Professor Max FinlaysonProfessor Max Finlayson
Wetland Ecologist

INTERESTS

Prof Max Finlayson is an internationally renown wetland ecologist with extensive experience in Australia and overseas in water pollution, mining and agricultural impacts, invasive species, climate change, and human wellbeing and wetlands. He has participated in global assessments such as those conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change, the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, and the Global Environment Outlook. Since the early 1990s he has been a technical advisor to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and has written extensively on wetland ecology and management. Current research interests include wetland and river management, planning and policies; community and indigenous peoples’ involvement in wetland and river management; integration of social, economic and ecologic research; trade-offs among wetland users and uses; water availability and climate change, and impacts on environmental flows; and wetland ecosystem services.

Qualifications
Bachelor of Science, (Honours) Botany Department, University of Western Australia, 1975
Doctor of Philosophy, Botany Department, James Cook University, Townsville,1980

Strategic Research Areas

Campus Albury - Wodonga (Thurgoona) Email Prof M Finlayson Home Page

Recent Activities

Membership of Advisory Boards and Editorial Panels

Prof Finlayson is a member of a scientific panel contracted by the SA Government to assess options for the Lower Lakes and the mouth of the Murray River.
He is also a member of the Albury City Wonga Wetlands community advisory committee;
Chair of the Winton Wetlands Management Committee’s Scientific and Technical Advisory group; and on the council of Birds Australia.

Since the early 1990s he has been a member of the Scientific Technical Review Panel of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands and currently heads its “Wetlands and climate change’ theme.

Prof Finlayson is on the editorial board of  Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems ; and on the editorial panel for Ramsar Technical Reports published by the Secretariat of the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands. He is the Editor-in-Chief of CSIRO's Journal Marine & Freshwater Research.

Recent Publications

Peer-reviewed papers

Finlayson, C.M., Davis, J.A., Gell, P.A., Kingsford, R.T. & Parton, K.A. (2013) The status of wetlands and the predicted effects of global climate change: the situation in Australia. Aquatic Sciences 75, 73–93. DOI 10.1007/s00027-011-0232-5

Senaratna Sellamuttu, S., de Silva, S., Nagabhatla, N., Finlayson, C.M., Pattanaik, C. and Prasad, N. (2012) The Ramsar Convention’s wise use concept in theory and practice: an inter-disciplinary investigation of practice in Kolleru Lake, India. Journal of International Wildlife Law & Policy 15:228–250. DOI.org/10.1080/13880292.2012.749138

Mohamed, Y.A., Bastiaanssen, W.G.M, Savenije, H.H.G., van den Hurk, B.J.J.M & Finlayson, C.M. (2012) Evaporation from wetland versus open water: a theoretical explanation and literature review. Physics and Chemistry of the Earth 47–48, 114–121. DOI:10.1016/j.pce.2011.08.005

Sutherland, W.J., Alves, J.A., Amano, T., Chang, C.H., Davidson, N.C., Finlayson, C.M., Gill, J.A., Gill, R.E.J.R, Gonzalez, P.M., Gunnarsson, T.G., Klleijn, D., Spray, C.J., Szekely, T. & Thompson, D.B.A. (2012) A horizon scanning assessment of current and potential future threats to migratory shorebirds. Ibis 154, 663–679.

Nagabhatla N, Senaratna Sellamuttu S, Bobba AG, Finlayson M, Wickermasuriya R, Van Brakel M, Prasad N & Pattanaik C (2012) Insight to ecosystem based approach (EBA) at landscape level using a geospatial medium. Journal of Indian Society for Remote Sensing 40, 47–64. DOI: 10.1007/s12524-011-0080-8

Ens E.J., Finlayson, M., Preuss, K., Jackson, S. & Holcombe, S. (2012) Australian approaches for managing ‘country’ using Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge. Ecological Management and Restoration 13, 100-107.

