Getting involved in a Citizen Science project is a great way to contribute to knowledge and research. There are several options, depending what you might find interesting, and what fits your skills and capabilities.
Waterwatch
Waterwatch Victoria is a Citizen Science based water monitoring program. All the work is done by volunteers. It’s main value is education and public awareness. We welcome new groups or volunteers to join the Waterwatch program. Please contact us to find out more.
FOGL participates in Waterwatch, currently measuring at three sites. The data can be viewed by going to the Waterwatch data portal https://ww-data.waterwatch.org.au/ and selecting a site on the map. A screenshot of data from one of our sites is shown below. We have capability to measure phosphates and Nntrates ,pH, salinity, dissolved oxygen and turbidity.
Waterwatch data can identify potential issues for reporting to the relevant authority to follow up. Around 15 years go there were over 100 active Waterwatch sites around the Gippsland Lakes. Only around 20 are still active.
Australian Marine Debris Initiative ( AMDI )
FoGL is partnering with Tangaroa Blue and AMDI to conduct research on marine litter and debris. We are running event in Lakes Entrance and other places around the Lakes. Please contact us if you’d like to know more or follow the link below
https://tangaroablue.org/about-amdi/
Phytoplankton / Algal Bloom Monitoring
Algal blooms are known to occur in the Gippsland Lakes. Many do not cause issues. However some algal species when in bloom cause harmful effects such as mass fish kills and adverse health effects to humans. This new initiative is to help understand and find out more about microalgae in the Gippsland Lakes. We are at the very early stages of this project. This Citizen Science activity will be closely modelled on that of the South Australia Citizen Science initiative, which has grown since the devastating blooms recently in that State. See what they are doing by looking at their Facebook page Phyoplankton of South Australia Facebook Group. A similar Facebook page has been set up for Victoria, and some observations are being recorded : Harmful Algal Bloom Monitoring in Victoria. Algal bloom monitoring involves collecting water samples, and identifying species through a compound microscope. If you have knowledge or experience in this area we would be interested in hearing from you.
Other ways to get involved
Other groups also run Citizen Science projects to collect data that is important for research and knowledge. Contact them to find out more.
Birdlife East Gippsland run bird counts
Frog ID an app to record frog sightings and calls
Marine Mammal Foundation have research projects and dolphin counts in the Gippsland Lakes