National waterbirds survey

Source: Australian Wetlands & Rivers
"The largest ever survey of the health of Australia's wetlands has been commenced, with a team of University of New South Wales environmental researchers conducting a special aerial survey of waterbirds across the entire continent. The team will criss-cross Australia to visit every possible significant wetland, at a cost of more than $1.1 million. It is the first time that all of the nation's wetlands have been assessed together in this way and is thought to be the largest and most ambitious continental-scale research project of its type ever attempted. Led by wetlands expert, Professor Richard Kingsford, of the UNSW School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, the survey team will fly at low altitude to count the number and species of waterbirds living in the wetlands to assess their relative health. "