It has been a busy start to the latter half of 2023 as the Institute’s new Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth (CLLMM) Research Centre began its establishment phase on 1 July 2023. With the hiring of 4 new staff members, the Centre has hit the ground running with the start of several community and key party engagements.
Coinciding with the launch of the new CLLMM Research Centre logo and website, the first of many community conversations were held at The Alexandrina Business Hub in Goolwa. The first conversation focused on small businesses within the region introducing the research centre and a community survey. The conversation was a great success with over 15 local businesses in attendance.
In addition, the community survey was the first of many processes that will help the Research Centre understand community and First Nations priorities for research and engagement activities at the CLLMM Research Centre. The survey was also released across a number of local media outlets and has already gained traction across the CLLMM region.
For more information, contact the CLLMM Research Centre’s Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Dr Tiffany Nay, tiffany.nay@goyderinstitute.org.
The CLLMM Research Centre and Goolwa Secondary College have recently joined the effort to further understand the presence of threatened aquatic species in the Lower Lakes of South Australia.
This citizen science led initiative (the Great Australian Wildlife Search) spans the Murray-Darling Basin with 420 sites in total, 50 in South Australia alone, with the goal to capture a snapshot of which species are present around the region.
The CLLMM Research Centre’s Science Program Manager, Dr Nick Whiterod, and the Communications and Engagement Coordinator, Dr Tiffany Nay, joined 20 students at Amelia Park to conduct the environmental DNA sampling. Water is filtered through a disk, collecting any DNA found in the sample. The disk is sent off for analysis and in coming months we should learn which species were found in the sample.
The Research Centre is very excited to begin working with schools around the region, connecting students to research and the beautiful Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth environment.
For more information and to get involved in our school programs, visit here or contact Dr Tiffany Nay at tiffany.nay@goyderinstitute.org.
We are delighted to welcome Dr Tiffany Nay, our new Communications and Engagement Coordinator, to the Goyder Institute for Water Research!
Tiffany will be joining us full time in Goolwa, SA as part of our Coorong, Lower Lakes, and Murray Mouth Research Centre team. She is excited to combine her knowledge of the region, her skills in science communication and passion for all things aquatic, to create engaging experiences for the community in the region and beyond.
Tiffany joins us from the Murraylands and Riverland Landscape Board where she was a Wetland Project Officer in the Lower Murray region for the past 2.5 years. Prior to moving to South Australia, she completed her PhD in fish physiology at James Cook University in Townsville, QLD. Through both roles, she gained great experience in science communication and aquatic ecosystems and is excited to engage with the community through the CLLMM Research Centre.
We’re looking forward to working with Tiffany and excited for the skills and experience she will bring to our team!
