The Australian Wetlands & Rivers Centre

Our group focuses research effort on the key threats, risks and uncertainties facing biodiversity of wetlands and rivers and their conservation values. We are also involved similar challenges in terrestrial ecosystems. We have a strong emphasis on providing rigorous advice to governments at State and Federal levels and building expertise in the adaptive management of Australia’s ecosystems. Communication of research results is a key objective through peer reviewed papers, the media, electronic databases and other research outputs.

Research Objectives

• Key threats, risks and uncertainties facing biodiversity of wetlands and rivers and their conservation values;
• Understanding the spatial and temporal natural and anthropogenic drivers of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems;
• Understanding the functioning of wetlands and rivers and the mechanisms regulating the dependency of organisms on these systems;
• Researching waterbird populations, their current status, habitat requirements and their role as indicators of river health;
• Spatial and temporal analysis of flow regimes of river systems and the relationship of these flows to the biota, including the impacts of river regulation;
• Identification of ecological values of unregulated rivers and linking of scientific research to management and policy development for river and wetland management;
• Improve the capacity to link research results in river systems to natural resource management and policy in other reserve types (e.g., terrestrial and marine systems);
• Dissemination of information through the media, electronic databases and other research outputs;
• Strategic collaborative projects with industry (Office of Environment and Heritage; Murray-Darling Basin Authority).