Diversified mining major BHP has partnered with Curtin University and the University of Adelaide on a ground-breaking research initiative at its Olympic Dam operation in South Australia, aiming to conserve and enhance biodiversity by using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques.

The project – BHP-Curtin Alliance eDNA for Global Environment Studies - Subterranean Fauna Detection and Conservation – seeks to create a functional biomonitoring tool that can provide richer biodiversity data than traditional monitoring methods.

eDNA is genetic material that organisms leave behind in their surroundings, such as soil, water, or air. Unlike conventional biodiversity surveys, which can be time-consuming and require specialist expertise, eDNA sampling is non-invasive and can be performed more efficiently while still producing high-resolution insights.

The Olympic Dam area includes part of the Great Artesian Basin, home to an estimated 7 000 individual springs in 450 spring groups. These springs are vital water sources for threatened, endemic and relict species, many of which exist in isolated subterranean ecosystems. The project’s scope includes developing eDNA tools to monitor genetic diversity and detect shifts in these unique communities.

“When the opportunity to test the benefits of eDNA technology was identified, BHP worked collaboratively with leading academics from Curtin University and the University of Adelaide to co-design the project ensuring world-class research was aligned with industry needs,” BHP said.

The voluntary initiative has been funded through BHP’s social investment programme, with the aim of helping industry make more informed decisions in managing species with limited ranges or occurrences. Such novel techniques are expected to play an integral role in halting and reversing trends in biodiversity loss.

Field sampling was undertaken by the Arabana people, the Traditional Owners of the land, alongside Curtin University researchers and the Olympic Dam environment team. Samples of spring water, bore water and spring invertebrates were collected for eDNA analysis.

BHP said the collaboration demonstrated how mining operations could leverage advanced science and Indigenous knowledge to better understand and protect ecosystems in sensitive environments.