Rehabilitating fish populations in the Barwon-Darling: An ecohydraulic perspective on fish kills and the future

Martin Mallen-Cooper, Brenton Zampatti

    Research output: Other contribution to conferenceAbstractpeer-review

    Abstract

    Recent fish kills in the lower Darling River have brought global attention to the ecological health of rivers in the MDB. The Barwon-Darling river systemis characterised as one of the most hydrologically variable in the world. Yet these rivers sustained aboriginal people for at least 50,000 years, withmiddens along the Darling River composed predominantly of mussels and snails characteristic of perennial flowing water. This contrasts with acommon perception of the Barwon-Darling as an unpredictable, ephemeral, dryland river system. Drought and low flows are not atypical in theBarwon-Darling river system, so what has changed, why have lotic species been lost from rivers of the region and what contributed to recent fishkills? Here we integrate historical and contemporary ecology, hydrology and hydraulics to provide an insight into ecological decline in the Barwon-Darling system and importantly, an ecohydraulic premise for rehabilitation.
    Original languageEnglish
    Number of pages1
    Publication statusPublished - 2019
    EventAnnual Conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology - National Library of Australia, Canberra, Australia
    Duration: 14 Oct 201917 Oct 2019
    http://asfbconference.org/ (Event website)

    Conference

    ConferenceAnnual Conference of the Australian Society for Fish Biology
    Country/TerritoryAustralia
    CityCanberra
    Period14/10/1917/10/19
    OtherThe goal for ASFB 2019 is to showcase and celebrate the place that the wonderful world of fishes has in the hearts and minds of people spanning a range of cultures, backgrounds and perspectives.

    The conference program has workshops, special events and sessions that will explore how to effectively communicate via the visual arts, digital media, and the spoken and written word, bringing new understanding and inspiration to the millions of people who value and depend on fishes for their wellbeing.
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