The Reef Catchments Science Partnership (RCSP) is a collaboration between The University of Queensland and the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
Established in July 2021, the RCSP conducts research to generate information to assist in the design and delivery of water quality improvement programs and projects, including the Queensland Government’s environmental monitoring and evaluation capabilities associated with the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.
Our vision
To encourage collaboration across scientists, policymakers, catchment management groups and industry leaders, leading to discoveries, practical solutions and innovative products.
We prioritise the development of future leaders by providing targeted mentoring to honours and postgraduate students, with the goal of creating a lasting legacy of evidence-based efforts to enhance catchment and ecosystem resilience and water quality.
We are dedicated to delivering state-of-the-art research and knowledge on water quality trends, risks and best practices, ensuring that interventions are focused on the most impactful areas.
We aim to bridge the divide between academia and government, working with landholders and other important stakeholders to drive meaningful and sustainable change.
Our mission
Building resilience in catchments to improve and safeguard water quality for the future by using our knowledge and data, creating the scientific foundation and capacity to empower impactful, targeted and science-based decisions that will benefit all of Queensland.
- Catchment Water Quality Alliance
- Water quality innovations (data analysis and synthesis)
- Point and diffuse sources compliance for nutrients and sediments
- Proactive monitoring and compliance
- Support for the Behavioural Insights Team in the Office of the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage
Catchment Water Quality Alliance
The Catchment Water Quality Alliance (CWQA) is a dynamic collaboration that brings together the expertise of government and academia to tackle water quality challenges in Queensland.
By combining the applied knowledge of the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation with the cutting-edge research and development capabilities of The University of Queensland and James Cook University, the Alliance delivers innovative solutions to protect and improve the health of Queensland’s waterways.
The Alliance is dedicated to empowering catchment stewardship through its innovative approaches to water quality monitoring and knowledge transfer to support environmental management and decision-making in Queensland.
Water quality innovations (data analysis and synthesis)
Our team contributes to groundbreaking advancements in water quality and landscape processes through innovative data analysis and synthesis.
A key program is the Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program (GBRCLMP), delivered in partnership with the Water Quality & Investigations group of the Queensland Department of Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.
The GBRCLMP is a long-running, innovative water quality monitoring program that plays a vital role in tracking long-term water quality trends as rivers and streams flow into the Great Barrier Reef lagoon from catchments along Queensland’s east coast. The data collected through this program is essential for improving water quality models and measuring progress towards the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan 2025 targets, which aim to protect and preserve the Reef for future generations.
Our work is driven by collaboration and innovation. We are committed to building strong partnerships with stakeholders and investing in cutting-edge technologies to enhance our impact. We also follow FAIR data principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable), ensuring that the data we collect can be easily shared and utilised by researchers, policymakers, and the broader community to drive meaningful action. Together, we are working to safeguard one of the world’s most iconic natural wonders and ensure a sustainable future for Queensland’s catchments and waterways.
Point and diffuse sources compliance for nutrients and sediments
We explore the potential for economic and market mechanisms to meet both current and future demands for point source offsets and enhance the adoption of water quality offsets.
Projects include:
- estimate demand for water quality offsets from sewage treatment plants in South East Queensland by 2050
- estimate the feasibility of various water quality offset supply options in areas with potential demand from aquaculture in Great Barrier Reef catchments
- compile up to date cost information on river restoration from across Queensland
- provide technical water quality economics advice to stakeholders.
Proactive monitoring and compliance
We develop customised monitoring tools and data products that fuse remote sensing, modelling, machine learning, and in‑situ monitoring to deliver timely, actionable intelligence.
These tools support proactive, constructive engagement with land managers and help compliance teams prioritise effort by targeting current and emerging high‑risk areas for water quality impacts from land management practices (e.g. over‑grazing, new or expanding cropping).
Support for the Behavioural Insights Team in the Office of the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage
The RCSP supports the Behavioural Insights Team in the Office of the Great Barrier Reef and World Heritage (OGBRWH) by reviewing and analysing human dimensions data from water quality projects and programs funded under Australian and Queensland government Great Barrier Reef investment programs.
