"The sustainable coastal development in northern Australia" team is made up of sediment experts, biologists, chemists and oceanographers. The team is equipped with skills specific to researching the impact of human activity on coastal waters. These researchers study water quality and ecosystem health and the movement of water and sediment.

It’s one of the finest harbours in Australia boasting an area seven times the size of Sydney Harbour encompassing roughly 1000 square kilometres of open water, with deep shipping channels. It’s the only port of any size along Australia’s northern coast and has ambitions to be Australia’s Asian gateway.

The project also studies fish communities and habitats in the Darwin Harbour. Fish biologists will examine the health of fisheries and how critical it is to a selected habitat.

AIMS began their studies on the Darwin Harbour in 2002, taking samples and establishing baseline data prior to work on major developments.

Biological markers that have been developed in barramundi as part of the on going assessment of water quality for the GBR region is being applied in Darwin Harbour.

Scientists will sample the blood in juvenile male barramundi to see if sewerage effluent is having an impact on the production of hormones. There are concerns that estrogenic compounds may be having an impact on barramundi reproductive cycles.

River Research

There are several river systems under investigation- the Daly, Mary and Roper estuaries. This research entails field and modelling studies of natural processes and human induced changes in flushing and sedimentation of estuaries. It examines the consequent impacts on the ecosystems.

This project looks at coastal water recycling in the rural Fujian province of China where human and agricultural pressures on waterways are taking their toll. AIMS has been enlisted to develop more efficient water recycling and fertilizer usage to minimize downstream estuarine and coastal pollution.

In a world first AIMS and its co-investor Apache Energy are assessing the biological effects of effluent (containing nutrients and hydrocarbons called production formation water PFW) from the Harriet A platform on the Northwest Shelf. It’s the first time the impacts of effluent have been studied using a controlled caging study in a tropical marine ecosystem. The focus of the project is to assess biological exposure and possible impacts on stripey seaperch exposed to the effluent released into the water during oil production. Scientists will analyse enzyme levels in organisms to detect signs of stress. These fish can be used as an early warning signal of stress.

Sea Perch	Natural gas fields, North West Shelf,  Western  Australia.

In most other developed coastal regions of Australia, management has focused on measuring environmental degradation and assessing the need for remedial measures. AIMS’ research endeavours to provide science-based solutions that will allow resource development and urban expansion without compromising the health of the environment.

This increased focus on northern Australia is about becoming fully acquainted with marine issues critical to Territorians. AIMS is collaborating with the NT Department of infrastructure, Planning and Environment, and consulting with all stakeholders, and custodians.