Aquatic Ecology and Restoration Research Group

Research projects in the Aquatic Ecology and Restoration Laboratory have a strong focus on investigating the aquatic ecology of wetland, lagoon, river and estuarine ecosystems – how populations and communities interact with their physical environment. We are particularly interested in understanding the fundamental biogeochemical processes such as nutrient and organic matter cycling, and ecosystem metabolism that support aquatic food webs.

Much of our research is based in the regulated floodplain rivers and wetlands of the northern Murray-Darling Basin and Northern Tablelands and in the unregulated coastal rivers and estuaries of eastern Australia. The applied focus of our research is about finding solutions to real-world problems, and by working closely with community, industry, and government, we can ensure that our research is having a meaningful impact.

Research Interests:

• Aquatic species ecology - microbes, algae, invertebrates and fish.
• Management of environmental water/flows in the context of competing demands for water.
• Development and implementation of monitoring programs to assess the ecological condition of aquatic ecosystems.
• Design and ecological assessment of waterway restoration projects.
• Aquatic food webs research – investigating food web structure and function to understand ecosystem energetics and responses to management.

We're always on the lookout for interested students to come and join the lab. If the research on this site sounds interesting, then feel free to contact us and discuss some options. We will happily supervise students or host post docs that cover any area of aquatic and restoration ecology, as long as we feel that we can contribute to the project.

Please contact Dr Sarah Mika (Lab Leader) if you are interested in joining  AERRG.

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