Greenhouse Gas Instrumentation System for Aquatic Ecosystems (GHG-Aqua)
Lead Research Organisation:
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
Department Name: Soils and Land Use (Bangor)
Abstract
Land-use and agriculture are responsible for around one quarter of all human greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. While some of the activities that contribute to these emissions, such as deforestation, are readily observable, others are not. It is now recognised that freshwater ecosystems are active components of the global carbon cycle; rivers and lakes process the organic matter and nutrients they receive from their catchments, emit carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane to the atmosphere, sequester CO2 through aquatic primary production, and bury carbon in their sediments. Human activities such as nutrient and organic matter pollution from agriculture and urban wastewater, modification of drainage networks, and the widespread creation of new water bodies, from farm ponds to hydro-electric and water supply reservoirs, have greatly modified natural aquatic biogeochemical processes. In some inland waters, this has led to large GHG emissions to the atmosphere. However these emissions are highly variable in time and space, occur via a range of pathways, and are consequently exceptionally hard to measure on the temporal and spatial scales required. Advances in technology, including high-frequency monitoring systems, autonomous boat-mounted sensors and novel, low-cost automated systems that can be operated remotely across multiple locations, now offer the potential to capture these important but poorly understood emissions.
In the GHG-Aqua project we will establish an integrated, UK-wide system for measuring aquatic GHG emissions, combining a core of highly instrumented 'Sentinel' sites with a distributed, community-run network of low-cost sensor systems deployed across UK inland waters to measure emissions from rivers, lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs across gradients of human disturbance. A mobile instrument suite will enable detailed campaign-based assessment of vertical and spatial variations in fluxes and underlying processes. This globally unique and highly integrated measurement system will transform our capability to quantify aquatic GHG emissions from inland waters. With the support of a large community of researchers it will help to make the UK a world-leader in the field, and will facilitate future national and international scientific research to understand the role of natural and constructed waterbodies as active zones of carbon cycling, and sources and sinks for GHGs. We will work with government to include these fluxes in the UK's national emissions inventory; with the water industry to support their operational climate change mitigation targets; and with charities, agencies and others engaged in protecting and restoring freshwater environments to ensure that the climate change mitigation benefits of their activities can be captured, reported and sustained through effectively targeted investment.
In the GHG-Aqua project we will establish an integrated, UK-wide system for measuring aquatic GHG emissions, combining a core of highly instrumented 'Sentinel' sites with a distributed, community-run network of low-cost sensor systems deployed across UK inland waters to measure emissions from rivers, lakes, ponds, canals and reservoirs across gradients of human disturbance. A mobile instrument suite will enable detailed campaign-based assessment of vertical and spatial variations in fluxes and underlying processes. This globally unique and highly integrated measurement system will transform our capability to quantify aquatic GHG emissions from inland waters. With the support of a large community of researchers it will help to make the UK a world-leader in the field, and will facilitate future national and international scientific research to understand the role of natural and constructed waterbodies as active zones of carbon cycling, and sources and sinks for GHGs. We will work with government to include these fluxes in the UK's national emissions inventory; with the water industry to support their operational climate change mitigation targets; and with charities, agencies and others engaged in protecting and restoring freshwater environments to ensure that the climate change mitigation benefits of their activities can be captured, reported and sustained through effectively targeted investment.
Organisations
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (Lead Research Organisation)
- Linkoping University (Collaboration)
- BROADS AUTHORITY (Collaboration)
- University of Warwick (Collaboration)
- QUEEN MARY UNIVERSITY OF LONDON (Collaboration)
- Dwr Cymru Welsh Water (United Kingdom) (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF JOHANNESBURG (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EXETER (Collaboration)
- NATIONAL TRUST (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH (Collaboration)
- Swansea University (Project Partner)
- Severn Trent (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- University of Nottingham (Project Partner)
- University of Exeter (Project Partner)
- Pennon Group (United Kingdom) (Project Partner)
- Loughborough University (Project Partner)
- Cardiff University (Project Partner)
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory (Project Partner)
- University of the Highlands and Islands (Project Partner)
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (Project Partner)
- National Oceanography Centre (Project Partner)
- University of Leeds (Project Partner)
- Finnish Meteorological Institute (Project Partner)
- University of Liverpool (Project Partner)
- University of Cambridge (Project Partner)
- University of Birmingham (Project Partner)
- The Rivers Trust (Project Partner)
- Durham University (Project Partner)
- Broads Authority (Project Partner)
- Freshwater Habitats Trust (Project Partner)
Publications
Peacock M
(2021)
Global importance of methane emissions from drainage ditches and canals
in Environmental Research Letters
Peacock M
(2021)
Small artificial waterbodies are widespread and persistent emitters of methane and carbon dioxide.