In addition to providing actionable recommendations through brief reports that inform adaptive management and ongoing project implementation, the RCSP also offers support in integrating behavioural insights into program design, delivery and Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E). This support aims to enhance the effectiveness of water quality initiatives by applying behavioural science principles throughout the program and project lifecycle.
RCSP leaders
RCSP Director
Associate Professor Ryan Turner, Senior Research Fellow
Ryan Turner's research profile
RCSP Interim Deputy Director
Ms Catherine Neelamraju, Principal Research Leader / Research Fellow
Catherine Neelamraju's research profile
Researchers and research fellows
Ms Angela Marsh, Senior Principal Researcher (Data Team Leader)
Angela Marsh's research profile
Miss Eloise Wilson, Data Scientist
Eloise Wilson's research profile
Ms Hannah Mitchell, Senior Research Assistant
Dr Joseph McMahon, Research Fellow
Joseph McMahon's research profile
Mr Mika Rowston, Senior Research Assistant
Mika Rowston's research profile
Mr Richard Gardiner, Principal Research Data Analyst
Richard Gardiner's research profile
Ms Payton Te Ngaio, Senior Research Assistant
Ms Steph Atkinson, Research Assistant
Research students
Ms Florina Richard, PhD candidate
Florina Richard's rsearch profile
Ms Sarah Stephenson, PhD candidate
Honorary and adjunct
Dr Reinier Mann, Honorary Associate Professor
Affiliated researchers
Associate Professor Angela Dean, Lecturer
Angela Dean's research profile
Dr Tracy Schultz, Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Tracy Schultz's research profile
Tribute to Michael St John Warne
The Reef Catchment Science Partnership team at The University of Queensland and the Department of Environment, Science and Innovation acknowledges the significant contribution of the late Associate Professor Michael Warne to the establishment and direction of the partnership.
Michael's leadership and dedication to environmental science and eco-toxicology were influential and have made the world a better place. We continue his legacy through educating and extending science to everyone to improve water quality through catchment resilience.
Recent RCSP publications
Rozemeijer, J., Jordan, P., Hooijboer, A., Kronvang, B., Glendell, M., Hensley, R., Rinke, K., Stutter, M., Bieroza, M., Turner, R., Mellander, P. E., Thorburn, P., Cassidy, R., Appels, J., Ouwerkerk, K., and Rode, M. (2025). Best practice in high-frequency water quality monitoring for improved management and assessment; a novel decision workflow. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 197 (4) 353 1-23.
DOI: org/10.1007/s10661-025-13795-z
Neelamraju, Cath A., Mann, Reinier M., Bainbridge, Zoe T., Mitchell, Hannah C., and Turner, Ryan D. R. (2025). Improvement in mixture risk assessment: a multi-national application of the Pesticide Risk Metric. Environmental Advances 22 100676 100676.
DOI: org/10.1016/j.envadv.2025.100676
Neelamraju, Cath A., Mann, Reinier M., Warne, Michael St J., Sanchez-Bayo, Francisco, and Turner, Ryan D. R. (2025). The Temporal Response Surface: A Novel Method for the Assessment of Delayed and Time-Cumulative Aquatic Ecosystem Risk. Environmental Science & Technology 59 (21) 1-10.
DOI: org/10.1021/acs.est.4c14331
Phan, Thuc D., Bertone, Edoardo, Neelamraju, Catherine, Nguyen, Nam, Nguyen, Tien Q., and Pham, Tuyen V. (2025). A systems thinking approach to understand the impacts of pesticides on the Great Barrier Reef ecosystems. Systems Research and Behavioral Science.
DOI: org/10.1002/sres.3145
McMahon, J. M., Turner, R. D. R., Smart, J. C. R., Shortle, J. S., Ramsay, I., Correa, D. F., Chamberlain, D., Mao, Y., and Warne, M. St. J. (2024). Offset integrity reduces environmental risk: Using lessons from biodiversity and carbon offsetting to inform water quality offsetting in the catchments of the Great Barrier Reef. Science of the Total Environment 951 175786 175786.