Nagabhatla, N., Dhyani, S., Finlayson, C.M., Senareratna Sellamuttu, S., van Brakel. M., Wickramasuriya, R., Pattanaik, C. & Narendra Prasad, S. (2012) A case study approach to demonstrate the use of assessment and monitoring tools for participatory environmental governance. Ecologia 2, 60-75.

Nagabhatla, N., Finlayson C.M. & Seneratna Sellamuttu, S. (2012) Assessment and change analyses (1987-2002) for tropical wetland ecosystem using earth observation and socioeconomic data. European Journal of Remote Sensing 45, 215-232. doi: 10.5721/EuJRS20124520

Pittock, J., Finlayson, C.M & Howitt, J. (2012) Beguiling and risky: ‘environmental works and measures’for wetland conservation under a changing climate. Hydrobiologica.1-21  DOI 10.1007/s10750-012-1292-9

Junk, W.J, An,S, Finlayson, C.M., Gopal,B., Kveˇt, J., Mitchell, S.A.,  Mitch., W.J & Robarts,R.D. (2012) Current state of knowledge regarding the world’s wetlands and their future under global climate change: a synthesis, Aquatic Sciences DOI 10.1007/s00027-012-0278-z

Finalyson, C.M. (2012) Forty years of wetland conservation and wise use .Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems, 22:139-143

Horwitz, P & Finalyson, M. (2012) Water and Health: On the Notion of a Healthy Wetland. Human Evolution/Global Bioethics. 27.1-3 (65-69)

Ens, E.J., Finlayson, C.M., Preuss, K., Jackson, S. and Holcombe, S. (2012), Australian approaches for managing ‘country’ using Indigenous and non-Indigenous knowledge. Ecological Management & Restoration, 13: 100–107

 

Book chapters

Molden, D., Vithanage, M., de Fraiture, C., Faures, J.M., Finlayson, M., Gordon, L., Molle, F., Peden, D. and Stentiford, D. (2011) Water availability and its use in agriculture. In P Wilderer (ed) Treatise on Water Science, vol. 4, Academic Press, Oxford, pp 707–732

Pittock, J & Finlayson, C.M. (2011) Freshwater Ecosystem Conservation: Principles versus policy . In: Basin Futures: Water reform in the Murray Darling Basin (eds Connell, D & Quentin Grafton, R.) ANU E Press, Chapter 3, pp 39-57

Projects

Murray Darling Basin Futures; conserving biodiversity Finlayson, M (chief investigator CSU), Humphries, P., & Bellio, M. (2012-2015) This $391,969 project is an an ARC collaborative project headed by University of Canberra, with CSU, University Adelaide,SA Museum, University of Oregon.

Evaluation of Caring for our Country outcomes-high ecological value aquatic ecosystems. SEWPAC. Finlayson, M. (2012), SEWPAK, $11,200

Identifying low risk climate change mitigation and adaptation in catchment management while avoiding unintended consequences NCCARF . Finlayson, M. & Pittock, J. (2012 to January 2013)

Adaptation pathways for aquatic plants under climate change: facilitating dispersal and management interventions.  Australian Centre for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis (ACEAS)  Finlayson, M. Nielsen, D. (2012)

Ecological responses of aquatic vegetation to the environmental water regime developed for Lake Brewster Lachlan CMA & State Water. Finlayson, M., Nielsen, D., Clements, A. (2012-2015)

Strengthening livelihood security and adapting to climate uncertainties in Chilika Lagoon, India. Wetlands International – South Asia (WISA) in partnership with Chilika Development Authority, .  $62,500. Finlayson, M., Bellio, M. (2012-2015).

Developing Fish Friendly Design Criteria for Small Hydro Facilities. Australian Centre for Renewable Energy through DPI NSW (Fisheries), $144,000. Finlayson, M. & Robinson, W. (2012-2014).

Ecological Characterisation and Scenario Setting for Lake Cowal - PhD Scholarship, Lake Cowal Foundation, $90,000. Finlayson, M. (2012-2015).