From floating wetlands and biodegradable scaffolds to groundbreaking work on plastic pollution, micropollutants, and blue carbon, RMIT researchers are pioneering a bold new approach to water and environmental science — one where environmental research doesn’t just restore ecosystems, it empowers them to become active agents of biodiversity recovery.

Imagine addressing environmental challenges not with colossal infrastructure, but with floating wetlands, waste materials, the power of living ecosystems, and forensic-level insight into the invisible pollutants reshaping our waterways. At RMIT, researchers are proving that environmental solutions don’t always need to be engineered from scratch — some already exist in nature.

Through a series of bold projects taking inspiration from unexpected areas of the natural world, RMIT researchers from the Centre for Nature Positive Solutions (CNPS) and the Aquatic Environmental Stress research group (AQUEST), are showing how environmental science can cut emissions, restore damaged landscapes, and rethink the role of human intervention — not by controlling nature, but by working alongside it. Whether supporting mangrove regrowth using food waste, tracking 40,000 emerging pollutants, or uncovering the hidden effects of microplastics on carbon storage, the teams are redefining what innovation looks like.

Floating wetland. Credit: RMIT University.

Floating wetlands that work — Cutting emissions with floating ecosystems

Wastewater might not be the first place you look for climate solutions. Yet in Victoria alone, the water sector contributes around a quarter of all government greenhouse gas emissions, releasing nearly one million tonnes annually. It’s not just carbon dioxide (CO₂) that’s the problem. Wastewater lagoons are rich breeding grounds for methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), two gases with far greater warming potential than CO₂. This often-overlooked source of emissions is part of what scientists call teal carbon — greenhouse gases arising from inland water bodies like farm dams, reservoirs, and treatment plants.

That’s where RMIT’s CNPS steps in. Partnering with Westernport Water and CSIRO, water science researchers, led by Dr Martino Malerba and Dr Lukas Schuster, trialled a new kind of floating wetland: a buoyant raft planted with native species — Phragmites australis, Baumea articulata and Bolboschoenus caldwellii — designed to sit atop wastewater lagoons. These humble-looking islands do more than beautify industrial sites. As their roots dangle in the water, they create habitats for microbes that consume methane and other greenhouse gases.

Over two years, the team monitored emissions from a split-channel lagoon — one side with a floating wetland, the other without — using custom-built, solar-powered sensors called Pondi. The results were striking:

CO₂ emissions dropped by 30%

CH₄ emissions fell by up to 63%

N₂O emissions declined by 17%

Notably, these reductions occurred even when nutrient levels in the water remained unchanged, suggesting the emissions were curbed not by water quality improvements, but by microbial processes enhanced by the wetland ecosystem itself.

“This is nature doing what it does best — restoring balance,” says Dr Malerba. “By supporting microbial life with simple wetland plants, we’re showing you don’t need high-tech solutions to make a big environmental impact. We can reimagine wastewater treatment as part of the climate solution, not the problem.”

But wastewater is just one part of the picture. RMIT researchers are also rethinking how we restore coastlines and blue carbon habitats.

Biodegradable breakthroughs — Rebuilding coasts with potato-starch structures

Restoring degraded coastlines is no easy feat. Mangroves, saltmarshes and seagrass meadows — the unsung heroes of our blue carbon ecosystems — often struggle to re-establish in places where erosion, pollution, or altered water flows have stripped away the delicate balance of soil, salinity, and hydrology. Natural regeneration fails, and conventional restoration can be slow, expensive, or invasive.

Enter the potato.

Compostable 3D lattice structures known as BESE Elements. Credit: RMIT University.

At RMIT, research funded by Beach Energy is exploring a novel solution: compostable 3D lattice structures, made from waste potato starch and shaped into nature-mimicking forms. Known as BESE-elements®, these biodegradable scaffolds are designed to provide the support young plants need to gain a foothold in harsh coastal conditions by capturing sediment, anchoring roots, and stabilising water flow.

“It’s about giving nature a helping hand,” says Dr Stacey Trevathan-Tackett, who leads the project. “We’re not imposing a solution — we’re enabling the natural processes of recovery to take hold.”

Initial field trials have already shown promise, with the structures supporting the establishment of saltmarsh and mangrove seedlings in wave-prone sites where traditional methods have failed. Beyond stabilising shorelines, these habitats are crucial for biodiversity and blue carbon storage, trapping CO₂ in waterlogged soils for centuries.

By rethinking ecosystem restoration as a biodegradable collaboration with nature, this project exemplifies environmental science innovation at its most elegant. “By supporting nature’s ability to recover itself,” says Dr Trevathan-Tackett, “we’re turning the tide for our coastal ecosystems — restoring not just landscapes, but relationships with local communities and Country.”

The plastic paradox — Can pollution help store carbon?

If potato-starch scaffolds offer a regenerative future, plastics present a far murkier one with surprising climate implications. Plastic and climate change might seem like separate crises. One clogs coastlines, the other heats the planet. But researchers at RMIT are uncovering an unexpected link, deep within the sediments of blue carbon ecosystems.

Mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrass meadows are known for their powerful ability to trap and store carbon. Yet, these same environments are increasingly polluted with plastic, especially microplastics, which settle into sediments alongside organic material. While the environmental consequences of plastics are well-documented, their effects on carbon storage are less understood.

Credit: RMIT University

Could plastic actually enhance carbon storage by adding organic carbon that remains in the soil long-term? Or does it do the opposite, disrupting microbial communities and accelerating greenhouse gas release?