in Global change biology
| Description | NERC Short Term Funding - Net Zero |
| Amount | £562,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 07/2021 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - Broads Authority |
| Organisation | Broads Authority |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The GHG Aqua team have collaborated with the Broads Authority to conduct an initial survey of GHGs in water bodies across the area, that took place in July 2021. We have since been in touch with our results and have been discussing options for future research in the area using the GHG Aqua platform. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Facilitation of site access and an enthusiasm about the research area and how they can engage with GHG Aqua. |
| Impact | Presentation of GHGs from water bodies across the Broads given to the Broads Authority partners by Amy Pickard on 10 Jan 2022. First data set on GHGs from water bodies across the Broads. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - DCWW |
| Organisation | Welsh Water |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have outlined the opportunities presented by GHG Aqua to DCWW in a number of meetings, and have confirmed with them that Llyn Cefni is a site of interest - hopefully as one of our sentinel sites. We are now scoping the site and preparing logistics for installation of equipment. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Identifying infrastructure available for GHG Aqua equipment, including a buoy, contacting relevant local stakeholders and engaging in a collaborative manner towards GHG Aqua aims. |
| Impact | None yet - 2 pager outlining plans in process. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - Edinburgh University |
| Organisation | University of Edinburgh |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-I Helfter engaged with the University to develop an E4 DTP proposal, with GHG Aqua data underpinning this idea: https://www.ed.ac.uk/e4-dtp/how-to-apply/supervisor-led-projects/project?item=1519 |
| Collaborator Contribution | Development of the idea and expertise on remote sensing capabilities |
| Impact | Awaiting outcome |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - Linkoping University |
| Organisation | Linkoping University |
| Country | Sweden |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | GHG Aqua are taking forward Linkoping's AFC design within the project, and are in touch with the Linkoping team to discuss scaling up AFC outputs as well as enhancing usability for non-scientists. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Linkoping have shared the AFC design and helped to identify suitable supply chains to keep the build costs low. |
| Impact | AFC training sessions with Thanh Duc Nguyen. Identification of suitable sub-contractor for the AFC build. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - National Trust |
| Organisation | National Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We have been in touch with the NT to take forward Esthwaite Water as one of our sentinel sites for GHG Aqua. We have delivered site scoping plans and details of our monitoring to relevant partners, and are now drawing up a licence for the deployment. |
| Collaborator Contribution | NT are arranging a licence for our activities, and have joined us on a site visit to identify a suitable deployment locaiton at Esthwaite. |
| Impact | None yet - licence pending. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - SCALAR bid |
| Organisation | Queen Mary University of London |
| Department | School of Geography |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-I Amy Pickard contributed to proposal development, with GHG Aqua data underpinning upscaling of methane emissions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in microbial processes to understand production pathways and model upscaling to incorporate aquatic methane into land surface models |
| Impact | Submission of EOI for NERC large grant to take forward aquatic methane research |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - SCALAR bid |
| Organisation | University of Exeter |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-I Amy Pickard contributed to proposal development, with GHG Aqua data underpinning upscaling of methane emissions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in microbial processes to understand production pathways and model upscaling to incorporate aquatic methane into land surface models |
| Impact | Submission of EOI for NERC large grant to take forward aquatic methane research |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - SCALAR bid |
| Organisation | University of Warwick |
| Department | School of Life Sciences |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Co-I Amy Pickard contributed to proposal development, with GHG Aqua data underpinning upscaling of methane emissions |
| Collaborator Contribution | Expertise in microbial processes to understand production pathways and model upscaling to incorporate aquatic methane into land surface models |
| Impact | Submission of EOI for NERC large grant to take forward aquatic methane research |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - UKCEH/National Trust/University of Birmingham CENTA DTP proposal |
| Organisation | National Trust |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The GHG Aqua team conceived a study to measure GHGs from ornamental ponds owned and managed by the NT, which may be a large source of GHGs as they can be nutrient impacted. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution to the PhD proposal, and enthusiasm about GHG Aqua. |
| Impact | Unfortunately the PhD proposal did not receive any applications, however we are taking forward discussions for future work on ornamental ponds with the NT. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GHG Aqua - UKCEH/National Trust/University of Birmingham CENTA DTP proposal |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The GHG Aqua team conceived a study to measure GHGs from ornamental ponds owned and managed by the NT, which may be a large source of GHGs as they can be nutrient impacted. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Contribution to the PhD proposal, and enthusiasm about GHG Aqua. |
| Impact | Unfortunately the PhD proposal did not receive any applications, however we are taking forward discussions for future work on ornamental ponds with the NT. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | GHG-Aqua - Collaboration with University of Johannesburg |
| Organisation | University of Johannesburg |
| Country | South Africa |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Partnership established to establish aquatic GHG measurements on reservoirs and ponds in South Africa using GHG Aqua methods and designs. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Establishment of field programme, liaison with local manufacturers to build GHG sensor systems, collaborative funding proposals. |
| Impact | Field research programme currently being developed, so no outputs yet. Awaiting outcome of funding application for GHG-Aqua aligned equipment in S Africa. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | BEIS SSC meeting presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | We engaged with the BEIS LULUCF SSC team and were invited to present a paper and give a talk to outline the role of inland waters in GHG inventory reporting and the role of GHG Aqua in provisioning bottom-up data for flooded lands reporting. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | GHG Aqua Project partner information newsletter August 2022 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The GHG Aqua team put together a second newsletter to provide a partner update and to request that stakeholders get in touch about sites of interest to take forward as part of the GHG Aqua platform. We also detailed our deployments to date. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua Project partner information newsletter July 2021 |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The GHG Aqua team put together a newsletter to provide a partner update and to request that stakeholders get in touch about sites of interest to take forward as part of the GHG Aqua platform. Following the newsletter, we communicated with Severn Trent Water and have put together an outline proposal for them, which they are seeking internal funds to support. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | GHG Aqua presentation to Broads Authority |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The GHG Aqua team presented the project to the catchment team at the Broads Authority and summarised the findings of the UKCEH led sampling campaign that took place in July 2021, presenting a first order estimate of aquatic emissions from water bodies across the Broads. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | GHG Aqua presentation to UK Water Partnership |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Highlighted importance of upstream and downstream emissions assessments to the UKWP audience, with a focus on the measurement opportunity presented by GHG Aqua to help inform reporting for flooded lands. GHGs are now one of the UKWP's themes for 2023 and Co-I Amy Pickard is engaging on behalf of GHG Aqua. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |