Three separate online courses:
Ecology & River Function
Catchments: Their Character, Waters & Chemical Composition
Waterway Assessment
Watercourses Online training allows you to brush up your knowledge about the ecology of Australian river systems and how they are affected by catchment land-use and other human disturbance.
Most of these courses are available in flexible delivery mode over the Internet. This means you can work on the modules in your own time and space, but at the same time you can interact easily with the course coordinators. The theory modules provide all the study materials you need, including readings, photographs and diagrams. A key feature is the self-test quizzes you use to check your own progress.
To register, please email the course coordinator.
Ecology & River Function
A self-paced one-module course covering:- ecological patterns and processes occurring at various scales in Australian river systems;
- the role of disturbance (both natural and human) and how the ecosystems respond;
- the influence of catchment character on energy sources and food webs.
Catchments: Their character, waters and chemical composition
A self-paced one-module course covering:- catchment processes that influence the chemical composition of natural waterways;
- catchment character and weathering processes that influence water chemistry;
- nutrient cycling and carbon cycling and the role of physical, biological and chemical processes;
- the importance of organic carbon in aquatic ecosystems and how it is affected by changes in the landscape.
Waterway Assessment
One self-paced theory module, and one (optional) face-to-face hands-on module, together covering:- the basic differences between rivers, lakes and estuaries;
- why different assessment techniques are needed for each of them;
- an introduction to physical, chemical and biological methods of assessment; and how to integrate the condition assessments;
- collecting aquatic ecosystem data; and quality assurance and quality control to ensure data integrity.
While the practical module is regularly taught in Canberra, it can equally well be taught in your local area if a large enough group is enrolled there.