University of Otago student Fox Meyer has received a government grant to work on Otago Harbour, and hopes his findings will help with planning for South Dunedin.
He is looking at how South Dunedin's geology will change and respond to dramatic events such as earthquakes.
Mr Meyer, under the guidance of his supervisor, Associate Prof Virginia Toy, has already planted three water sensors in Otago Harbour, allowing him to monitor what the water quality is like before it enters South Dunedin.
His research has earned him a Think New Grant from Education New Zealand (ENZ). The $5000 grant supports international students working on innovative research or study projects in New Zealand.
The sensors will eventually provide information on how water flows between the inner harbour and the porous sediments of South Dunedin.
Mr Meyer hoped his work on groundwater flows would allow South Dunedin to plan for the future, three or four generations down the line.
''Instead of trying to deny groundwater its natural course, I've set out to help explain how to balance living in South Dunedin while allowing that water to flow freely beneath our feet.
''If we learn something from this, hopefully other cities may jump on board.''
Mr Meyer said the grant would go towards buying more sensors, and also to his air fare to come back to Dunedin in about six months' time, to gather data.
After the information was collated, he would be passing the findings back to Prof Toy - and, depending on what he found, he hoped to expand his work into a master's degree project.
