Miss Katherine Cheshire

Biography/ Background

Natural river systems around the world have been heavily modified to serve the needs of an ever-growing population. The environmental degradation caused by these anthropogenic impacts has severely affected riverine ecosystems, within Australia river regulation has had the biggest impact on the ecosystem health of the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB). The decrease in environmental health has caused serious declines in range, abundance and diversity for many of the native fish species in the MDB. Despite the recognition of this decline for many decades, research into the threat mitigation has progressed slowly.

While much of our understanding is still under investigation, we are now more aware that there is a diversity of reproductive strategies employed by native fish as a response to differing hydrological conditions. Water discharge volumes are believed to be a significant contributor to the spawning and survivorship of some native fish species, while the roles of other aspects, such as water level and floodplain inundation, are less clear cut. The assumptions of key recruitment models are similar: that during low flows the main river channel does not have adequate habitat or prey densities for larval survivorship.

So the question is: in heavily regulated rivers, where the river no longer resembles the historical and natural characteristics of the system, are these floodplain recruitment models applicable for management of native fish? The riverine characteristics in SA provide an ecologically unique system, as compared to the mid- and upper-Murray, where most of the previous work has been conducted, and recruitment models have been developed. To enhance management of native fish, a baseline of information needs to developed, as little work has been conducted on larval fish assemblages in SA. Principally, the aims of my PhD are to: 

1. Evaluate and compare larval fish sampling methods to determine the most suitable method for the main channel,

2. Compare and contrast inter-annual and spatial variation of larval assemblages during differing hydrological conditions,

3. Establish baseline information on the seasonal variation, including timing, patterns and abundance of larval assemblages, under low flow conditions in the Lower River Murray,

4. Describes ontogenetic dietary composition of a key species, and determine whether the main channel has sufficient densities of suitable prey during a low flow year,

5. Compare and contrast the role of major habitat types (embayment, main channel, and main channel edge) to determine if there are preferential habitat associations during low flow conditions.

 

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science(2001-2005), with first class honours at the University of Adelaide

Doctor of Philosophy (2006-present) "Early life history of freshwater fish in the River Murray, SA" Supervisors: Assoc. Prof Bronwyn Gillanders, Dr Qifeng Ye (SARDI), Dr Alison King (ARI).

Research Interests

Funding and awards

2005- ASFB John Glover Travel Scholarship

2006- University Divisional Postgraduate scholarship

2006- CSIRO, Water for a Healthy Country Flagship postgraduate scholarship

2006- SARDI Womens Bursary award

2007- Australian Society for Limnology student travel award

Publications

Cheshire KJ, Ye Q (2008) 'Larval fish assemblage structure below Locks 5 and 6 in the River Murray, South Australia: with reference to the weirpool manipulation trials.' South Australian Research and Development Institute, SARDI Research Report Series No: 175; ISBN: 978-0-7308-5381-7, Adelaide, SA.

Entry last updated: Thursday, 11 Jun 2009