Duy Nguyen, PhD

CSIRO Environment, Black Mountain, ACT, Australia

Address: CSIRO Environment, GPO BOX 1700, Building 101, Clunies Ross St, Black Mountain, ACT 2601, Australia

Work Phone: +61 2 6218 3488 (Available Mon-Fri 9AM - 5PM UTC/GMT +11 Sydney time) 

Work email: Please fill in your enquiry here

Duy's current works at CSIRO involve water quality modelling of lakes and rivers to support water quality management and early warning of harmful events. Duy's project, which is a combination of hydrodynamic models and hyperspectral remote sensing, is a part of CSIRO's Aquawatch mission to monitor the health of inland and coastal waters.

He is also working as a model developer in the Digital Water & Landscapes - Hybrid Modelling for Water Security project, where the team is integrating physical system and AI/ML modelling of water quality and quantity. Current projects are using physics informed neural networks (PINN) incorporating basic process knowledge are proposed here to lead to better mapping of water quality parameters across water body scales. Moreover, he works toward to develop a fish kill index and an early warning tool for fish kill in different continental spatial and temporal scales, which also leverage remote sensing capability to monitor dead fish and basic variables to determine organic matter in rivers and lakes. 

Duy completed his PhD degree from the Sydney Fluid Dynamics Research Group.  His PhD research themes are computational (DNS, LES) and environmental fluid dynamics (river/lakes/estuaries dynamics, stratified flows, turbulence processes and mixing, air-sea interactions, and marine atmospheric boundary layer). 

Duy is also interested in, and also actively collaborating with scientists to address questions regarding the risks to shared water resources in Murray-Darling Basin, or in the Mekong Delta. Lastly, Duy is interested in physical oceanography (ocean circulation, ocean convection, internal waves, turbulence, mixing), hydraulics and water resources and coastal engineering with the changing climate.

Qualifications

Notre Dame Dehner Graduate Fellowship in Engineering and VEF Fellowship

Vietnam Ministry of Education and Training Fellowship


His full CV (updated to Feb. 2023) can be found here.

Any questions (other than works) can be sent to my personal email dnguye13 (at) alumni.nd.edu or just simply click on this link: email.

Recent/upcoming activities (fun and extracurricular): 

Sept 9-13, 2024

Adelaide, Australia

My very first time at the Advancing Earth Observation Forum, alongside with many colleagues from CSIRO.


I delivered a presentation on the application of hyperspectral data for monitoring and forecasting cyanobacteria blooms in lakes. The talk emphasized the critical role of integrating both in-situ and satellite data into models to enhance spatial and temporal resolution, ultimately improving the accuracy of short-term forecasts. Additionally, I discussed the uncertainties inherent in physics-based models and how AI/ML approaches can address these challenges.


The talk is a part of the CSIRO AquaWatch mission, which aims to build an integrated system to deliver accurate monitoring and forecasting water quality across scales, a comprehensive "weather service" for water quality as we might call it, by using satellite sensors and in-situ sensors with data analysis and artificial intelligence.


I am amazed by the "vibe" of the event. To briefly summaries, I've learnt a lot in the past short week. 

July 10, 2024

Lake Stechlin, Germany

I was having fun visit the IGB Berlin Lake lab at Brandenburg, Germany. The lake lab is awesome! I've never seen anything like that in my life.  We spent time to take a swim in the lake and enjoy the local fish over lunch. 


I also gave a presentation on the monitoring and forecasting algal bloom. In the talk, I introduced the CSIRO AquaWatch system, and the use of the physics-bio coupling model, couple with machine learning to forecast the bloom. 


We had a very good discussion, especially on the idea of applying the model to the phytoplankton that are bloom at the deeper layer of the lake. 


Attending the talk were Mark Gessner (the department head), and other group leaders (Stella A. Berger, Hans-Peter Grossart, Jens Christian Nejstgaard), and postdocs, PhD students, visiting students from Canada, the US, and South Africa.


As Jen said, anyone who visits us, will eventually come back. Hopefully CSIRO, AquaWatch and IGB Berlin will develop some further collaboration, so that I will be able to come back.



July 08, 2024

I gave a lecture to master's students at the Limnological Institute, University of Konstanz (Limnologisches Institut der Universität Konstanz). 


Also, had a great discussion with Prof. Frank Peeters and his group on the constrain of 1D hydrodynamics model to conserve physics law while can also fully describe the empirical relationship of the interaction between fluid dynamics and phytoplankton growth.

July 23 to July 07, 2024

Lindau, Germany


I spent more than 2 weeks as an  Australian representative to attend the Nobel Laureate meeting at Lindau, Germany. 


The awesomeness of the time spent cannot describe within one post, so I wrote a blog, you can read about the trip here.

In Vietnamese:  The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (duynguyen.org) 


From CSIRO (Internal): CSIRO-Internal-The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting Experience (duynguyen.org) 


From the Academy of science: Young Australian scientists learn from Nobel Laureates at 73rd Lindau Meeting | Australian Academy of Science 


From the Australian: At the annual Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings young scientists meet and mingle with Nobel laureates | The Australian 

May, Wednesday, 1st, 2024


I'd like to share an overview of my recent trip to Vietnam.


I visited Vietnam from April 24 to May 3, primarily to oversee the handover of the HydraSpectra as part of the CSIRO AquaWatch Vietnam pilot project. Despite enduring sweltering temperatures (reaching a tropical humid 45.6 degrees) and navigating through a long national public holiday, the installation of the HydraSpectra went smoothly. The data is now flowing seamlessly into the AquaWatch server, and the team is delighted with the results.


During the trip, I had the opportunity to engage with local governments, farmers, and various environmental agencies. They provided valuable insights into the impact of the past 15 years of climate change on the local ecosystem, offering an enlightening citizen knowledge session.


Furthermore, I collaborated with the Ministry of Resources and Environment, as well as the Ministry of Science and Technology. A notable highlight was participating in a seminar titled "Tech Solutions and Standardization to Tackle Mekong Delta’s Rising Sea Levels," where I co-presented with Prof. Dzung Dao from Griffith University, introducing IoT-AI solutions to address the issue. 


As Vietnam is going through a very hard drought and hot summer, with the declaration of national state of emergency, the seminar generated considerable interests, prompting collaboration with AquaWatch’s communications and Janet Anstee (AquaWatch's deputy director) to ensure coverage of the story in various Vietnamese news and media outlets. I've attached one example of a printed article titled “The Need for Remote Sensing and AI Technologies,” which prominently featured the AquaWatch mission. 


The summary of the seminar can be found here: TCVN | DIRECTORATE FOR STANDARDS, METROLOGY AND QUALITY – STAMEQ 


Overall, it was an enriching and productive week in Vietnam.

March, Friday, 22nd, 2024


Happy world's water day! 

Celebrating one year of launching of AquaWatch Australia Mission. We have a special Youtube video here.

On this special day, I also recieve a wonderful news. I am happy to be representing Australian early-career researchers at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting.

Happier to get a lot of supports from CSIRO for acing the fellowship, especially from CSIRO's Research Office, from my line manager Klaus Joehnk - the lead water quality modelling of the AquaWatch mission, the Water Security Program Director Carmel Pollino, the Science Director of the Environment BU Brett Molony, and many more.


And of course, immensely thanks to The Australian Academy of Science, Frances Separovic for the Science and Industry Endowment Fellowship, to make this trip possible.


Fluid Mechanics is a Physics field. Laureates Syukuro Manabe, Klaus Hasselmann and Giorgio Parisi got their Nobel prizes for the revolutionary contribution to disorder and fluctuations of Earth's climate system, recognized the complexity of the Physics in fluid dynamics. With the pressing situation of climate change, as an Environmental Fluid Dynamicist, I am happy to be chosen to a meeting dedicated to Physics.


Here is a small part from what I wrote in my application:

"Understanding turbulence through equations is notoriously difficult, given its chaotic and irregular nature. Turbulence is everywhere, yet it is one of the most challenging concepts for physicists to understand. That is the fun part of working with a turbulent model. I love turbulent flow! Since I was a kid, I have loved watching things in motions be it cars cruise, cats pounce, birds glide, water swirl away in our sink or raging rivers. Thus, it is a natural choice that I got into a gifted high school focused on Physics and Informatics, shaping my path to applying physics in practical ways. My path encompassed fundamental hydraulics in college, investigating air-sea property exchanges, wave dynamics and instabilities for my Master's, and exploring temperature's influence on turbulent stratified flow and mixing processes within complex geometries for my PhD. With the global climate reshaping environments, water-related predicaments are rising, and Australia is no exception. As an Early Career Researcher at CSIRO, I capitalize on my expertise to apply my theoretical turbulent modelling background to advance water quality simulations for rivers and lakes. My efforts contribute to creating the world's inaugural "weather service" for water quality, aiming to transform monitoring and response strategies in Australia and the world, aligning with my passion and societal needs amidst a changing climate." 

March, Mon - Tue 18th-19th, 2024


We recently convened in Adelaide, Australia, for a dynamic two-day session aimed at finalizing the draft first version of AquaWatch's Science Application Traceability Matrix (SATM). This innovative matrix offers a structured pathway from overarching objectives down to eventual publications, encompassing mission objectives, science objectives, measurement requirements, instrument specifications, and system requirements. Initially proposed by JPL-Caltech and adapted by NASA for spacecraft design, the SATM concept was embraced by AquaWatch from the project's inception.

A dedicated working group of over 10 AquaWatch scientists has been diligently collaborating for the past eight months to dissect all essential parameters within the AquaWatch mission. Their efforts have resulted in the organization of goals, objectives, and impacts into a cohesive tracking tool that guides mission planning and facilitates solution delivery. This comprehensive chart addresses parameter management, cascading down to instrument design, model requirements, data products, and the desires of end-users.

During our discussions, we delved into the potential parameters that AquaWatch aims to deliver in 2026 and toward 2030. We evaluated their readiness status, distinguishing between those that are ready, those undergoing research and development, and their respective technology readiness levels. This dialogue provided valuable insights and served as a rich learning opportunity, particularly for early-career researchers like myself.

Amidst engaging discussions and productive work sessions, we also had the pleasure of enjoying good science, great company, and delicious food. It was truly a rewarding experience of growth and collaboration. Here's to continued learning and progress!

March, Friday 8th, 2024

CSIRO is absolutely thrilled to roll out the red carpet for the awesome visit of His Excellency, Vietnam's Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh! 🎉

We've got a super cool showcase lined up for AquaWatch, complete with a dazzling array of water bottle samples, a high-tech hyperspectral camera, and a gigantic AquaWatch screen and banner that'll make you feel like you're strolling through a conference poster hall!

And guess what? With the bigwigs in town, we've inked loads of MOUs for future collaborations. Talk about taking things to the next level!

But you know what's the best part? Finally getting to meet all my Vietnamese comrades from across CSIRO sites and cities! Sure, we connect online, but there's nothing like face-to-face camaraderie. Thanks for bringing us all together, PM! 🚀



March, Tue 5th, 2024

Climate change is creating significant challenges to livelihoods, the economy and natural resources across countries in the Mekong subregion. Australia brought together 20 future leaders from across the Mekong subregion, to participate in the Mekong Australia Partnership masterclass on “Responding to the Climate Change Challenge”, implemented by the The University of Queensland. The participants will spend two weeks in Australia this month to learn more about how to support the Mekong subregion’s response to climate change.

Janet - the deputy director of AquaWatch and I, were invited to give a lecture on AquaWatch to the delegations. We had quite a fun chat and a good time hanging out over tea party.


Jan, Tue 30th, 2024

I have been elected as the vice-chair of the GeoAquaWatch  Early Career Society. I believe we will do a lot of great things together, such as the currently running "Water talk series" for early career researchers from under-representative backgrounds. 

Late December 2023

I had a great time talking and working with various universities and organizations in Vietnam. We came up with many collaborative ideas. I also took the chance to promote CSIRO, our Water Security Program, and also the innovative AquaWatch mission. See photos below. 

Working with Australian embassy (DFAT), CSIRO Vietnam, Hanoi University of Mining and Geology (HUMG), and The National Center for Water Resources Planning and Investigation (MoNRE).

