Surveys

Baseline Surveys and EIAs

Marine Solutions has the in-house expertise to design and implement quality baseline surveys and Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) for a wide variety of projects. Our team’s extensive knowledge of marine ecology and coastal engineering enables us to evaluate anthropogenic impacts on the surrounding environment using a variety of techniques, including characterisation of habitat, biological communities and sediments, and quantification of water quality parameters through space and time. We have a thorough understanding of legislative requirements surrounding coastal construction works in Tasmania and further afield. We have conducted baseline surveys and EIAs for marina redevelopments, jetty constructions, effluent outfalls, underwater pipeline constructions and aquaculture leases.

Selected Past Projects:

  • EIA, shipping operations of Stanley port, Stanley (TasPorts)
  • EIA, public boardwalk proposed development, Battery Point, Hobart (SKM/Hobart City Council)
  • EIA, marine effluent outfall, Ulverstone (CEE)
  • Sediment and biological monitoring plan, George Town sewage outfall (GHD/TasWater)
  • EIA, marine effluent outfall, Blackmans Bay (CEE)
  • Baseline survey/ecological assessment, Domgas pipeline route (DOF Subsea)
  • Baseline survey, PNG LNG pipeline route (Marengo Mining/COFFEY)
  • Baseline marine surveys, sewage treatment plant, Medang, PNG (Marengo Mining/COFFEY)
  • Environmental impact assessment of effluent and wastewater disposal, Coffs Harbour, NSW (Coffs Harbour City Council)

Video and ROV Surveys

The project team has extensive experience in underwater videography and interpretation of qualitative results. Video is taken with a state of the art full HD Sony NEX 5 camera housed in an Aquapazza underwater housing, along with over 1000W underwater video lights resulting in high quality clear footage. Video footage is reviewed by marine scientists who are experienced in determining habitat structure, community type and species composition from video and still photos. Detailed image analysis for community structure can also be conducted if required. In addition we have towed video capability with GPS overlay and speed/direction stamp should this be a more suitable method of collecting imagery. Marine Solutions also has access to, and experience operating, a powerful ROV with dual lights, USBL positioning system, grabber arm and dual cameras suitable for working in deeper environments. This system is comfortably housed on our larger research vessel, providing a safe and efficient operational platform. Still photography is taken by a 14MP DSLR in a housing with external lighting, providing high resolution images, even in challenging environmental conditions. For aerial imagery, we own and operate a Phantom 4 Pro v2 professional drone fitted with a 20 MP camera capable of 4K video recording

Selected Past Projects:

  • ROV surveys to meet regulatory requirements for the application for establishment of new Marine Farming Zones in south east Tasmania.
  • Assessment of the extent of impact of dredge material disposal on benthic environments in northern Tasmania, using towed video footage and diver-collected images
  • Drop camera surveys of Spoil grounds in Bass Strait
  • Towed camera surveys of scallop beds and rocky habitats in Bass Strait
  • Intertidal and subtidal environment survey, Woodbridge, Tasmania (TasWater)
  • EIA, proposed jetty and boat ramp development, Fulham Island, Tasmania (Burbury Consulting)
  • Aerial plume studies to determine extent of effluent discharge at various outfalls, Tasmania (TasWater)
  • EIA, public boardwalk proposed development, Battery Point (SKM/Hobart City Council)
  • Baseline survey/ecological assessment, Domgas pipeline route (DOF Subsea)
  • Baseline survey, PNG LNG pipeline route (Marengo Mining/COFFEY)
  • Baseline marine surveys, sewage treatment plant, Medang, PNG (Marengo Mining/COFFEY)

Hydrographic Surveys

Our experience in bathymetric surveys, habitat mapping and cartography is extensive, having completed surveys in many areas in Australia. Utilising a boat mounted DGPS and dual frequency sounder linked to a data logging program and a laptop we produce detailed habitat and bathymetric maps to Australian hydrographic survey requirements. Habitat types are ground-truthed by a digital single CCD drop camera which records to an Archos PMA440 unit with GPS overlay function for later review.

Selected Past Projects:

  • Fine scale bathymetric mapping of proposed new farming zones, to Australian hydrographic standards and Marine Farming Branch Standards
  • Bathymetric mapping for dredge planning and management for TasPorts in various regions throughout Tasmania
  • Developing the bathymetry and a proposed pipeline route for an outfall in Napier, New Zealand
  • Planning and environmental assessment for the scuttling of the Troy D, Mercury Passage, Tasmania
  • Bathymetry of Medang Harbour, PNG, for input into wave and dispersal models
  • Port development, Hobart, Tasmania (TasPorts)
  • Public boardwalk proposed development, Battery Point, Hobart (SKM/Hobart City Council)
  • Port development, Triabunna (Burbury Consulting/ Glamorgan Spring Bay Council)
  • Effluent outfall investigation, Derwent River, Hobart, Tasmania (TasWater)
  • Effluent outfall investigation, northwest Tasmania (TasWater)
  • Pipeline route planning and assessment, Dover, Tasmania (Tassal)
  • Domgas pipeline route, Barrow Island (Marengo Mining/COFFEY)
  • Irrigation pipeline route planning and assessment, Bridgewater, Tasmania (Tasmanian Irrigation)
  • Outfall investigation, Port Sampson, NSW (Worley Parsons)