From Spill to Bloom: Investigating the Environmental Impacts of the Shoalhaven River Grain Spill
Medical, Biological and other Sciences
ABOUT THE INDUSTRY PARTNER
NSW Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW)
The Water, Wetlands and Coastal Science Branch within NSW DCCEEW undertakes research, monitoring, modelling and scientific assessments to support the sustainable management of NSW aquatic environments. Through collaboration with government agencies, research institutions and local stakeholders, the Branch provides evidence-based science that informs environmental policy, incident response, resource management and climate adaptation planning.
Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS)
The Sydney Institute of Marine Science (SIMS) is a leading marine science research institute and partnership between Macquarie University, the University of New South Wales, the University of Sydney and the University of Technology Sydney. SIMS brings together researchers, government and industry to accelerate ocean solutions through world-class science, innovation and collaboration. The Institute supports the next generation of marine scientists while delivering research that informs policy, improves ocean health and benefits communities. During the internship, SIMS will provide mentoring, professional development and access to its extensive network.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU?
- Real-world impact: Contribute to the scientific investigation of a significant environmental incident in NSW, generating knowledge to improve future environmental incident response, water-quality management and management of the NSW marine estate.
- Government science experience: Work alongside leading scientists within NSW DCCEEW and gain first-hand experience in applied environmental research.
- Professional development: Receive mentoring from both DCCEEW and SIMS, develop scientific communication skills and expand your professional network across government, academia and industry.
- Research excellence: Contribute towards a peer-reviewed scientific publication while producing research with direct management and policy relevance.
RESEARCH TO BE CONDUCTED
In 2024, the collapse of two grain silos at Bomaderry released thousands of tonnes of wheat into the Shoalhaven River, triggering a significant algal bloom and widespread water-quality concerns.
This internship will investigate how the spill affected water quality, ecological condition and estuarine processes by integrating a unique suite of environmental datasets, including:
- Continuous water-quality monitoring
- Flow-through water-quality measurements
- Water-level observations
- Ecological and sediment monitoring data
- Hydrodynamic model outputs
The successful candidate will analyse these datasets to reconstruct the environmental response, investigate the influence of tidal and hydrodynamic processes on water quality and algal bloom development, and develop recommendations to improve future environmental monitoring and incident response
SKILLS WISH LIST
If you’re a postgraduate research student and meet some or all the below we want to hear from you. We strongly encourage women, indigenous and disadvantaged candidates to apply:
Essential
- Environmental science, marine science, ecology, hydrology, oceanography, or a related discipline
- Experience analysing environmental datasets
- Strong programming skills (e.g. R, Python, MATLAB, or similar)
- GIS or spatial analysis skills
- Scientific writing experience
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Ability to work independently and collaboratively
Desirable
- Water quality or aquatic ecosystem knowledge
- Experience working with time-series datasets
- Hydrodynamic or environmental modelling experience
RESEARCH OUTCOMES
Expected Activities
- Integrate and analyse environmental monitoring datasets
- Investigate relationships between water quality, ecological condition and hydrodynamic processes
- Develop conceptual models describing environmental responses to the spill
- Translate scientific findings into practical management recommendations
Expected Deliverables
- Draft peer-reviewed scientific manuscript
- Integrated environmental dataset and metadata
- Technical figures and conceptual frameworks
- Plain-English summary for environmental managers
- Final presentation to project partners
- Recommendations to improve future environmental incident response
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
The intern will receive $3,300 per month of the internship, usually in the form of scholarship payments.
It is expected that the intern will primarily undertake this research project during regular business hours and maintain contact with their academic mentor throughout the internship either through face-to-face or phone meetings as appropriate.
The intern and their academic mentor will have the opportunity to negotiate the project’s scope, milestones and timeline during the project planning stage.
Please note, applications are reviewed regularly and this internship may be filled prior to the advertised closing date if a suitable applicant is identified. Early submissions are encouraged.
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