by UNSW MEDIA
With long-term monitoring of breeding events, UNSW researchers also identify trends and changes in the health of wetlands and rivers.
Researchers from the UNSW Sydney Centre for Ecosystem Science (UNSW-CES) have confirmed that many chicks managed to survive at the Booligal and Gayini wetlands in Southern NSW and the Narran Lake and Gwydir wetlands in Northern NSW, with some already taking flight.
Professor Richard Kingsford, Director of the Centre for Ecosystem Science said with waterbird populations declining significantly along eastern Australia over the past decades, successful breeding events like at Booligal and other wetlands in the Basin are essential if we are to see a slow in this decline, as is ongoing monitoring.
“Long-term data such as we collect as part of the annual Eastern Australia Waterbird Survey and the monitoring my team is doing on behalf of the Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder is essential to identifying trends and changes in the health of both wetlands and rivers.
“The environment is impacted by many factors, so accurate and current information is critical in informing decisions about water management to best protect these important habitats,” said Prof. Kingsford.
