CQU researcher Dr Leonie Andersen has a key role as coordinator of the latest Port Curtis Integrated Monitoring Program (PCIMP), which was launched in early July.

The program was launched with commencement of its annual water quality and mangrove monitoring programs.

PCIMP, established in 2001, is a consortium of members from 14 bodies representing industry, government (both local and state), research institutions and other stakeholders to develop a cooperative, monitoring program for assessing the ecosystem health of Port Curtis.

PCIMP's vision is to 'foster coordination of monitoring activities among the stakeholders of Port Curtis and to share and disseminate information to improve the capacity to manage natural resources in a sustainable and balanced way for the prosperity of communities and the health of the natural environment'.

Dr Andersen, based at CQU's Centre for Environmental Management in Gladstone, said that through PCIMP, industries and other stakeholders have combined resources to undertake a holistic monitoring and research program, which includes data sharing.

"It is important that a 'whole of port' approach is adopted in the monitoring and assessment of the Gladstone harbour. Previous monitoring has been restricted to individual industry receiving environments, but this will be the first time that such a large collaborative approach to monitoring the whole harbour will be undertaken".

Latest techniques and emerging technologies will be enlisted to assess the health of the harbour within 7 main research themes; water quality, sediment quality, seagrass, mangroves, macrobenthic invertebrates, bioaccumulation and fish assemblages and fisheries.

The program involves researchers from CQU and a number of other research institutions.

Funding commitment for the 2006 monitoring program currently exceeds $600,000 and with the intention of applying for Government 1:1 funding, the program is likely to expand.

"The type of monitoring being undertaken is above and beyond what industries or members are required to undertake under their licence agreements," Dr Andersen said.

"Taking this into consideration, the level of support for PCIMP is outstanding and demonstrates the commitment of PCIMP members to maintaining a sustainable environment in Port Curtis".

Data will be analysed, collated, interpreted and presented in the form of a Port Curtis Ecosystem Health Report Card and distributed to PCIMP members and the community.

"Eventually we intend to establish a PCIMP website to allow community access to information on the health of the harbour, in the form of colour-coded maps and results in an easy-to-read format," Dr Andersen said.

"Different zones in the harbour will be given a health rating and the information updated each year as results come to hand.

"Industry and other interested stakeholders will be provided with new techniques to manage and sustain the environment as well as a model which demonstrates ways to work in partnership".