What we do

Our research areas and academic themes at the Centre for Aquatic Environments

We focus on three main research areas: 

• Surface and groundwater water processes:
  Quantifying and modelling groundwater and the hydro-morphological and ecological dynamics of rivers, wetlands and coastal environments
• Water and wastewater quality and treatment: 
  Researching waterborne diseases and pollutants to improve water quality for environmental and public health
• Water resources and people:
  Exploring the links between community water governance and human wellbeing, and examining spatial planning for climate change

Aquatic environment researchers explore Estonian wetlands.

Surface and groundwater processes: Quantifying and modelling groundwater and the hydro-morphological and ecological dynamics of rivers, wetlands and coastal environments.

This research area incorporates the ecology and hydro-morphology of surface waters across a range of environments, including rivers and coasts, as well as groundwater processes. Most research within this area focuses on improving the understanding of the impacts that anthropogenic stressors and climate warming may have on ecosystems in order to assess their ability to adapt to future changes, inform stakeholders of measures to mitigate negative environmental outcomes, and reduce costs to the economy.

Centre researchers are collaborating with academic institutions, charities and industrial companies around the globe to address some of the most pressing environmental issues associated with extreme weather events, sea level rise, erosional processes, loss of biodiversity and anthropogenic pollution.

Our innovative multidisciplinary approach often incorporates a variety of methods and combines using state-of-the-art field equipment (such as drones) with laboratory methods (such as experimental flumes). 

Aquatic environments researcher photograph of the landscape view of the Columbia River estuary, one of the largest in the west of America.

Quantifying human and natural impacts on river morpho-dynamics and flooding

Climate change is predicted to produce substantial increases to the frequency of extreme rainfall events, resulting in a higher risk of flooding. Flooding has been demonstrated to affect as much as one billion people in their lifetimes and this impact is predicted to rise in the near future.

Our researchers are quantifying and modelling how changes to the climate and human impacts (e.g., dam construction and river engineering works) will affect flow hydraulics, sediment fluxes, channel stability and floodplain functioning in some of the largest and most dynamic rivers in the world, such as the Amazon Basin.

This branch of research incorporates the application of state-of-the-art equipment including Multi-Beam Echo Sounders (MBES) and Side-Scan Sonar (SSS) for bathymetric survey, Ground-Penetrating Radar (GPR), Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCP), Differential Global Positioning Systems (DGPS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles/drones (UAVs). The data generated will be used to assess the key factors that underpin the stability of large rivers, the impacts of large dam building on river-floodplain functioning and the future extent of human exposure to flooding.

Outcomes will inform multiple stakeholders, from scientists and policy-makers to humanitarian agencies and local communities prone to regular or extreme flooding.

Understanding the impact of grain-scale forces on river sediment transport

Changes to sediment transport impact important ecological processes and drive morphological changes within river networks, resulting in a multitude of practical implications (e.g., the stability of hydraulic structures or provision of ecosystem services). However, quantifying bedload transport remains an analytical challenge due to the complexity of interplay between water and sediment grains. Our researchers utilise the recently developed ‘smart’-pebble devices to directly measure the forces affecting sediment grains during transport in laboratory and field settings, as such helping to better understand the hydrological conditions required to mobilise sediments. The obtained datasets will help to improve models quantifying morphological changes and provide new insights for river restoration.

Researcher in the Centre for Aquatic Environments collecting a sediment core in a seagrass meadow in southern England

Assessing the impact of climate change on ecosystem service provision in coastal wetlands

Vegetated coastal systems are home to a diversity of native species and provide a range of ecosystem services, including protection against sea level rise and storm impacts due to climate change, sequestration of atmospheric CO₂, provision of raw materials, and filtration of pollutants such as excess nutrients and microplastics. However, climate changes and anthropogenic stressors such as eutrophication are likely to alter the species composition and affect the associated ecosystem services in many coastal wetlands.

Our researchers are undertaking research in coastal habitats of international ecological importance, such as the Baltic wetlands, the seascapes of southern England, and mangrove forests in NE Brazil.  They use a combination of field sampling, laboratory analysis (radionuclide dating and stable isotope analysis of soil cores) and drone/satellite mapping to evaluate the past and ongoing changes to plant communities, assess carbon sequestration, and calculate the value of carbon stored within wetlands.

These data are used to assess the capacity of these ecologically important habitats to adapt to anthropogenic pressures and to inform policy makers of key steps to mitigate the negative effects to coastal wetlands associated with climate change and anthropogenic stressors.

Linking historical hydroclimates and climate change

Documents such as diaries, letters and reports are a valuable source of historical weather records, the analysis of which could greatly improve the collective understanding of climate cycles.