Working with Thuy Loi University, Hanoi, Vietnam.

Working with the Vietnam Academy of Water Resources

Dec, Tue 12th, 2023

I have a great time on a field trip to Lake Hume. The lake is about a 15-minute drive from Albury Wodonga, and 4 hours from my office. It is an impressive body of water for drinking water supply, hydropower plant dam, and irrigation. 

Lake Hume is one of the inland pilots of the AquaWatch mission. Behind me is the buoy that houses the CSIRO HydraSpectra sensor, which data would help me and other modellers at CSIRO to monitor and forecast various water quality parameters. 

A field trip is not just work, it is also a trip to nature. I am lucky to have my driving buddy, a senior researcher who shared many valuable lessons and personal stories from his life and many years of career. It was my lucky learning session. 

When standing in front of the big lake, I remember the words by Osho "We are born alone, we live alone, and we die alone.".


Nov, Wed 29th, 2023

I joined a seminar/workshop on the "Risks to shared water in the Murray-Darling Basin". It is an in-person event at ANU, organized by the ANU Institute of Water Future. From a hydrodynamics and water quality modeller perspective and from a researcher in the CSIRO Water Security program, it is an advantageous and exciting learning experience. 


It gathers authors from the large-scale review to discuss the previously identified and new emerging risks in the MDB: Full article: A review of the risks to shared water resources in the Murray–Darling Basin (tandfonline.com).


To prepare for a seminar in different fields, I had to go through all the lengthy ~17 papers and four reports and create a comfortable learning curve. I also feel proud to review the CSIRO 2006 and 2012 reports and the CSIRO 2022 Climate Change report. They represent the CSIRO's science front in impacting a social-ecological-economical-scientific complex like the Basin. I am also very impressed with the CSIRO's Murray-Darling Basin Sustainable Yields project. 


Back to the seminar, I was delighted to learn about the whole-of-basing approach, account for all of the risks to the water resources and understand the concepts of compounding risk. I like the discussion on how the six risks have changed markedly in the last 20 years, not just the conceptualization, impact, and magnitude but also the nature of risks. From there, provide the knowledge gaps, the research directions and the policy options. The discussion was open and directed, helping me understand the complex science and water governance of an area cross-stated of a vast 1 million km2. I like the saying from one author that "A lack of capacity or willingness to manage these risks is itself a risk".


Happy learning! 

Aug, Wed-Fri 16-18th, 2023

I will attend the Coastal Forecasting - Science Workshop, organized by CSIRO's AI4Missions program at CSIRO Black Mountain Science & Innovation Park, Canberra, Australia. The workshop discusses Earth Observation data-driven in water quality forecasting, particularly focuses on coastal water quality forecasting model using machine learning methods, multi-sensor satellite earth observations, in-situ data streams, ecosystem modelling outputs and cloud computing infrastructure.

July,  Mon-Fri 24-28th, 2023

I will attend the Hacking Limnology 2023  workshop (DSOS AEMON-J Hacking Limnology Workshop (aquaticdatasciopensci.github.io). This workshop gathers Data Science and Open Science in Aquatic Research (DSOS) and Aquatic Ecosystem MOdeling Network - Junior (AEMON-J) to discuss fascinating presentations about aquatic research including open data and open science approaches. See you there!

July,  Mon 3rd, 2023

As a member of the GeoAquaWatch Early Career Commitee, I join with other members to organize the "Water talk" webinar series.  The upcoming 2023-24 webinar theme is "Understanding water quality from space". This is an exceptional opportunity for early career professionals and scientists, particularly those from underrepresented backgrounds, to showcase their research. We welcome a diverse range of Earth Observation in water quality topics, spanning algorithm development to understanding the needs of the user community. The deadline to respond to our Call for Speakers is August 11, and selected speakers will be notified by August 31, 2023. Moreover, If you are concerned about your presentation skills or English fluency, fear not! We offer optional training sessions with our members to help enhance your presentation skills prior to your webinar. Don't miss this chance to share your research and contribute to the understanding of water quality from space. Submit your abstract now! 

