Details of Award
NERC Reference : NE/K00722X/1
[WATER] [ENVIRONMENT] Developing a biomonitoring tool to identify and quantify the impacts of particulate matter in freshwater ecosystems
Training Grant Award
- Lead Supervisor:
- Dr GS Bilotta, University of Brighton, Sch of Environment and Technology
- Grant held at:
- University of Brighton, Sch of Environment and Technology
- Science Area:
- Freshwater
- Terrestrial
- Overall Classification:
- Freshwater
- ENRIs:
- Biodiversity
- Environmental Risks and Hazards
- Natural Resource Management
- Pollution and Waste
- Science Topics:
- None
- Abstract:
- BACKGROUND: Managing global water resources is one of the greatest challenges of the 21st Century. Water is a resource that is under growing pressure as global population rises and the natural supply, in the form of precipitation, is becoming increasingly variable and uncertain with climate change. It is therefore essential that water resources are managed sustainably in terms of both their quantity and quality. One of the most common causes of water quality impairment is the presence of excessive levels of particulate matter, ranging from nano-scale particles to sand-sized sediments. Particulate matter (PM) can have a range of detrimental impacts on freshwater ecosystems and ultimately can lead to a significant decline in the associated ecosystem services; which are estimated to have a global value of around $1.7 trillion per annum. As such it is crucial that PM is monitored and managed effectively in order to avoid these detrimental impacts. There are currently several approaches for monitoring PM in freshwater ecosystems. However, due to the dynamic nature of PM and the large number of factors that determine its ecological impact (e.g. concentration, duration of exposure, particle dimensions, particle geochemistry), these approaches are prohibitively expensive and too inconsistent to be applied in the type of widespread national/international monitoring schemes that are required by water resource legislation such as the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). There is therefore a real need for alternative lower-cost approaches for quantifying PM and assessing its ecological impacts. AIM: The aim of this studentship is to develop and evaluate a biomonitoring tool, based on invertebrate community composition, for use by the Environment Agency (EA) and other international environmental bodies, in identifying and quantifying the magnitude of PM pollution in freshwater ecosystems. OBJECTIVES: The student will work on three key objectives: (1) Quantify and model the dynamics of suspended and deposited PM observed in contrasting river typologies that are suffering from varying degrees of PM pollution (as identified by previous monitoring by the EA), (2) Compare these dynamics to those observed in comparable river typologies that are in reference condition, (3) Develop and evaluate a model, based on an approach proposed by the supervisor at the EA, that predicts how the invertebrate community composition varies depending on deviation from reference condition PM dynamics for a range river typologies. Obj. (1) will be achieved through high-res monitoring and sampling of PM dynamics and invertebrate community composition, over a period of 30 months, in (i) five contrasting river typologies that are defined as being in 'Moderate Ecological Status' as a consequence of PM pollution, and (ii) five comparable river typologies that are defined as being in 'Poor Ecological Status' as a consequence of PM pollution. As part of Obj. (2), these observations will be compared to the dynamics of PM and invertebrates observed in (iii) five comparable river typologies that are defined as being in 'High Ecological Status' or reference condition (i.e. minimal anthropogenic disturbance). The latter data will be sourced from the lead academic supervisor's EPSRC project which is monitoring these reference condition sites from January 2011 until June 2014. The data from Obj. (1) and (2), combined with existing freely-available RIVPACS IV data collected from 835 high ecological-status sites across the UK, will feed into Obj. (3); leading to the development and evaluation of a biomonitoring model tool which will extend the Proportion of Sediment-sensitive Invertebrate (PSI) approach proposed by the lead supervisor from the EA, so that in the future the model tool will be able to identify and quantify the magnitude of PM pollution across a wide range of river typologies based on low-res (lower cost) measurements of the invertebrate community composition.
- NERC Reference:
- NE/K00722X/1
- Grant Stage:
- Completed
- Scheme:
- DTG - directed
- Grant Status:
- Closed
- Programme:
- Open CASE
This training grant award has a total value of £74,141
FDAB - Financial Details (Award breakdown by headings)
| Total - Other Costs | Total - Fees | Total - RTSG | Total - Student Stipend |
|---|---|---|---|
| £1,180 | £13,978 | £9,791 | £49,194 |
If you need further help, please read the user guide.