Australian farm dams have some of the highest greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions per area among freshwater ecosystems. In Victoria alone, we estimated they release over 4,800 tonnes of CO2‐equivalent each day, which is 4.5% of all the State’s agricultural emissions. These recently discovered emissions are triggered by fertiliser and manure run-off increasing nutrients, reducing water quality, and creating the ideal conditions for producing methane (CH₄) – a gas with 20-30 times greater warming potential than carbon dioxide (CO₂).

There is an exciting opportunity to join the Blue Carbon Lab (Deakin University) in collaboration with Sustainable Farms (Australian National University) to investigate the effects of enhancing farm dam conditions on reducing methane emissions and improving water quality. Under the supervision of Dr Martino E. Malerba, the successful candidate will carry out field campaigns using tailor-made sensors to investigate the dynamics of farm dams.

This PhD project will aim to address the following aspects:

• Investigate the role of biotic (e.g., vegetation) and abiotic (e.g., climate) factors on water quality and greenhouse gas emissions
• Determine the impact of management interventions (e.g., fencing) and land use type (e.g., livestock, crops) on water quality and greenhouse gas emissions
• Analyse the role of microbial communities on methane emissions

To learn more, visit https://www.bluecarbonlab.org/farm-dams.