While this theme is the platform for the Institute's two major environmental water monitoring projects, and related projects, in the Edward/Kolety-Wakool and the Murrumbidgee river systems, it is also home for the Institute-based Fish Ecology Collaborative Research Unit, and other fish ecology and irrigation technology projects. Past, current, emerging and potential research areas include wetland inventory and assessment, ecological indicators, ecology of aquatic biota, ecosystem response to dam and fishway management, aquatic chemistry, adaptive management and riverine ecosystem process. Social, cultural and institutional arrangements for river and wetland management also feature in this theme.
Basin-scale Evaluation and Research Services. Stage 2. Wassens S., Baumgartner, L. (2020-2022) CEWO with University of Canberra lead organisation. UC, $101,750 ,CSIRO, $72,727. Total $174,477 Project details
Cohuna fish Screen Assessment, Baumgartner, L., Bretzel, J. (PhD student) (2021-2022) North Central Catchment Management Authority, $19,999 Project details
DPIE waterbird monitoring project. Wassens, S. (2020-2021), NSW DPIE
Koondrook-Perricoota floodplain carbon sources. Watts, R., Liu, X., McCasker, N., & Doran, G. (2020-2021) Forestry Corporation of NSW, $79,273
Monitoring, Evaluation and Research – Murrumbidgee. Wassens, S., Hall, A. (2019-2022), CEWO Project webpage FlowMER Webpage
Monitoring, Evaluation and Research – Edward/Kolety-Wakool. Watts, R., Howitt, J., McCasker, N., Liu, X. & Trethewie, J. (2019-2022) CEWO, $3.15M Project webpage FlowMER webpage
Research Project 1: Optimised models for improved water management. Wassens, S., Bino, G. (UNSW), Hall, A. (2020-2021) CEWO, Murrumbidgee MER project
River Murray Channel productivity Monitoring 2020-2021. Watts, R., Liu, X. (2020-2021) MDBA. Led by CSIRO, $48,051
Vegetation and wetland assets benchmarking project. Wassens, S., Hardwick, L., Hall, A. & Poynter, C. (CSU SPAN) (2019-2021) CEWO, Contingency Funding from the Murrumbidgee MER project. Project details
ANDS Collection Enhancement Project. Finlayson, M. (2017) Monash University ($30,000)
Automated call records to evaluate frog responses to environmental watering. Wassens, S., Hall, A., Nimmo, D. & Walcott, A.(2016-2017) Department of Environment & Climate Change, $30,000
Basal Food Resources. Watts, R., Liu, X. (2019-2020) NSW Department of Industry, $32,735
Basin-scale Evaluation and Research Services. Stage 1. Wassens, S., Baumgartner, L., Watts, R. Keller, K. (2019) Lead organisation CSIRO. ILWS sub-contract $41,418 Project details
Billabong-Yanco Creek Wetland Monitoring Project. Wassens, S., Wilson, B., Walcott, A., Hall, A. & Wolfenden, B. (2017-2018) Murray LLS, $80,218 Project details
Contribution of Koondrook-Perricoota floodplain runoff to the productivity of the Wakool River. Watts, R. & Liu, X. (2019-2020), Forestry Corporation NSW, $39,610 Project details
Complementary measures for native fish. Baumgartner, L. (2017) CSIRO/Murray-Darling Basin Authority. $33,000
Developing design guidelines for diversion screens that save native fish and enhance agricultural productivity. Baumgartner, L., Doyle, K. (2018-2020) Ian Potter Foundation, $299,331 Project details
Ecological assessment of the status of the Southern Bell Frog and Sloane's froglet in Mywurlie station, One Tree NSW. Wassens, S., Knight, A., Walcott, A. & Heard, G. (2017-2018) Murrumbidgee Irrigation Ltd, $46,948. Project details
EWKR food web fish community trophic dynamics. Kopf, R. (2018-2019) CEWO via MDFRC, $40,000 Project details
Environmental Monitoring and Training for Aboriginal Communities. Wassens, S., Allan, C., Whitsed, R. & Bond, J. (2017-2018) NSW OEH, $20,000 Project details
Environmentally sustainable irrigation solutions for the Murray-Darling Basin. Baumgartner, L. (2017) Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering-Global Connections Fund – Bridging Grant, $49,966
Environmental water requirements of freshwater mussels in the northern basin. McCasker, N., Humphries, P. (2020) CEWO, $20,000. Project led by Griffith University. Project details
Fishing for answers: Unlocking spawning and recruitment for Murray-Darling recreational species.. Baumgartner, L., Doyle, K., Silva, L., Thiem, J. (2016-2020) Recreational Fishing Trust. $100,000 Project details
Frog community in creek and drought refuge habitats of the Yanco Creek system. Wassens, S., Turner, A. (2019-2020) Yanco Creek and Tributaries Advisory Council, $29,240 Final Report
Golden perch breeding dynamics in floodplain wetlands. Stage 1. Wassens, S. & Whiterod, N. (Aquasave) (2020) CEWO Project details
In search of the elusive Mekong salmon. Baumgartner, L. & Vu. V.A. (PhD student), (2016-2020) National Geographic Society Research Grant, $30,080 Project details
Koondrook-Perricoota Floodplain Runoff project. Watts, R., Howitt, J. (2016-2017) Forestry Corporation of NSW ($49,501), ILWS and CSU's Faculty of Science Project details
