Are you interested in monitoring algal blooms?

The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) through the NSW Environmental Trust and in collaboration with government have developed a communication and education tool for community detection of algal blooms through electronic sources such as an Algae Scum ID phone app, as well as creating a new Algal Resource Kit for water testing for blue-green algae.

 

The purpose of the Algal Resource Kit is to fill the gap between professional water quality personnel and the community by providing a rapid self-assessment of a water body for any potentially toxic algal blooms. The kits can be used by anybody from an individual looking to keep an eye on personal stock water supplies; to a community group or organisation, government staff, businesses etc. looking to maintain and monitor NSW waterways as a whole.

 

The phone app called AlageScumID (reached by going to the app store on your phone) allows you go to through step-by-step in identifying potentially toxic blooming algae and other prolific growths such as water plants (macrophytes) that are commonly mistaken as blue-green algae that may occur in local creeks, rivers, farm dams and other water bodies.

 

These kits and App will be supported through a series of community workshops across NSW to educate participants about algal blooms while training them to sample, detect, and confirm blooms with the supplied resource kit. The workshops and project hopes to utilise community water monitoring networks and other interested parties, and will be conducted by A/Prof. Simon Mitrovic and other UTS and government staff. 

 

If you are interested in hosting a workshop or a kit, please advise Doug Westhorpe at the Department of Industry on 02 6774 9581 Doug.Westhorpe@dpi.nsw.gov.au. The kits are free (funded by the Environmental Trust).