Bringing together a team of experts in the environmental and climate history of southern Africa, our researchers are analysing descriptions of weather events within historical records to reconstruct climate variability in the period preceding the systematic collection of meteorological data. Archival materials are also used to understand how societies in history were impacted by weather events and how they adapted to climate variability. In formerly colonised countries, archive data can additionally unravel how patterns of response to recurring climatic extremes were influenced by the expansion and intensification of colonial power. Projects are currently focused on Mozambique, Portugal and the UK.

Working towards rapid, in-situ monitoring of steel corrosion

Affecting every industry where water meets steel (e.g. the maritime sector, ports, water purification plants, energy production, offshore renewable energy production), steel corrosion represents an often-underestimated threat to the economy.

Our researchers have developed a sensor to monitor in-situ the main environmental markers used to determine the risk of corrosion. In collaboration with the Antwerp Maritime Academy (AMA), the set-up will be tested through a range of industrial case studies (e.g., at wind turbines, water desalination plants and ship’s hulls/ballast tanks) at sites across Europe and the UK.

The continuous measurement of corrosion risk markers will be further enhanced by the use of a newly developed statistical package (SOCORRO). As such, this project will help to implement targeted preventative and remedial measures against steel corrosion across several economically important industrial sectors.

Water and wastewater quality and treatment: Researching waterborne diseases and pollutants to improve water quality for environmental and public health

This area of research focuses on achieving better water quality to improve environmental and public health outcomes. Topics are centred around treatment technologies, improving the management of human waste and mitigating against the potential risks associated with the presence of chemical pollutants or pathogens in waterways.

Our team develop technical solutions, models and practical tools for water and wastewater treatment and to prevent human contact with contaminated water, often with a particular focus on the world’s poorest communities.

Cattle drinking at a drainage channel

Researchers from the Centre for Aquatic Environments sampling water quality in Terai, Nepal, a region with poor access to safe drinking water.

Investigating low-cost, on-site disinfection in humanitarian settings

Lime-based faecal sludge management has been suggested as a cost-effective, reliable method of reducing the disease-causing potential of pathogens present in human excreta during periods of rapid accumulation, often associated with humanitarian crises. At the same time, the efficacy of such treatment varies with the quality of lime and the processes of microbe inactivation and regrowth during sludge treatment are poorly understood. Our researchers are working closely with practitioners at the Rohingya Refugee Camp in Bangladesh to investigate the uncertainties surrounding lime dosing and pathogen removal, and better assess the potential suitability of lime to manage faecal sludge in humanitarian settings.

Defining bacteriophage host ranges to control bacterial diseases

One of the most pressing issues is the spread of antibiotic resistance genes caused by the overuse of antibiotics. Among the researched alternatives to antibiotics are bacteriophages - ubiquitous viruses capable of infecting and killing bacterial cells. However, the range of bacteria that bacteriophages can infect is thought to be relatively narrow.

Our researchers are investigating the ability of bacteriophages to infect host E. coli isolated from various wild and agricultural animal faeces to determine the potential host range across which bacteriophages may be effective. This research will advance our understanding of bacteriophages as a treatment for human bacterial diseases.

Working to reduce endocrine disruptor pollution at source

Endocrine-disrupting compounds interfere with endocrine or hormonal systems of living organisms, posing a risk of adverse health effects, such as reproductive impairment or cancerous tumours. By affecting the reproduction, development, behaviour and survival of biota, endocrine disruptors can impact the well-being of entire ecosystems, causing losses to fisheries, oyster farms and the recreational activities sector.

In collaboration with experts from France and the UK, our researchers are working to develop behavioural, biomechanical and biomolecular tests that will allow a quick and easy detection of the main endocrine-disrupting compounds in the environment. Endocrine effects on wildlife will be mapped using the developed biotests, allowing identification of the main sources of endocrine disruptors into the English Channel and helping to reduce their emission at source.

Water resources and people: Exploring the links between community water governance and human wellbeing, and examining spatial planning for climate change

This research area integrates a range of current theoretical and empirical scholarship focussed on interrogating the complex ways in which humans use, exploit and connect with this most critical environmental resource.

Research interests are drawn from a range of disciplines – geography, politics, landscape design and urban planning, amongst others – and this is reflected in the diversity of projects undertaken, and research methods utilised.

Researchers work alongside regulatory agencies, local government and third sector organisations to support and help develop solutions that integrate social, cultural, economic and environmental factors in the long-term planning and management of water resources. The research centres on understanding the different contemporaneous ways in which people access, use, value and experience both inland and coastal water bodies and landscapes.

Researchers from the Centre for Aquatic Environments collecting household stored water in Terai, Nepal

Re-imagining sanitation in rapidly urbanising areas in Asia and Africa: towards ‘brown gold’

Rapidly urbanising areas are often associated with poor disposal of excreta, inadequate faecal sludge management and a lack of adequate infrastructure for sewage and wastewater collection and treatment. Such lack of good sanitation has been linked to poorer health, wellbeing and productivity. However, faecal sludge is a source of vital components, such as water or nutrients.

