Waterbug Sampling & Analysis

Healthy waterways should be teeming with Waterbugs. Not only are they a vital food source for platypus, turtles and other aquatic animals, they also offer valuable insight into waterway health.
Some waterbugs are very sensitive to pollution, while others are more tolerant. When we collect a waterbug sample, if we don’t find those sensitive bugs we know there is a problem with that waterway.
The program raises community and government awareness in the Gold Coast and Logan regions and aims to distribute information on macro invertebrate composition, waterways health trends and impacts. The program is open to the wider community and we encourage everyone to participate and learn new skills whilst collecting vital data.
Watch our video introduction to see how waterbugs help us assess waterway health
Water Quality Sampling

Help us to monitor Waterway health across the Gold Coast using state of the art equipment to record pH, oxygen levels, temperature and other parameters at regular intervals throughout the year. These parameters can have a huge impact on the quality of our waterways and on the creatures that depend on them for survival.
The data collected is shared with local councils and highlights those areas where action needs to be taken to improve waterway health. If you are passionate about the environment and keen to contribute to its preservation, we encourage you to come along and meet like-minded people while learning new skills and collecting vital data!
Additional Water Monitoring Resources
Waterbug Data
Waterbug ID resources
Waterbugs historic results maps
Water Quality Data
Water Quality Manual
This program is supported the City of Gold Coast and Logan City Council

