  
The Ecochemistry Laboratory is an internationally recognized centre of excellence for the analysis of chemical species in biological tissues, waters and sediments from aquatic ecosystems. Research programs focus on how aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems cycle trace elements and the ability of organisms to cope with contaminants. This information is used for the development of national guidelines for the protection of aquatic ecosystems. As part of these programs, many innovative methods have been developed to quantify the total amounts and chemical species in these systems. The current focus of our research is in seven areas:
1. Understanding the biological factors such as growth, age, sex, sexual maturity and seasonal influences that control the uptake and retention of metals and metalloids by gastropods, molluscs and fish in the estuaries and intertidal zones of Eastern Australia and Papua New Guinea.
2. Understanding the strategies marine organisms used to store and detoxify metals and metalloids such as incorporation into metallothioneins and other proteins and granules. A necessary part of this is the elucidation of the chemical forms of elements.
3. Understanding the transfer, bioaccumulation and biomagnification and associated changes in chemical forms of metals and metalloids in marine food webs; Ecosystems of interest include rocky intertidal shores, seagrass beds, seaweed beds, salt marshes and mangroves.
4. Understanding the effects chemicals have on the health of aquatic organisms such as enzyme changes and subcellular damage by metals and metalloids.
5. Understanding the reactivity of carbon in aquatic systems and the roles of carbon plays in the release of nutrients such as phosphorus and nitrogen from benthic and suspended particles (and subsequent algal problems).
6. The development of water and sediment quality guidelines for the protection of aquatic ecosystems.
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7. The use of microwave-assisted and hyphenated techniques (HPLC-ICPMS, HPLC-MS, FIA-ICPMS) for the measurement of chemical species in water, biota and sediments.
Interested in joining our group?
If you are an undergraduate, a prospective postgraduate student, or a prospective postdoc with strong interests in environmental chemistry, analytical chemistry or aquatic ecology, we may be the home for you. We are always interested in new additions to our team, particularly
if you have a strong academic record, enjoy a demanding but productive and collegial working environment, and have a strong interest in applied ecology.
Scholarships are available for both
domestic (including NZ) and
international students, with a closing
date of October 31 each year. You would need to discuss options with us well in advance of this date. Refer to the
side-bar for likely future opportunities. These scholarships are highly competitive, and
high academic performance with a publication record greatly improves your chances of success.
Support for Postdoctoral Fellowships is harder to come by. They are available through the
Australian Research Council,
the University of Canberra Postdoctoral Fellowship Scheme (advertised irregularly),
the Cooperative Research Centres, and through negotiation with relevant industry.
We would be happy to work with you to develop a competitive proposal on a topic of mutual interest.
Prospective visitors might like to take advantage of our
Visiting Scholars Scheme
To learn more about the kinds of research conducted by our team, check out our list of
publications, the
profiles
of current and past members of our group, or
summaries of our current projects.
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Professor Bill Maher 