The Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) is an amalgamation of aquatic expertise from across James Cook University. It brings together over 150 research and supporting staff and over 100 post-graduate students into one cohesive research group. TropWATER provides a unique opportunity for multidisciplinary research activities by integrating JCU’s aquatic expertise into one unit, which covers the full spectrum of freshwater, estuarine and marine waters, with expertise from ecology, water quality, hydrology, engineering, physics, oceanography, modelling and resource economics.

TropWATER aims to conduct highly-recognised and influential research in fields related to water science, resource management and the ecology of water ecosystems, with a special focus on achieving sustainable use of water resource systems and water ecosystems. Our overall goal is to secure the future of water ecosystems and maintain their critical functional processes. The Centre has a strong, but not exclusive, focus on tropical water systems, both in Australia and internationally. It is concerned with major issues in water science, including water resources, water quality and aquatic biodiversity, in relation to economic, social and environmental needs, constraints and change.