Research

Where science meets action

BMRG’s research team is a dedicated group of enthusiastic professionals committed to the preservation of our unique ecosystems and species. Operating across the Wide Bay-Burnett and Fraser Coast, our team’s primary focus is on threatened species recovery, biodiversity conservation, and the rehabilitation of areas affected by fire and flood.

The research team believes in a holistic approach that considers ecological balance, and community engagement to achieve lasting and positive outcomes for our natural heritage. Central to this strategy is the preservation and integration of cultural heritage embodied within the Burnett-Mary region.

At the core of our work lies a commitment to adaptive management principles to help navigate the dynamic and ever-changing environmental landscape. We aim to ensure the resilience and sustainability of our natural habitats by staying at the forefront of cutting-edge research and conservation practices.

Projects

“Our Last Chance” - Mary River’s Threatened Species

Resilience Strategy for Threatened Species

Baffle Creek Threatened Species

200km Canoe Trip to Survey the Mary River

See all projects →

Our Goals

Undertake research relevant to and prioritised the region

Support and facilitate research capacity development

Publish and disseminate outcomes of research

Research Publications

Threatened Species

PUBLICATION: A Metapopulation Model to AssessWater Management Impacts on the Threatened Australian Lungfish, Neoceratodus forsteri

AUTHORS: Charles R. Todd, Andrew J. McDougall, Scott M. C. Raymond, Robin Hale, Timothy R. Brown, John D. Koehn, Henry F. Wootton, Steven G. Brooks, Adrian M. Kitchingman, Tom Espinoza, Benjamin G. Fanson, Peter K. Kind, Sharon M. Marshall and David T. Roberts.

PUBLICATION: Troubled Waters in the Land Down Under: Pervasive Threats and High Extinction Risks Demand Urgent Conservation Actions to Protect Australia’s Freshwater Fishes

AUTHORS: Mark Lintermans, Maiko Lutz, Nick Whiterod, Bernd Gruber, Michael P. Hammer, Mark J. Kennard, David L. Morgan, Tarmo A. Raadik, Peter Unmack, Steven Brooks, Brendan C. Ebner, Dean Gilligan, Gavin L. Butler, Glenn Moore, Culum Brown, Rob Freeman, Adam Kerezsy, Chris M. Bice, Matthew C. Le Feuvre, Stephen Beatty, Angela H. Arthington, John Koehn, Helen K. Larson, Rhys A. Coleman, Rupert Mathwin, Luke Pearce, Zeb Tonkin, Andrew Bruce, Tom Espinoza, Pippa Kern, Jason A. Lieschke, Keith Martin, John Sparks, Daniel J. Stoessel, Scotte D. Wedderburn, Hugh Allan, Pam Clunie, Bernie Cockayne, Iain Ellis, Scott Hardie, Wayne Koster, Karl Moy, David Roberts, David Schmarr, Joanne Sharley, David Sternberg, Sylvia Zukowski, Chris Walsh, Brenton Zampatti, James J. Shelley, Catherine Sayer and David G. Chapple.

PUBLICATION: Movement patterns of Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii) and golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) in a northern Murray–Darling Basin dryland river

AUTHORS: D. J. Harding, C. L. Burke, L. Carpenter-Bundhoo, J. H. Fawcett, D. Sternberg, M. J. Kennard, J. L. Kerr, T. M. Mullins and A. E. Prior.

PUBLICATION: Unravelling the mystery of endemic versus translocated populations of the endangered Australian lungfish (Neoceratodus forsteri)

AUTHORS: Roberto Biello, Silvia Ghirotto, Daniel J. Schmidt, Silvia Fuselli, David T. Roberts, Tom Espinoza, Jane M. Hughes, Giorgio Bertorelle.

PUBLICATION: Saving the endangered Mary River turtle: Enhancing conservation outcomes through community engagement

AUTHORS: Campbell, M.A., Connell, M.J., Clark, N.J., Espinoza, T., Flakus, S.P., Collett, S.J. et al.

PUBLICATION: The threatened Gouldian finch preferentially forages in prescribed burnt savannas

AUTHORS: Sydney J. Collett A * , Ian J. Radford B , Mirjam Kaestli A , Tara L. Crewe A C , Stephen T. Garnett A and Hamish A. Campbell

PUBLICATION: Increased scalability and sequencing quality of an epigenetic age prediction assay

AUTHORS: Mayne B, Chandler D, Noune C, Espinoza T, Roberts D, Anderson C, et al.

PUBLICATION: Relaxation of natural selection in the evolution of the Giant lungfish genomes.

AUTHORS: Fuselli, S., Greco, S., Biello, R., Palmitessa, S., Lago, M., Meneghetti, C., McDougall, C., Trucchi, E., Rota Stabelli, O., Biscotti, A. M., Schmidt, D. J., Roberts, D. T., Espinoza, T., Hughes, J. M., Ometto, L., Gerdol, M., & Bertorelle, G.

PUBLICATION: Biology and reproductive ecology of the endangered cooper creek catfish (’Neosiluroides cooperensis’) and implications for its conservation.

AUTHORS: Burndred, K., & Sternberg, D.