Personal profile
Personal profile
Professor Skye Wassens is an internationally recognised ecologist specialising in the ecology and conservation of wetland dependant amphibians. Her research on the responses of amphibians to environmental flooding and amphibian water requirements has led the way for the inclusion of amphibians into environmental flooding programs throughout the Murray-Darling Basin. Her research on wetland dependent frogs currently underpins environmental flooding strategies in the Lowbidgee floodplain and Yanga National Park, the Murrumbidgee Water Sharing Plan and management of wetlands in the Mid Lachlan River. She has lead a number of major field based research projects on the relationship between flooding and amphibian dispersal, tadpole ecology, the relationship between native and introduced freshwater fish and amphibian recruitment during wetland flooding, temporal activity patterns of wetland dependant frogs and large scale drivers of amphibian habitat occupancy in regulated rivers and floodplain wetlands.
She is leader of the Murrumbidgee Long Term Intervention Monitoring Project
Research Interests
- Aquatic Ecology
- Ecology and conservation of wetland dependent amphibians
Education/Academic qualification
Doctor of Philosophy, Charles Sturt University
2006
Bachelor of Applied Science (Honours), Charles Sturt University
1999
External positions
Technical Advisory Panel (TAP) BHP Billiton's Litoria aurea Compensatory Habitat Program (CHP) as part of the Hunter River Remediation project (member), BHP Billiton and Ventia Utility Services
River Red Gum Adaptive Management Science Advisory Committee (member) (cross border NSW and Victoria), Environment, Energy and Science, NSW
Registered Supervisor
- Yes
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
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SDG 15 Life on Land
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Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Research output
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Conservation status and threats to freshwater forested wetlands: A global systematic review
Yoezer, D., Hall, A., Horta, A. & Wassens, S., Mar 2026, In: Biological Conservation. 315, p. 1-12 12 p., 111704.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus)1 Downloads (Pure) -
Remote sensing of woody plant encroachment: A global systematic review of drivers, ecological impacts, methods, and emerging innovations
Toqeer, A., Hall, A., Horta, A. & Wassens, S., Feb 2026, In: Remote Sensing. 18, 3, p. 1-50 50 p., 390.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Downloads (Pure) -
2023-2024 water year Yanco and mid-Murrumbidgee Creek systems community report: Murrumbidgee Flow Monitoring, Evaluation and Research program
Wassens, S., Stelling, F., Huntley, S., Bino, G., Talbot, S., Beard, A., Sundblom, C. & Cardwell, N., 26 Mar 2025, Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. 13 p.Research output: Book/Report › Commissioned report (public)
Open AccessFile22 Downloads (Pure) -
2024 – Another Great Year for Southern Bell Frogs: A Success Story in Conservation
Stelling, F. & Wassens, S., 04 Feb 2025, Flow Monitoring Evaluation Research.Research output: Contribution to specialist publication › Professional blog or online forum
Open Access -
A collection of threatened and migratory species of the Murrumbidgee Valley: Threatened species poster
Stelling, F., Wassens, S., Pengelly, A. (Artist), Prasad, K., Talbot, S., Hall, A., Dupond, N. & Turner, A., 23 Jun 2025Research output: Non-textual outputs, including Creative Works › Digital content
Open Access
Datasets
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Data and code for 'Timing of environmental watering influences extinction risk for chytrid-infected amphibian populations'
Turner, A. (Creator), Heard, G. (Creator), Mathwin, R. (Creator), Bradshaw, C. J. A. (Creator), Hall, A. (Creator) & Wassens, S. (Creator), Zenodo, 2022
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.6302484, https://zenodo.org/record/6302484 and one more link, https://zenodo.org10921748 (show fewer)
Dataset
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Flow-MER Program Frog Abundance
Wassens, S. (Creator), Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder, 30 Jun 2024
https://data.flow-mer.org.au/dataset/flow-mer-frogs
Dataset
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Does a lack of juveniles indicate a threat? Understanding body size distributions in a group of long-lived vertebrates
McKnight, D. (Creator), Bower, D. (Creator), Ariel, E. (Creator), Beatty, S. (Creator), Clulow, S. (Creator), Connell, M. (Creator), Deppe, A. (Creator), Doody, J. (Creator), Freeman, A. (Creator), Georges, A. (Creator), Hannabass, S. (Creator), Hollender, E. (Creator), Howell, H. (Creator), Krochmal, A. (Creator), Ligon, D. (Creator), Munscher, E. (Creator), Nordberg, E. (Creator), Roth, T. (Creator), Santoro, A. (Creator), Schaffer, J. (Creator), Simms, A. (Creator), Spencer, R.-J. (Creator), Stone, P. (Creator), Voves, K. (Creator), Walde, A. (Creator), Wassens, S. (Creator), Welsh, M. (Creator), Whiterod, N. (Creator), Wirth, W. (Creator) & Van Dyke, J. (Creator), Dryad, 25 Jun 2025
Dataset
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Stochastic metapopulation dynamics of a threatened amphibian to improve water delivery
