
Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program - growing dataset provides over 23 years of environmental insights
The Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) proudly marks another year of successful data collection, extending its history of over 23 years of environmental monitoring. Let's take a look at some of the highlights of our signature program!
As the year draws to a close, the Ecosystem Health Monitoring Program (EHMP) finds itself in a celebratory mood, and rightfully so. Having dedicated over two decades to meticulous data collection and environmental stewardship, the EHMP remains a vital force in safeguarding the health and vibrancy of South East Queensland's (SEQ) waterways and Moreton Bay catchments.
This extensive and consistent collection of data provides a valuable foundation for understanding the region's catchments and waterways and how they are changing over time.
Empowering change through the SEQ Report Card – Insights for a sustainable future
Right now, the Healthy Land & Water Knowledge Research Team is busy gearing up for the much anticipated Report Card launch later this year. This eagerly awaited event will present a comprehensive analysis of the previous year’s monitoring data and provide detailed insights into the condition and trends relating to the health of waterways in the region. Through this rich and growing dataset, the Report Card provides a wealth of information to decision-makers and the community that can be used to inform waterway management action.
The Report Card supports land and water managers and policymakers by enabling them to make evidence-based decisions on environmental policies and regulations. Equipped with a deeper understanding of the current state of the environment, policymakers can implement targeted, high-impact strategies for conservation and restoration of catchments and waterways that drive positive change and safeguard the region’s precious natural assets.
The EHMP and Report Card also offer valuable long-term monitoring data that contributes to ongoing research efforts. The expansive, ever-growing dataset serves as a benchmark, enabling scientists to monitor environmental changes, identify emerging issues and research priorities, and formulate innovative solutions.
But the Report Card is not just confined to the academic and governmental realms. Its reach extends to the public, granting them access to essential information about the health of their local waterways and catchments.
With this knowledge, individuals can actively participate in environmental conservation and stewardship and make informed choices in their daily lives that positively impact the region's ecosystems.
A wealth of data
The monitoring is conducted annually on a range of key indicators of ecosystem health, including:
- Freshwater monitoring at 76 sites.
- Estuarine/marine monitoring at 186 sites.
- Seagrass depth range assessments at 18 sites.
- Catchment loads from all 18 catchments across the region are closely studied at 8 sites.
To gain a full picture of the region's environmental health, the program diligently analyses a vast number of samples. In FY23 alone, the team looked at:
- 2,563 samples to assess pollutant loads in waterways.
- 1,064 samples for freshwater quality.
- A staggering 23,250 samples for estuarine/marine water quality.
In preparation for delivering this year’s Report Card, the team spent countless hours furiously plugging all the latest EHMP data into our suite of models to generate accurate estimates of conditions for freshwater stream health, catchment pollutant loads, and estuarine and marine water quality.
In some exciting news, this year’s Report Card also features new indicators to measure and report on riparian habitats, which will further enhance the program's capacity to assess ecosystem health.
Measuring community engagement
When it comes to safeguarding the environment, the importance of community engagement cannot be understated.
Our Social Monitoring Program gives the community a chance to have their say in the management and protection of their local waterway via an annual survey. The purpose of this program is to help encourage individuals, industry, communities of practice, and governments to act in ways that improve or sustain the condition of catchments and the services they provide.
In the past we have measured four indicators of social benefit:
Connection with nature
- Personal connection to nature.
- Motivation to use and protect nature.
Personal benefits
- Social interaction.
- Emotional benefit.
- Rest and relaxation.
Usability and accessibility
- Overall use.
- Overall access.
Satisfaction with experience of local waterways
- Overall satisfaction.
This year, we again launched our EHMP Social Survey across all our platforms as part of our work to understand the social benefits of waterways and catchments. The survey aimed to assess how the people of SEQ interact with and benefit from local waterways, general community water literacy, riparian management awareness, and more, with a target of 3,500 responses from SEQ residents.
This year’s survey asked additional questions relating to community water literacy, their stewardship activities, perceptions of crowds when recreating in nature, their views on restoration, and the importance and significance of a range of issues relating to the environment.
In 2023 we began a review (check the article) of the social monitoring program to improve its effectiveness and understand how the data is being utilised.
Expert guidance and collaboration
The success of the EHMP is bolstered by collaboration with SEQ’s leading scientists from academia, government, and industry, who provide guidance and expertise that enriches the program's scope and impact.
This program is a united effort coordinated by Healthy Land & Water in partnership with its members, including the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, who play a crucial role in delivering the core monitoring program and ensuring the program's success.
It is supported by the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council, Ipswich City Council, Lockyer Valley Regional Council, Logan City Council, Moreton Bay Regional Council, Noosa Council, Redland City Council, Scenic Rim Regional Council, Seqwater, Somerset Regional Council, Sunshine Coast Council, Unitywater and Urban Utilities.
To learn more about the EHMP, click here.