DOI: org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.175786
Browse all RCSP publications on UQ eSpace
Communities of practice
PULSE – Australia’s Pesticide Science Community of Practice
PULSE (Pesticide Use and Land Stewardship Engagement) is a voluntary, non-commercial, national community of practice that connects researchers, practitioners, and decision-makers to share knowledge and drive practical solutions for managing pesticide loss pathways across Australia’s diverse landscapes and waterways.
While our roots are in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area, our vision is broader: to support sustainable pesticide management that protects aquatic ecosystems and communities nationwide.
By fostering collaboration across sectors, we aim to reduce pesticide risks in aquatic environments through evidence-based approaches that are locally relevant and globally informed.
PULSE is committed to connecting people, ideas, and innovations to support sustainable agriculture and resilient ecosystems, because meaningful change starts on the ground.
For more details email pestcop@uq.edu.au or visit PULSE on LinkedIn.
National Water Quality Monitoring Community of Practice (WQM-CoP)
Over the years, considerable money has been invested in water quality monitoring initiatives and programs, resulting in the collection of vast amounts of data. However, concerns regarding the standardisation and reliability of this data have been a topic of discussion among practitioners for some time. As a result, the Australian Hydrographers Association has decided to support a community of practice focused on water quality monitoring.
Through sharing information, the latest developments, and experiences, the WQM-CoP aims to build confidence in the capacity and resilience of real-time (in field) water quality monitoring nationally.
Email rcsp.info@uq.edu.au to join the WQM-CoP.
Data portals
Catchment Water Quality Alliance Hub
The Catchment Water Quality Alliance Hub is a one-stop digital shop that provides detailed information about:
- the work and programs offered by the Alliance
- the member organisations and collaboration partners
- links to all the individual digital products offered by the Alliance.
Visit the Catchment Water Quality Alliance Hub
Tahbil - Water Quality Data Portal
On this portal, you can find:
- concentration data for various water quality parameters, predominantly sediment, nutrients and pesticides
- calculated annual and daily Total Suspended Solids and nutrients loads, annual Total Suspended Solids and nutrients yields
- calculated Pesticide Risk Metric.
Data are available for monitoring locations across the:
- Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program
- South East Queensland Catchment Loads Monitoring Program.
Visit Tahbil - Water Quality Data Portal
Catchment Loads Dashboard
The Catchment Water Quality Alliance is committed to finding new ways to make Queensland water quality science more accessible to its stakeholders and the public. It was developed as a tool for staff to communicate annual sediment and nutrient loads data to stakeholders, as well as to provide an externally facing portal for stakeholders and the wider public to visualise our data.
The dashboard shows the programs commitment to the FAIR data principles, by presenting the data in a more useable way, that allows end users to filter data spatially or temporally for their own use cases.
Visit Catchment Loads Dashboard
Pesticide Reporting Portal
This portal displays pesticide concentrations for water samples collected by Water Quality & Investigations. It includes data for 24 different pesticides, all of which can be viewed on interactive graphs:
- 10 photosystem II herbicides (e.g., diuron, atrazine)
- 10 other herbicides (e.g. 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), metolachlor)
- 4 insecticides (chlorpyrifos, diazinon, fipronil, imidacloprid).
Visit Pesticide Reporting Portal
Pesticide Risk Metric Dashboard
Of the 24 pesticides presented in the Pesticide Reporting Portal, 22 pesticides are currently considered the greatest risk to coastal freshwater and marine aquatic ecosystems in the Great Barrier Reef catchment area.
The combined toxicity risk of these 22 pesticides is estimated by the Pesticide Risk Metric. The risk is expressed as the percentage of species potentially affected (or conversely, protected) by the combined toxicity of the 22 pesticides over a standardised wet season (182 days from the first flush event).
Visit Pesticide Risk Metric Dashboard
Pesticide Risk Metric Calculator
The Pesticide Risk Metric (PRM) Calculator can be used to calculate daily PRM scores and wet season PRM scores. The risk is expressed as the percentage of species potentially affected (or conversely, protected) by the combined toxicity of the 22 pesticides. In the case of the wet season PRM, the metric is intended to be calculated for a standardised wet season (182 days from the first flush event).
Visit Pesticide Risk Metric Calculator
Condition reports
Great Barrier Reef Catchment Loads Monitoring Program Condition Reports:
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