Link to the event here: Call for Early Career Scientist Speakers! – AquaWatch (geoaquawatch.org) 


June, Wed 14th, 2023

I had a great time at the ON workshop at CSIRO Black Mountain. It was wonderful to meet so many other staffs, develop and deliver pitches, and talk to many of CSIRO's senior/executives.

June, Sat - Wed 3-7, 2023

I will be at the Freshwater Science Conference in Brisbane, Australia. This is the first time the Society for Freshwater Science has held its annual conference outside of North America to the down under. I will present my talk to the Hydrology/Geomorphology session, with the title "Modelling Thermal Stratification, Overturning and Mixing in Australian Rivers" on Monday, 05/06/2023.  I will also chair two sessions on the topic of Eutrophication and Harmful Algae on the next day of 06/06/2023. Hope to see you there!

May 2023

I am joining the National CERC Fellow Committee. We have currently 9 members across 8 locations and 7 Business Units, with the responsibility to connect all CERCs across Australia (about 550 members of CSIRO Early Research Career Postdoctoral and Engineering Fellows), represent CERC Fellows to CSIRO leadership, present CERCs perspective on leaning and development opportunities and resources, and oversee the organization of Convergence. I am also hosting the biweekly Right to Write workshop, working with CSIRO Publishing, to organize sessions for all CERCs to improve academic writing. 

April, Mon - Wed 3-5, 2023

I am pleased to have participated in the CSIRO Aquawatch face-to-face meeting, a gathering of over 40 scientists from across Australia to discuss the oversight of the Aquawatch project toward 2026 to 2030 and beyond. This opportunity has allowed me to learn from experts in project management, specifically in the areas of project delivery planning, deployment strategies, high-level data product creation, and the Science and Applications Traceability Matrix (SATM), following NASA's methodology.

The SATM is a comprehensive document that includes all the pertinent information necessary to understand a given proposal's relevance, scientific objectives, implementation strategy, and expected results, all of which are end-user requirements driven. As an academic, this level of detail planning for product execution is a novel experience for me, and I find it highly valuable for future research endeavors.

Additionally, the Aquawatch program is an integrated, complex initiative that encompasses the design of a space sensor, in-situ instrumentation, water quality models, and a platform for users. Without the SATM, I may have struggled to keep up with the project's complexity and scope. I am grateful for this opportunity to learn and collaborate with other experts in the field, and I look forward to applying this knowledge to my research and project management.

We also enjoyed the dinner with a big fat bill for beer.

Happy learning :)

March, Friday 31, 2023

Read my story with CSIRO in the Water Security Program's March Newsletter:  Here

February, Thursday 23, 2023

A field trip to lake Tuggeranong to install the HydraSpectra. It was a sunny day with little wind, the sun casted a luminescent glow on the lake's surface, and I could see the lake water full of green algae. It was an odd experience for a numerical modeller like me to get out of the computer desk. In the photo is me holding the HydraSpectra with a big smile. I am happy and appreciates where the data I work on come from and how impactful my work is to the environment.  

February, Wednesday 8, 2023

I will be the CSIRO representative at the ANU Next Generation Murray Darling Basin Workshop at the Australian National University, Canberra, Australia. It is a great chance for me to learn from other current and future Basin leaders from government departments, non-government organisations and research centres across NSW, ACT, Victoria and Queensland that play a key part in the management and future decision-making in the Murray-Darling Basin. I am excited and can't wait to join and contribute. 


December, Sunday 4 to Thursday 8, 2022

I will be at the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Conference 2022 

I will be co-chairing sessions 4D, 5D and 6D (Stratified flows I, II, and III). I am excited to talk and learn from everyone. 

Otherwise, I am wearing the "University of Sydney" polo grey shirt and help around at the registration desk.  Please ask me any questions about the conference, the university, and the city of Sydney. I am there to help. 

See you there!

August, Tuesday 30, 2022

I will give a talk about my PhD research at the "Conversations in Fluids" seminar series, organized by the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society. 

Link to the event and any past recorded events can be found here.

Time: 4-5 pm AEDT

Zoom Seminar: ID: 81045541630 – Password: 375531 

The abstract and bio can be found here