This is the question driving RMIT researchers Mohammad Abu Noman and Dr Tanveer Adyel, whose work explores how plastic, as part of a broader ‘contaminant suite’, may be altering the chemistry and biology of coastal carbon sinks. Their studies — some of the first of their kind — are helping to redefine how plastic pollution is factored into national climate mitigation strategies.

“Plastics don’t just pollute,” says Dr Adyel. “They interact with natural carbon, microbes, and sediments in ways we’re only beginning to understand. Yet understanding how plastics interact with our coastal carbon storage could redefine the way we tackle both pollution and climate change — turning a crisis into a catalyst for smarter action. If we’re going to manage coastal wetlands, we need to count plastics in our climate models too.”

By embracing the complexity of this paradox, RMIT is forging a new frontier in environmental science. One where the lines between pollution, climate, and ecosystem restoration are no longer treated in isolation.

Chemicals of concern — Tracing hidden threats in our waterways

Plastic pollution has dominated headlines in recent years, with microplastics taking centre stage. But not all pollutants are so well known and many of the most harmful are so small we didn’t even know to look for them. New chemicals are continually being developed, many of which find their way into our waterways via homes, gardens, farms, and industrial sites. Understanding how they affect natural environments requires targeted, sensitive monitoring, which is no small task.

That’s where RMIT’s AQUEST comes in. Collaboratively working with Melbourne Water through the Aquatic Pollution Prevention Partnership (A3P) and the National Measurement Institute, the team is developing ultra-sensitive detection techniques to identify and assess micropollutants — the chemical compounds present in trace amounts that can have disproportionate effects on aquatic life.

Passive sampler. Credit: RMIT University.

Using passive samplers that stay in rivers and wetlands for weeks, alongside lab-based suspect screening that can scan for up to 40,000 chemicals, AQUEST researchers are uncovering a vast chemical footprint that far exceeds the array of pollutants previously detected in waterways. Many of us assume the chemicals making their way into rivers and oceans come from industrial processes and conventional farming practices. Pesticides are a good example. However, the AQUEST team has found that many high-risk compounds found in waterways stem from everyday residential use.

An Australia-wide AQUEST survey revealed more than half of Australians surveyed (58%) didn’t realise common household products — from pet treatments to garden sprays — contain pesticides. And 51% of respondents disposed of excess pesticide-containing household chemicals with their domestic rubbish. Small wonder then that much of the aquatic pollution being detected comes from homes rather than businesses.

AQUEST’s research is driving significant change by informing initiatives like Melbourne Water’s Healthy Waterways Strategy (healthywaterways.com.au) and addressing declines in aquatic species. Their work is reshaping pollution management, extending efforts beyond treatment facilities to homes and policy development, ultimately aiming for healthier aquatic ecosystems.

“If we don’t know about it, we can’t do anything about it,” says Dr Sara Long. “But once we do, we can act — to protect waterways, ecosystems, and the communities that depend on them.”

Credit: RMIT University.

A nature-based environmental protection and regeneration toolkit for the future

Each of the CNPS’s breakthrough projects — floating wetlands, biodegradable scaffolds, and blue carbon plastic research — reflects a common philosophy: that nature is not just a victim of climate change and ecosystem degradation, but also a powerful ally in solving such challenges.

The work of the CNPS offers a compelling case for investing in nature-based solutions — approaches that harness ecosystems to mitigate emissions, boost biodiversity and build resilience to climate extremes. These aren’t fringe ideas. They’re increasingly central to international climate strategies, from the UN’s Decade on Ecosystem Restoration to Australia’s own climate and biodiversity markets.

And yet, many of these nature-based methods remain under-utilised, partly due to limited data, policy gaps, or lack of scalable models. That’s where RMIT’s strength lies: gathering data (e.g. through AQUEST’s aquatic monitoring programs) and translating rigorous science into practical tools that governments, industry, and communities can adopt.

This integration of research and real-world impact also extends to RMIT’s science degrees. Students studying biology and environmental sciences don’t just learn theory. They gain first-hand experience working in diverse and threatened ecosystems. On the annual Lizard Island study tour, for example, students snorkel the Great Barrier Reef while collecting long-term data on coral health and climate impacts. Closer to the rainforest canopy, they explore the Daintree to compare tropical ecosystems and understand the pressures shaping both land and sea.

Lizard Island study tour. Credit: RMIT University.

RMIT students also engage directly with international restoration efforts, including in a recent two-week wetlands study tour in Malaysia. Supported by a New Colombo Plan grant, the tour immersed students in the ecological and community dynamics of peatland regeneration, from planting native trees to monitoring forest soils and water quality alongside local and Indigenous groups. These experiences don’t just teach environmental science. They transform students into active participants in ecosystem care. RMIT’s degrees are truly arming our future generation of scientists with cutting-edge, impactful experiences.

Whether it’s integrating teal carbon into national inventories, guiding coastal managers on restoration priorities, or proving that plant roots can slash methane emissions from a lagoon, the Biology Department at RMIT, which includes both CNPS and AQUEST, is delivering more than academic insight. Its researchers are building a portfolio of environmental solutions.

These innovations show that responding to ecological and environmental challenges doesn’t always mean inventing new machines. Sometimes, it means learning from living systems, and designing alongside them.

In a world urgently searching for solutions, sometimes the best question we can ask is the one RMIT champions: What’s next? If your next step is to become part of the solution — whether you’re a student ready to shape the future of environmental science, an organisation seeking cutting-edge collaboration, or an investor looking to back nature-based innovation — connect with the Biology Department at RMIT to discuss how together you can transform ambitious ideas into action and turn today’s challenges into tomorrow’s breakthroughs.

By Dr Kelly Wade in partnership with RMIT University