Kate McKenna

What have the recent floods meant for the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Murray Mouth?

By Kate McKenna April 5, 2023

Recent floods flowing down the Murray River have well and truly reached the Coorong, Lower Lakes and Mouth of the Murray. All 593 openings across 5 barrages, which for the last 80 years have controlled flows at the Mouth of the Murray, were fully open over the summer, with freshwater, saltwater, fish and other creatures

Hume Dam photographed from above on a bright sunny day, with a small flow visible.

Attraction flow supporting native fish migration

By Kate McKenna March 27, 2023

‘Flow hydrodynamics’, ‘turbulent kinetic energy’, ‘rheotactic behaviour’ - whilst these terms might not mean much to you, they are essential parts of native fish migration in the Murray-Darling Basin. The Murray-Darling Basin is one of the most regulated river systems in the world, home to over 10,000 barriers preventing fish from migrating. These barriers

An aerial photograph of Lake Eildon Spillway on an overcast day.

Does cold water pollution affect native fish differently?

By Kate McKenna March 20, 2023

Native fish in Australia are hardy, having adapted over millennia to live in one of the driest continents on Earth. However, research shows that even the hardiest of native fish species aren’t immune to the effects of human changes to natural environments. River regulation, in particular, alters aquatic ecosystems significantly, changing the natural environment and

A native Australian platypus nestles its bill in shallow water, surrounded by grasses. the sky is reflected on the surface of the water. Photo credit: Australian Platypus Conservancy.

Continued impacts of the Black Summer bushfires on native fish and platypus

By Kate McKenna February 3, 2023

Australian bushfires are renowned for their unimaginable heat and destruction. The 2020 Black Summer bushfires were a reminder that it is not only the lives and urban ecosystems of human beings that are affected. The media cycle produced countless statistics and images of stranded, burnt wildlife, especially those found in our forests like koalas, kangaroos

Microplastics in Australian freshwater fish

By Kate McKenna December 19, 2022

Microplastics are a global problem, infiltrating all levels of food systems and ecosystems. Now a multi-level governance issue, reaching across international, national and local scales, microplastics are most known for their impact on oceanic ecosystems, however, freshwater ecosystems are equally significantly impacted by plastics. Microplastics have been noticeably less researched in freshwater ecosystems compared to

Guide: Golden perch rehabilitation after a major fish kill

By Kate McKenna November 14, 2022

Like many other important native freshwater fish species within the Murray Darling Basin, Golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) were immensely impacted by the 2018-19 fish kills in the lower Darling River.  A 2021 study involving 18 researchers (by Zampatti et.al) looked into the species’ historical and current population demographics in the Darling River. The study provided guidance on how best to manage our

How agencies in the Murray-Darling Basin will support fish populations this summer?

By Kate McKenna November 12, 2022

With a wet summer already here and more rain on the horizon, how will water managers and agencies within the Murray-Darling Basin be supporting rivers and fish populations this summer? This article will explore where responsibilities lie between water management agencies in the Murray-Darling Basin, what they will be doing to help native fish and

Floods and fish – how can flooding help fish and aquatic ecosystems?

By Kate McKenna September 28, 2022

Australia’s Murray-Darling Basin, like many other catchments and basins globally, naturally fluctuates between periods of drought and periods of flooding, and has followed this pattern for more than 100 million years. Over time, its many native species have learnt and adapted to this pattern, so that the natural fluctuations between ‘boom and bust’ are now

To stock or not: the case for Barramundi

By Kate McKenna August 22, 2022

Barramundi (Lates calcarifer - also known as the Asian sea bass or the Giant sea perch) is a commonly angled, native Australian fish. Within Australia, Barramundi can be found along the northern coasts and inland rivers in Queensland, Western Australia, and Northern Territory. Looking globally, Barramundi have also left their mark as an introduced species

Protect first, restore second – doing what we can to look after threatened native fish

By Kate McKenna June 30, 2022

Australian rivers are highly modified. In 2003, scientists were already recording that 97% of the rivers in New South Wales were significantly modified, placing immense strain on local aquatic and ecological communities to survive without their natural flow regimes. Almost 20 years on, this is still largely the case for rivers across NSW and the

New fishway at Toorale already supporting fish migration

By Kate McKenna May 16, 2022

Tucked away in the north-west of New South Wales lies the Toorale National Park and State Conservation Area, a culturally and ecologically significant site. At the confluence of two ecologically significant rivers for the Murray Darling Basin, the Warrego and the Darling Rivers, the Toorale National Park and State Conservation Area were jointly purchased by

Why do we need long-term native fish recovery plans?

By Kate McKenna April 12, 2022

The Mid-Murray Floodplains along the New South Wales and Victorian border are home to some of the highest diversities of native fish species within the Murray-Darling Basin. Threatened and recreationally important species, like the Murray cod, golden perch, trout cod and silver perch, as well as wetland-specialist species, once thrived in the region’s interconnecting rivers,