A simple water sample is helping peel back the curtain on the secret life of fish and other aquatic animals living in the state's coastal rivers, including those in Port Stephens and surrounds.
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The Hunter, Williams, Paterson and Chichester river systems are among 30 in the state that have been included in a new environmental monitoring program that will help scientists better understand and support the marine life within them.
"A small sample of water can reveal a surprising amount of information, including which creatures are calling the river home at different stages of their life and even at times what wildlife may be drinking or living near the stream," Mitchell Issacs, the chief knowledge officer for water from the Department of Planning and Environment, said.
"The animals will be detected through Environmental DNA which they naturally leave behind, meaning there's no need for our scientists to catch or even see the aquatic life to confirm their presence.
"All of this can help to inform water management, such as ensuring fish highways stay well connected so coastal species like the Australian Bass can make a sea change travelling from rivers in the Tablelands down to coastal estuaries."
Three scientists have been collecting water samples rivers along NSW's coast as part of the program.
Among those that have been sampled so far include the Richmond and Manning rivers on the north coast, Bega, Brogo, Bemboka and Murrah-Wallaga rivers on the south coast and the Hunter, Goulburn, Wingecaribee, Wollondilly, Chichester, Williams, and Paterson rivers on what is being called the "metro/central" coast.
The team have already collected more than 100 samples from rivers and waterways across the Lower North Coast, Hunter, Central Coast and Bega Valley.
The plan is to sample 180 or more sites in total.
Work will soon move into rivers in the Clarence Valley and next year expand further across the north and south coast.
Mr Issacs said the more we know about the species that call our rivers home the better we can set the rules in water sharing plans to balance water use and protecting aquatic life.
"The data will be particularly helpful to assess the location of threatened species like platypus, the Macquarie Perch and the Eastern Freshwater Cod," Mr Issacs said.
"Once we receive the results from our testing, a full list of detected species will be made public so other agencies and groups can utilise it for other research projects and conservation efforts."
