A new Charles Darwin University study into water and fauna in the Beetaloo and Roper River region has found that NT rivers that come from constant groundwater sources have better fish biodiversity than inland seasonal rivers that merely rely on rainfall water, with the study acting as a baseline for water sources in the region ahead of planned fracking.

The CDU Research Institute for Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) study on freshwater fish fauna at the Beetaloo Sub-basin and upper Roper River region was led by Freshwater Ecologist Professor Jenny Davis who said biodiversity research was vital in this region because of the emerging shale gas industry’s potential impact on river flows and water quality.

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