Case study: co-ordination of surveys

Case study: co-ordination of relevant parties

It is critical that any studies to investigate water quality are conducted in a coordinated way, For example, temporal co-ordination of biological, water quality and hydrographic surveys would help enormously in interpretation of data obtained.

Co-ordinating studies requires co-ordination between the various agencies and others involved in funding, survey, interpretation of data and lagoon management, such as has occurred latterly for the Fleet study. This level of co-ordination is essential for any similar project, to allow feedback of information and inform further survey and management of the site. It is likely, as found in the Fleet, that surveys and investigations involving different disciplines will probably be carried out by different agencies and/or contractors. In such cases, it is essential to form a project group to co-ordinate the work and facilitate interpretation of data as far as possible. It is recommended that the project group should include representatives of each of the agencies involved in management of the site, as well as representatives of each of the groups carrying out the different aspects of site survey and data analysis (including modelling) and perhaps those with a local specialist knowledge of the site.

In the Fleet, there was, perhaps surprisingly, little corresponding data. Reasonable data were available on the distribution and health of seagrass beds over time. However, there were no corresponding nutrient data, nor any suitable data on plankton or algal grazer communities which may affect the seagrass beds. Some data on green algae were available from the seagrass studies, but have not been analysed fully.

In the Fleet further water quality data was collected by those undertaking the nutrient modelling that was not being gathered through routine monitoring. The project group for the Fleet study demonstrated good linkage between statutory authorities and the research community, as has been the case in relation other aspects of the Fleet through the Fleet Study Group. However, in relation to physical modelling it is apparent from the bathymetric survey that even closer liaison should have occurred between those undertaking the modelling and those actually collecting relevant data in the field.

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