Marine Environmental Studies

Water, Sediment and Metocean Investigations

Download a copy of the Australasian Marine Associates Artificial Reef Capability Statement

Australasian Marine Associates lead and contribute to multi-disciplinary teams, to help guide engineering project design and maximise environmental outcomes.  We have specialist knowledge of marine ecology, ecosystem and coastal processes functioning, physical–chemical characteristics, impact assessment, risk mitigation and marine environmental approvals, which provide our clients with opportunities to improve their environmental and engineering practices in all phases of a project's life cycle. The services provided by Australasian Marine Associates allows an easy transition from the technical surveys, which are used to describe the site characteristics into the civil design and construction/dredging requirements for a project. 

Download a copy of the Australasian Marine Associates Capability Statement

Marine Infrastructure and Dredging

Download a copy of the Australasian Marine Associates Dredging Capability Statement

​​​AMA personnel have executed a large range of dredging and port infrastructure related works including: Wharf and Barge Ramp Construction, Geotechnical, Geophysical and Geochemical Investigations, Maintenance Dredging Diver Based Piston Coring; Artificial Reef Feasibility, Design and Instillation and Vibrocore Sampling and Analysis Programs.

Our project team has also previously managed some of the largest dredging projects on the east coast of Australia. Australasian Marine Associates has the experience and expertise in overwater investigation for large marine infrastructure projects and we offer a range of services including:

  • Vibracoring investigations for characterising unconsolidated sediments

  • Piston coring investigations, which include boat-based surveys using hand held piston cores in up to 10m water depth or alternatively diver-based coring systems

  • Borehole drilling programs, using PQ3 or HQ3 drilling equipment deployed from truck-mounted or tracked drill rigs atop of our alliance partner's Jack-Up Barge or Spud Barges

  • A consolidated approach to geotechnical, geological, geochemical and geophysical investigations for informing on marine infrastructure design

  • Dredge site super-intendancy and dredging services including diver assisted dredging, use of small mini dredgers for marina maintenance as well as large cutter suction dredgers for maintenance and capital works programs

  • Maritime infrastructure maintenance including, underwater debris clearance, pile, wharf and concrete restoration works

  • Dredge Management Plans and dredging disposal strategies for both onshore (i.e. beach renourishment and land reclamation) and offshore disposal

  • Sound understanding of the biology and environmental processes, alongside the design and fabrication works as well as the methods of instillation for artificial reefs (download a copy of our capability statement here)




Our team have conducted numerous marine investigations for clients including habitat mapping and bathemetric surveys, seagrass, infauna and sediment contamination. Our team also boasts experienced statistical analysis practitioners.


Australasian Marine Associates has been involved in the monitoring and management of both small and large-scale projects, requiring dredging, near shore excavation and ocean outfall investigations, including:

  • Tropical, sub-tropical and temperate reef ecology
  • Monitoring of suspended solids and turbidity and modelling of sediment transport processes
  • Monitoring and modelling of metocean conditions, including drogue and tracer validation studies
  • Estuarine gill netting, bat trapping and seine netting
  • Investigations of incident light levels and sedimentation
  • Soft sediment community studies including infauna and epifauna investigations, surveys of seagrass meadows and low profile reef
  • Intertidal surveys, including mangrove and saltmarsh studies
  • Fish surveys, including baited remote underwater video
  • Marine mammal observations and other charismatic megafauna studies
  • Bathymetry surveys and habitat mapping, including drop camera and towed video
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Our project team has previously undertaken sediment geochemistry and characterisation studies for a range of projects. Our team has developed survey and monitoring techniques for both mobile water quality monitoring, as well as fixed site instrumentation, including:


  • Mobile water column profiling and water quality sampling

  • Fixed site water quality monitoring, using buoy and mooring systems and where, applicable telemetry for gathering data in real time

  • Multiparameter systems including CTD, AWAC, ADCP, Wave rider and tide gauge systems

  • Sediment sampling using sediment traps, diver coring, piston samplers, grab samplers and drop corers





Download the AMA Dredging Capability Statement












Download the AMA Artificial Reef Capability Statement