Technological advances in biosecurity monitoring
Barbara A. Marks A *A Chevron Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
The APPEA Journal 62 S306-S309 https://doi.org/10.1071/AJ21036
Accepted: 14 March 2022 Published: 13 May 2022
© 2022 The Author(s) (or their employer(s)). Published by CSIRO Publishing on behalf of APPEA.
Abstract
Biosecurity tools are a key aspect of an effective biosecurity system, however, existing surveillance and monitoring programs are often expensive, resource intense, reliant on special expertise, long-term and deliver variable results. Advances in innovation and technology provide opportunity to improve program efficiency, reliability and cost-effectiveness. Chevron Australia developed and deployed tools to help monitor and identify non-indigenous species on Barrow Island, a Class A Nature Reserve and home to the Gorgon Natural Gas Project, operated by Chevron Australia and a joint venture of the Australian subsidiaries of Chevron (47.3%), ExxonMobil (25%), Shell (25%), Osaka Gas (1.25%), Tokyo Gas (1%) and JERA (0.417%). Tools include: The PAWS® (Print Acquisition for Wildlife Sensors) pest identification sensor pad and PAWS® live capture devices for rodent detection and monitoring, EARS (Environmental Acoustic Recognition Sensor) devices that record the male Asian house gecko’s call and can be adapted to incorporate other species if required, LAMP (Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification) assay to identify Asian house gecko scats or tissue samples with an in situ molecular tool, Gecko identification application (app) enabling the workforce to participate in citizen science programs. These technological advances have helped to improve surveillance and biosecurity programs on Barrow Island, realising benefits including: longer monitoring periods for lower costs, resulting in greater confidence in surveillance outcomes, in situ diagnostics providing more rapid identification to enact an immediate response; deployment of live capture devices, reducing non-target captures (consequently, a more ethical tool); wider workforce participation. While these innovative tools target species likely to threaten Barrow Island’s unique biodiversity, the technology can be adapted for other environmental monitoring programs.
Keywords: Asian house gecko, Barrow Island, biodiversity, biosecurity, black rat, citizen scientist, environmental stewardship, Gorgon, house mouse, monitoring, non-indigenous species, quarantine, surveillance.
Barbara A. Marks has over 30 years’ experience in quarantine operations having worked for both the West Australian and Commonwealth government biosecurity departments and for the past 12 years in the resource sector managing quarantine operations for the construction phase and operations of the Gorgon Liquified Natural Gas Plant on Barrow Island. Barbara was responsible for implementing Chevron Australia’s Quarantine Management System that has been widely acknowledged and awarded for surpassing world best practice. Barbara has also been recognised for her service to quarantine having been the recipient of two Australia Day Achievement Awards. |
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