Mapping fish movement in the Queensland Murray-Darling Basin

Our presenter Giselle Pickering is an early career geographer working in freshwater ecology and water planning for the state government, applying her skillset with modern GIS technology to support ecological research and water management practices. Giselle is also an RGSQ Young Geographer and Vice-President of the Society and enjoys helping geographers of all ages to learn more about the wonderful world around us.

Giselle’s work has recently taken her out of the office and into the field to investigate the resilience of fish populations after periods of drought and flooding in the Queensland catchments of the Murray Darling Basin. Rather than using traditional tag-and-track methods to monitor fish movement throughout the system, Giselle and her colleagues have taken a more novel approach – otolith microchemistry. This technique analyses the chemical isotopes stored within the otolith (ear bone) of the fish as it grows and compares this signature to known values across the landscape, enabling researchers to trace lifetime fish movement without setting up and maintaining extensive arrays of tracking equipment.

Come along to learn how Giselle combined existing open-access spatial data with field records from water and mussels to create a high-resolution map that’s being used to interpret fish movement in the northern Murray-Darling Basin. You may even learn how you too can leverage digital data and mapping tools to answer your own questions and curiosities.

Cost:-   RGSQ Members $5:00.  Non-members $10.00 which includes a special morning tea.  This presentation will be available on Zoom but will not be available on YouTube at a later date.  Register and pay via the website.

Coordinator:-  Neville McManimm

Photographs and videos may be taken during RGSQ events for use in promotional materials including, but not limited to, the RGSQ website, social media channels, newsletters and other publications. By attending an RGSQ event, you consent to the use of your likeness for these purposes, unless you inform the event organizer or photographer otherwise. Click here for more information.