Working alongside academics from a range of disciplines (such as social science, law, engineering, microbiology and creative arts), our researchers are trying to understand how the principles of circular economy could be applied to wastewater management in growing towns in Ethiopia, Ghana, India and Nepal, as such helping to address the sanitation crisis and enhancing the well-being of marginalised and poor communities in Less Economically Developed Countries.

Exploring the sustainable management of urban aquifers

In light of ongoing changes to the climate, sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS) are an increasingly important part of the green infrastructure as they can address urban flood risk by allowing a controlled infiltration of water into the ground.

Well-designed SuDS can attenuate contaminants derived from road-systems (e.g., metals, hydrocarbons, fuels, oils and microplastics), agricultural activities (e.g., nutrients and pesticides) and sewer systems (e.g., pathogens, nutrients and microplastics). However, poorly designed SuDS can provide direct routes for contaminants to enter urban aquifers, which constitute a source of drinking water.

The impact of changing rain patterns on the performance of SuDS is also currently unknown. Using a combination of methods applied in hydrogeology, town planning and aquatic science, our researchers are investigating the influence of aquifer geology on urban planning and exploring the role of SuDS in regulating groundwater quality. The findings of this study will be crucial to better manage urban aquifers and promote greater uptake of SuDS schemes.

Who benefits from our research partnerships?

Working with the Environment Agency to conserve coastal habitats

Centre researchers are currently working with the Environment Agency to monitor a recently constructed intertidal habitat creation area in the ecologically important Adur Estuary in England. The Adur Estuary is a regionally rare and significant area of saltmarsh, which provides habitat for a variety of unique plant communities and wading birds. Rising sea levels are predicted to result in an increased risk of tidal flooding to coastal settlements. As the flood defences in the Adur Estuary did not provide adequate protection to the local communities, the Environment Agency has been developing a major improvement scheme to protect the residents and businesses of Shoreham-by-Sea against the impacts of extreme weather events. 

In order to compensate for habitat loss caused by construction of the flood defence walls, the scheme involves the development of an intertidal habitat creation area of 1.32 ha inland from its current position. This will cause changes to the zonation of the habitat and saltmarsh vegetation is predicted to only develop in areas subject to daily flooding. To understand this process, the Centre researchers are surveying the compensatory habitat using ground sampling and drone surveys on an annual basis to monitor potential changes in the elevation, ecology and geomorphology of the area.

Collaborating with the Chichester Harbour Conservancy to investigate the sources of pollution in Chichester Harbour and evaluate its restoration potential

Located in a tidal estuary, Chichester Harbour is a large, natural harbour in southern England that constitutes a nationally important Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. In recent years, increases in urbanisation, traffic, and agricultural and industrial activity have resulted in the estuary receiving pollutants including nutrients, heavy metals and microplastics. Through analysing the hydrology, geomorphology and water quality of the harbour, Centre researchers are working alongside the Chichester Harbour Conservancy and the Manor of Bosham to assess the causes of ecosystem degradation and identify actions to enhance the climate resilience and biodiversity of the area.

The project aims to identify the sources of pollutants in environmental media (water, sediment and biota), assess their ecotoxicological impact and suggest ways of mitigating against the negative effects associated with their presence in the estuary. A substantial part of the work focusses on glass-reinforced plastics – a family of composite materials made of plastics reinforced with glass fibres utilised in the construction of boats.

The research on glass-reinforced plastics has so far demonstrated that in addition to interfering with maritime traffic, boat abandonment and disposal at sea through scuttling leads to the eventual breakdown of the material into fibreglass – a type of microplastic. In addition to investigating the potential of fibreglass to negatively impact biota, research will involve the development and testing of an environmentally friendly, activated carbon-based biocomposite material to capture and retain fibreglass present in the water column. The outcomes of this collaboration will be used to tackle the pollution of Chichester Harbour and improve its environmental status.

Working with the Sussex Inshore Fisheries and Conservation Authority to support sustainable cuttlefish stocks

The English Channel cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis) stock is within one of the most economically important cephalopod stocks in the NE Atlantic. In particular, cuttlefish stocks in Hastings, southern England, are rapidly increasing in value. However, the short life cycle of cuttlefish makes this species vulnerable to environmental changes and anthropogenic pressures, resulting in substantial biomass fluctuations. Our researchers are working to investigate the effects of changing sea temperatures on the migration patterns, hatching rates and offspring survival within cuttlefish, in order to understand the potential of climate changes to affect cuttlefish catch. This work will be further enhanced by assessing the impact of trap fishing on cuttlefish eggs and the feasibility of creating artificial hatching sites, as such contributing to the preservation of this traditional artisan fishery.

Researchers from the Centre for Aquatic Environments recording surface elevation at the Adur Estuary, England.

Abandoned boats in Chichester harbour, England