Long Term Intervention Monitoring project - Edward Wakool Selected Area. Stage 2. Watts, R., McCasker, N., Howitt, J., Kopf, R.K. with NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries), Monash University (Water Studies Centre), Griffith University, NSW OEH, and Murray LLS. (2014-2019) CEWO, $3.36M Project Webpage
Long Term Intervention Monitoring project-Murrumbidgee Selected Area. Stage 2.. Wassens, S., Hall, A., Wolfenden, B. with NSW Department of Primary Industries (Fisheries), University of NSW, Riverina LLS, and NSW OEH, (2014-2019) CEWO, $3.5M
Mitta Valley Southern Bell Frog Surveys 2019. Wassens, S., Turner, A. (2019-2020) Landcare Australia, $1498 Final Report
Monitoring ecosystem responses to Return Flows in the Koondrook-Pericoota Forest, Wolfenden, B., Jenkins, K. & McCasker, N. (2016-17) NSW DPI (Fisheries), $36,908
Monitoring productivity outcomes of the 2019 River Murray Channel multi-site water for the environment event. Watts,R., & Liu, X. (2019-2020) MDBA through CSIRO, ILWS-sub contract, $39,196 Project details
Native and invasive fish dispersal, spawning and trophic dynamics during a managed river-floodplain connection. Kopf, R., Wassens, S., & Mc Phan, L. (2018-2019) CEWO, $236,787 Project details
Optimising acoustic monitoring for frogs in the Koondrook-Perricoota. Walcott, A., Hall, A., Wassens, S., Nimmo, D. (2018) Forestry Corporation of NSW $29,623 Project details
Phase 2: Ecological assessment of the status of the Southern bell frog and Sloane’s froglet in Mywurlie Station, One Tree, NSW. Knight, A., Wassens, S., & Heard, G. (2018-2019) Murrumbidgee Irrigation Ltd, $45,673 Project details
PIT tag data analysis project. Huang, X., Baumgartner, L., and Li, J. (2018-2019) Karltek Pty Ltd., $25,000 Project details
Recovering the Lower Darling. Baumgartner, L. (2020) NSW DPI, $12,327
Recovery of native fish communities in the Murray-Darling Basin. Baumgartner, L. (2017) Fisheries Research and Development Corporation, $18,948.
Research activities for the Fish theme of the Environmental Water Knowledge Research (EWKR) project. Contract variation. Humphries, P. in collaboration with MDRFC (2017-2019) CEWO via MDRFC, $206,587. Project details
Short Term Intervention Monitoring-waterbird and prey responses to inundation of the Western Lakes. Jenkins, K., Wolfenden, B. Wassens, S. (2016-2017) CEWO, $52,983
Stuffed Murray Cod in Pubs. Humphries, P., McCasker, N., Kopf, R. & O'Connell, M. (PhD student), (2017-2020) MDBA Scholarship grant, $45,000 Project details
2016-2017 Murrumbidgee Bird Breeding Event. Brandis, K. (UNSW), Spencer, J. (NSW OEH); Wassens, S. (2016-2017) CEWO, $142,191(Contract variation for the Murrumbidgee LTIM project)
Understanding historic fish populations in the Murray River. Humphries, P. (2015-2018) Murray Darling Basin Authority, $27,273
Vegetation Monitoring in the Colligen Creek System. Watts, R. (2015-2018) Murray Local Land Services, $70,000 Project details
Weir stratification and hypoxic water management. Wassens, S., Michael, D. & Baldwin, D. (2019) CEWO $38,728 Project details
Water, carbon & economics: resolving complex linkages for river health, Finlayson, C.M. (chief investigator) & Hatton MacDonald, D (CSIRO) (partner investigator) in an ARC Linkage project led by Southern Cross University. (2013-2017)
Inam Ahmed: Modelling in-stream hydraulics: Investigating the impact of scale. Principal supervisor Associate Professor Robyn Watts
Joachim Bretzel: Advancing fish-protection screening at water diversions to support freshwater fish conservation in the Murray-Darling Basin Supervisors Professor Lee Baumgartner, Adjunct Dr Craig Boys (NSW DPI)
Leia Rogers: Fish behaviour and ecology in native freshwater fish. Supervisors Dr Raf Friere and Dr Keller Kopf (ILWS Adjunct)
Lauren Stoot: Predicting the impacts of river development on fish movement and population connectivity: A case study on the Clarence River system Supervisors Professor Lee Baumgartner, Adjunct Dr Jason Thiem (NSW DPI).
Graduates
2021
Dale Campbell: The effects of hydroperiod on macroinvertebrate assemblages of temporary and permanent floodplain wetlands and how this relates to taphonomy and the palaeoecological record. Principal supervisor Dr Paul Humphries
Kendal Krause: The influence of exotic fish on an emerging zooplankton community: Impacts to zooplankton abundance and composition. Principal supervisor Associate Professor Skye Wassens
Matt O'Connell: Exploring the utility of taxidermy Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) as a historical record. Principal supervisor Dr Paul Humphries
2020
Gayle Partridge: Climate change adaptation planning for internationally important wetlands (Masters) Supervisors Dr Jen Bond and Adjunct Professor Max Finlayson
2019
Dr Paul Kew: Adaptive Grid Refinement using the Generalized Finite Difference Method. Principal supervisor Dr Zhenquan Li (Jan)
As well undertaking externally funded research projects, ILWS members (including Adjunct members) are also engaged in research activities/projects that have either received internal funding from ILWS and/or CSU; are not managed by ILWS; or are non-funded but aligned with their research interests.
Examples under this theme include: