Freshwater Surveys

Aquenal conducts assessments of Tasmania’s inland lakes, rivers and streams, specialising in biological surveying and physico-chemical water quality monitoring. Through program planning, sample collection, and analysis of environmental data, Aquenal is able to produce high quality scientific reports for a number of clients including government, the energy industry, aquaculture and research institutions.

Aquenal’s staff are accredited in the AUSRIVAS Australian River Assessment System and can assess the ecological condition of freshwater systems through collection and identification of macroinvertebrates that are sensitive to changes in habitat and water quality. For example, Aquenal has conducted surveys of freshwater macroinvertebrates at ningina/Great Lake in Tasmania, including targeted surveys of listed species, and studies of macrofauna distribution and abundance to assess ecological impacts following environmental changes. Aquenal also carries out biomonitoring for freshwater aquaculture activities (focussing on benthic health and algal assessment), alongside water quality monitoring, for compliance, licensing, and industry certification purposes. Aquenal often utilises components of the Tasmanian River Condition Index (TRCI) assessment methodology to assess river condition within Tasmanian catchments.