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Citizen science is booming in Australia as it is seen as a cost-effective means of community engagement, publication education and data collection.

Within the ACT region, two of the largest citizen science projects are Waterwatch and Frogwatch.

In this talk, I will explore the dual role that citizen science can play in improving our knowledge of catchment health through the Waterwatch program. I will explore how focussed data collection can supplement the Frogwatch program to examine frog habitat use in urban environments.

Finally, I will present an outline to a new research project that combines citizen science and otolith chemistry to explore the population ecology of European carp in the Upper Murrumbidgee River catchment, and how this information can inform the likely impacts of cyprinid herpes virus, and potential carp response to the virus.

Biography

Dr Danswell Starrs is an early career freshwater ecologist working for the Upper Murrumbidgee Waterwatch program. He is also a visitor at The Australian National University.

His previous research has examined the swimming performance of Macquarie perch in the Cotter River to inform fish passage barrier remediation, Murray River crayfish ecology and numerous other topics related to ecology and conservation in freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. 

Evolution, Ecology and Genetics Seminar Series