Team

Program Office

Mission Lead – Dr Alex Held

Alex is one of Australia’s leading Earth observation experts. Alex is the Mission Lead for AquaWatch and Director, Earth Observation Infrastructure.

In his tenure at CSIRO, Alex has overseen the establishment of the new radar satellite NovaSAR-1 as one of Australia’s newest national research facility; leads the development of innovative science in remote sensing and drives the development of spatial technology and data analytics to support sustained Earth observation and measurement of our planets eco-systems.

Alex received the COSPAR Harrie Massey Award in 2021 for outstanding contributions to the development of space research in which leadership is of particular importance. He was the recipient of the Earth Observation Australia Scientist Award in 2022 for Significant Contribution to the Development of the Australian Earth Observation Community and its Capability and a finalist for 2023 Australian Space Scientist of the Year.

Deputy Mission Lead – Janet Anstee

Janet Anstee is the Deputy Director and First Nations Alliance Lead for AquaWatch. Janet specialises in applying validated bio-optical models to advance water quality discrimination and enhance understanding of aquatic habitats.

Janet is a passionate citizen scientist and leads the CSIRO Eye on Water – Australia project which brings together her earth observation skills and interest in aquatic systems with citizen science. Janet has demonstrated experience in engaging with Indigenous communities through the Eye on Water project.

She is actively involved in determining the technological requirements for hyperspectral imaging in the CSIRO AquaWatch Australia Mission (water quality) and a collaborative project with the University of Queensland and the SmartSat CRC (coral reefs and seagrass).

A strategic and engagement specialist, Zandria has held progressive roles across the Australian Federal Government since 2010, following her completion of Bachelor of Archaeology (hons), Flinders, and Post Grad studies in Environmental studies, Uni SA.

In 2018, Zandria moved into the space sector, as the International Engagement Lead for the Australian Space Agency, where she led the Agency’s successful engagement with key international space agencies, resulting in multiple signed strategic arrangements to facilitate the growth of the Australian space industry. In 2020, Zandria commenced at the Bureau of Meteorology’s , National Security and Space Program, to increase the awareness of space weather impacts in the space industry. As National Manager for Space, Zandria worked closely with key government and industry partners and established the Bureau’s dedicated spaceflight capability to support Australia’s launch and space situational awareness activities. 

Zandria leads the development of strategic partnerships and engagement with key organisations nationally and internationally to support the success of the AquaWatch mission, which integrates space and on ground technologies to monitor water quality.

Executive Coordination Lead – Rowena Smith

Rowena is the Executive Officer, responsible for the executive coordination and management of the program office of AquaWatch, a joint initiative between the SmartSat CRC and CSIRO and strengthens collaborations across both organisations.

Rowena has over 30 years of extensive experience working in science and education institutions including working directly with governmental departments and organisations advising on development, implementation, and measurement of strategic directions.  Rowena holds qualifications from the University of Canberra in administration and project management (Prince 2).

Project Lead – Adam MacLeod

Adam is an experienced Project Manager and System Engineer, with a history of success in establishing, planning and delivering large R&D projects. Adam’s passion is in building strong, diverse, creative and empowered teams that can deliver the most challenging and interesting projects in Australia.

Adam’s knowledge and skills cover program and project management, governance and business operations. He is experienced in partnership development and contracting, business law and IP management, stakeholder management and communications, commercialisation and international business. Adam is a member of the Standards Australia working group for Space Systems.   

International Project & Engagement Lead – Flora Kerblat

Flora leads international engagement for AquaWatch in addition to leading international cooperation & coordination for the CSIRO’s Centre for Earth Observation (CCEO). Flora focuses on strengthening partnerships with Space Agencies across the globe (mainly through the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites, CEOS), linking EO experts and coordinating strategic activities.

Flora plays a key role in EO projects involving Data Cube technology, Data access and capacity, and Calibration & Validation. Flora is a committee member on the GEO AquaWatch Steering Committee and will play a key role in linking GEO AquaWatch activities with AquaWatch Australia. Flora’s contributions also help advance EO research and data uptake in Australia and the Indo-Pacific region (EO and the UN Sustainable Development Goals, SDGs; Food, water security).

