Full Title
Impact of drought on aquatic communities in the Lower Darling River - Water quality, zooplankton and fish sampling
Supervisor
Todd Wallace
Student
Simon Maffei
Funding Body
MDFRC summer scholarship
Duration
10 weeks, summer 2006/2007
Outcomes
Oral presentation, conceptual model
Summary
Regulated flows to the Lower Darling are anticipated to be reduced in early 2007. Consequently the inundated area of the channel will be reduced via pumping, evaporation and seepage. This will result in the establishment of a series of isolated (disconnected) pools of varying size and depth. It is anticipated that these isolated pools function as key refugia for aquatic communities during drought periods, yet there is considerable pressure placed on these pools for irrigation and domestic supply. The project will investigate the ecology of river pools as they become isolated, and subsequently reconnect due to regulated releases. The project aims to address the distinct lack of knowledge on how these systems function, and of their relative importance as refugia during drought periods. Primary objectives are:
- to develop a conceptual model of ecosystem function within isolated river pools during drought periods, and
- investigate the impact of regulated releases on water quality and aquatic community composition within isolated river pools.
