AN underwater sediment scanner that eliminates the need for divers and provides real-time data for environmental monitoring has won engineering group WorleyParsons and the Port Hedland Port Authority the 2011 Golden Gecko award for environmental excellence.
The Golden Gecko Awards were established by the Department of Mines and Petroleum in 1992 to acknowledge outstanding advances and innovation in environmental practices in the resources sector.
The Sedimentation Scanner can provide up-to-the minute data, a huge advance on waiting up to four weeks to analyse water quality information gathered by dive teams.
The scanners can be set up offshore for coral and seagrass monitoring or onshore for mangrove monitoring, but perhaps their biggest benefit is their safety value.
WorleyParsons manager marine and terrestrial sciences, Peter Mellor, said the complete diverless marine monitoring system represented a paradigm shift in minimising risk exposure, field time and maximising data delivery time frames.
“The safety value of the scanners was demonstrated in the most obvious way when crocodiles moved into the Port Hedland inner harbour in 2010 … while we were responsible for the environmental monitoring of three large dredging projects in the region,” Mr Mellor told WA Business News.
The scanners measure sediment in the water and provide vital information about the impact of potentially damaging work such as dredging on marine ecosystems, including mangroves.
Deployed in the sediment on the seafloor, the technology was first trialled as part of the environmental impact assessment and conformance monitoring for South West Creek in Port Hedland for the Port Hedland Port Authority.
The technology shares some innovative characteristics with Western Australian company Fastwave Communication’s OceanStar Marine Environmental Monitoring System, which integrates subsea, satellite and internet technologies to monitor water conditions on the ocean floor.
OceanStar has won several awards, including a WA Information Technology and Telecommunications award, two categories in the inaugural Subsea Energy Australia award and a state i-award.
In addition to the main Golden Gecko award, ATCO Gas Australia, which was formerly WA Gas Networks, KD1 and Compass Group (Australia) were awarded certificates of merit.
ATCO Gas Australia and KD1’s conservation and management strategy for their new gas pipeline ensured the Black Cockatoo’s habitat was protected, while Compass was recognised for its innovative approach to site catering, including its strategies for waste minimisation.