Work Packages

National Pilot Lead – Dr Nagur Cherukuru

Nagur’s primary focus lies in implementing integrated approaches to effectively monitor and predict water quality changes in intricate estuarine and coastal waters. As a senior research scientist in the Coastal and Oceanic Systems program at CSIRO Environment Nagur specializes in bio-optical measurements, remote sensing modelling, coastal water quality mapping, and land-to-ocean connections.

Nagur has successfully developed remote sensing algorithms that have been applied in tropical and temperate regions to gain insights into coastal water quality dynamics. Through collaborative projects, Nagur’s aim is to develop innovative remote sensing water quality models that integrate satellite and in situ sensing data with physics-informed machine learning techniques. These endeavours seek to advance.

Water Quality Modelling Lead – Dr Klaus Joehnk

Klaus is a lead scientist in the field of water quality modelling and holds the position of Principal Research Scientist at CSIRO Environment business unit. Klaus leads CSIRO’s Modelling Water Ecosystems team, in addition to work package lead for AquaWatch which focuses on modelling and forecasting.

With over 25 years of experience in Europe and Australia, Klaus specializes in hydrodynamic and water quality modelling of lakes and rivers.

Currently, Klaus leads projects integrating advanced Earth-Observation data with in-situ monitoring for improved water resource management. Klaus’s initiatives tackle issues like fish kills, blackwater, harmful algal blooms, and increased sediment load after bushfires. His goal is to provide actionable information and effective solutions to address these water quality challenges.

Insitu Sensor Network Lead – Dr Tim Malthus

Tim is a senior principal research scientist in the Environment Business Unit. Tim has over 30 years experience in remote sensing of water quality with a focus on optics, calibration and validation, field spectroscopy and sensor development.

Tim’s most recent research has focussed on tools for the detection of harmful algal blooms in both inland and coastal waters. This has ranged from the development of low cost optical sensors, apps  for use by citizen scientists and observations using satellites in space. Tim is a co-creator of CSIRO’s patented HydraSpectra near surface sensor for the measurement of water quality parameters.

As part of the AquaWatch Australia Mission he leads the In Situ Sensor Networks Work Package working with optical and electronic engineers and scientists overseeing the challenge of development and deployment of sensor networks at wide spatial scales.

Remote Sensing Lead – Dr Joshua Pease

Joshua Pease is a research scientist within CSIRO manufacturing with over eight years of experience in designing, assembling, and testing remote sensing technologies. Since joining CSIRO, his research has focused on developing imaging spectrometer instruments for drone, balloon and satellite platforms to address environmental challenges. He is currently leading development of the hyperspectral imager sub-system for the CyanoSat mission and is the lead of the Earth Observation Systems Work Package under AquaWatch Australia.

Recent research activities include: development of compact optical filters for hyperspectral imaging payloads, optical instrument characterisation and calibration, and the connection of instrument specifications to water-quality science objectives.

Data Analytics Lead – Rob Woodcock

Rob Woodcock is a senior research scientist and consultant in Earth Data and Analytics infrastructures with CSIRO Minerals in addition to lead of the AquaWatch data system. Rob has addressed the issues of information flow across organisational boundaries and have developed innovative information systems adopted into national infrastructure and achieved lasting large scale economic impact on multiple organisations.

Rob is currently the Vice Chair for the CEOS Working Group on Information Systems and Services. Rob has worked for over 20 years in the field of visualisation, spatial information systems and analytics and its application to Earth Science with a focus on ensuring research innovation leads to business innovation.

Business development and support

Communication & Media Lead – Maigan Thompson

Maigan is a science communicator with a varied background across not-for-profit organisations, commercial businesses and research institutions, and a keen interest in environmental sustainability. She leads the communication, media and national engagement activities to support the AquaWatch strategy.

Maigan holds a Bachelor of Communication from the University of Newcastle and is finalising a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) Social Impact at the Australian Graduate School of Management, UNSW.

Business Development Manager – Marc Beaudry

Marc is the Business Development Lead for the Aquawatch Mission, working on coordinating the development of partnerships and derived data products.

Marc is an experienced business development professional with nearly 20 years in the Earth Observation sector. He comes with an entrepreneurial background, building EO companies in Canada and Australia prior to joining CSIRO.  He has worked with an array of Earth Observation technologies, ranging from SAR, LiDAR, Optical, Multispectral and Hyperspectral Imagery.