For example, plastics can be mistaken by some marine species as food or it can entangle their appendages making it difficult to move.

The principles of both programs are the same – a group meeting on a regular basis to take water quality measurements of a specified river or estuary. But the water quality parameters are slightly different. EstuaryWatch and WaterWatch groups upload their data onto the respective portals.

EstuaryWatch collects:

• Turbidity
• pH
• Temperature
• Dissolved oxygen
• Conductivity
• Photos taken at the estuary mouth, noting if it is open or closed, if it is flowing and the water level

WaterWatch collects:

• Turbidity
• pH
• Temperature
• Air and water temperature temperature
• Electrical conductivity
• Reactive phosphorous
• Asses bank vegetation
• In stream cover
• Riffles
• Pools
• Overall habitat
• Photo documentation

A water catchment is an area or basin of land bounded by ridges, hills or mountains from which all surface run-off water drains to a river, stream, lake, wetland or estuary.

What happens in a catchment?

When it rains, water drains to the lowest point on the land, forming small creeks that feed into larger streams and rivers as they run downhill. In this way water can drain into a river from an area that is often many square kilometres in area. Natural features, such as ridges, hills or mountains form the boundaries of a catchment. From these high points, all water flows down to the lowest point (like water in a bathtub flowing to the plug hole).

In the case of a natural catchment, the low point could be a wetland, lake, junction with a river, or river mouth where it enters the sea. Catchments vary in size and makeup. Large ones are bordered by mountain ranges and include hundreds of small sub catchments. Each sub-catchment may itself be bordered by low hills and ridges and drained by smaller creeks or gullies. What happens in all of these smaller catchments and streams will affect the wellbeing of the main river. So, water quality at one spot along the river will be influenced by what has happened upstream and will itself affect water quality downstream.

Please visit this page and find the map to locate what catchment you are in.

Catchment Management Authorities and Melbourne Water are responsible for integrated catchment management. They undertake integrated planning and coordinate the management of land, water and biodiversity. They also involve the community in decision-making. For example, implementation committees for programs include people from the local community.

Each catchment management authority is structured to maximise community involvement in decision-making. They comprise:

• Board members are responsible for developing strategic direction for land, water and biodiversity management in their region and providing oversight of the management of the authority.
• Implementation committees that act as channels for local community input and develop and oversee detailed work programs.
• Staff members who support the board and implementation committees, oversee the development and implementation of programs and work closely in partnership with the community, government and other catchment-focused organisations.

EstuaryWatch and WaterWatch is a citizen science program that collects many data points across waterways across Victoria. It is essential because it is creating long term data sets that are becoming increasingly important with the impact of climate change, it builds environmental stewardship, and provides critical data for science and policy. Volunteers help track long-term changes, respond to local issues, and raise awareness, creating a community-driven approach to protecting our water resources.