Mathwin, R. (Creator), Wassens, S. (Creator), Gibbs, M. (Creator), Young, J. (Creator), Ye, Q. (Creator), Saltre, F. (Creator) & Bradshaw, C. J. A. (Creator), Zenodo, 25 Sept 2023
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.8374892, https://zenodo.org/record/8374892
Dataset
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FIGURE 12. The neotype designated for Litoria r in Molecular systematic analysis demonstrates that the threatened southern bell frog, Litoria raniformis (Anura: Pelodryadidae) of eastern Australia comprises two sub-species
Vörös, J. (Creator), Wassens, S. (Creator), Price, L. (Creator), Hunter, D. (Creator), Myers, S. (Creator), Armstrong, K. (Creator), Mahony, M. J. (Creator) & Donnellan, S. (Creator), Zenodo, 2023
DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.7524080, https://zenodo.org/record/7524080
Dataset
Prizes
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2015 Vice-Chancellor's Awards for Excellence (Research Excellence)
Watts, R. (Recipient), Abell, J. (Recipient), Allan, C. (Recipient), Amos, C. (Recipient), Bellio, M. (Recipient), Clarke-Wood, B. K. (Recipient), Finlayson, C. (Recipient), Greenwood, T. (Recipient), Hall, A. (Recipient), Howitt, J. (Recipient), Humphries, P. (Recipient), Jenkins, K. (Recipient), Kopf, R. (Recipient), McCasker, N. (Recipient), Robinson, W. (Recipient), Janel, V. (Recipient), Wassens, S. (Recipient), Wolfenden, B. (Recipient) & Zander, A. (Recipient), 05 Aug 2015
Prize: Award › Internal award
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2025 Research Team of the Year
Wassens, S. (Recipient), Hall, A. (Recipient), O'Brien, G. (Recipient), Znidersic, E. (Recipient), Jeffries, P. (Recipient), Turner, A. (Recipient), Talbot, S. (Recipient), Mathwin, R. (Recipient), Sanders, E. (Recipient), Stelling, F. (Recipient), Cannizzaro, B. (Recipient), Prasad, K. (Recipient), Winch, P. (Recipient), Kelly, M. (Recipient), Kelly, J. (Recipient), Solgi, S. (Recipient), Toqeer, A. (Recipient), Yoezer, D. (Recipient), Habiba, U. (Recipient) & Wangchuk, K. (Recipient), 21 Nov 2025
Prize: Award › Internal award
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TLM-Intervention Monitoring, Australasian and little bittern presence and breeding surveys 2021-22.
Znidersic, E. (Recipient), Watson, D. (Recipient) & Wassens, S. (Recipient), 2021
Prize: Grant › Successful
Activities
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FlowMER Friday
Wassens, S. (Participant)
26 Feb 2026Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Public lecture/debate/seminar/presentation › Community
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Flow MER Friday
Wassens, S. (Keynote speaker), Hall, A. (Participant) & Mathwin, R. (Participant)
17 May 2024Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Public lecture/debate/seminar/presentation › Community
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FlowMER Annual Forum 2023
Wassens, S. (Participant), Turner, A. (Speaker) & Talbot, S. (Participant)
15 Aug 2023Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Workshop/course/forum › Government
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Murrumbidgee EWAG meeting number 36 24th Feb 2022
Turner, A. (Speaker), Moore, E. (Participant) & Wassens, S. (Participant)
24 Feb 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Conference/Symposium › Industry
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Conversation with the CEWH:From droughts to flooding rains
Wassens, S. (Speaker), Taylor, H. (Speaker) & Wilson, J. (Speaker)
07 Mar 2022 → 08 Mar 2022Activity: Participating in or organising an event › Public lecture/debate/seminar/presentation › Community
Press/Media
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New Remote Sensing Study Findings Recently Were Published by Researchers at Charles Sturt University (Remote Sensing of Woody Plant Encroachment: A Global Systematic Review of Drivers, Ecological Impacts, Methods, and Emerging Innovations)
Hall, A., Wassens, S. & Horta, A.
27/02/26
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Boom Time in the Lowbidgee: Record Tadpole Numbers Spark Hope for Threatened Species
Talbot, S., Stelling, F., Turner, A. & Wassens, S.
09/02/26
1 Media contribution
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Investigators from Charles Sturt University Have Reported New Data on Conservation Science and Practice (Cool-season Environmental Water Delivery Increases Extinction Risk for Chytrid-infected Amphibians)
Hall, A., Wassens, S. & Turner, A.
07/05/25
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Riverina communities successful in saving Southern bell frog from extinction
18/12/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
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Young Coolamon researcher reveals presence of elusive Australian water rat in Yanco Creek system
Wassens, S., Michael, D., Nimmo, D. & Sanders, E.
26/06/24
1 item of Media coverage
Press/Media: Press / Media
Impacts
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Environmental flows research provides beneficial outcomes for the environment, water managers and the community
Watts, R. (Creator) & Wassens, S. (Creator)
Impact: Environmental Impact, Public policy Impact, Cultural Impact
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Murrumbidgee Environmental Water Reference Group Presentation
Wassens, S. (Participant)
Impact: Public policy Impact
File