Publications

Australian research making a Global Impact…

Figure 1. My global research engagement frequency map as of 2025.

Peer-Reviewed Publications:

McKendrick, S. A., M. J. Burns, M. Imberger, J. Greet (2025) How flood and low flow duration influences early instream vegetation community development: implications for restoration. Hydrobiologia, DOI: 10.1007/s10750-025-05912-3

Imberger M. , K. L. Russell, Burns M. J. (2025) Urban streams in the Anthropocene: Reflecting on current knowledge and using diverse collaboration to disrupt and move forward. Freshwater Science, 44(4),  DOI: 10.1086/738775.

Hatt B. E., Athapaththu C., Behrens J., Boer S. , Burns M. J., Burrows R., de Jong R., Elsner C., Grey V., Imberger M., Williams B., Coleman R. A. (2025) Practical pathways for protecting headwater streams in urbanizing areas. Freshwater Science, 44(4), DOI: 10.1086/737826

Hatt B. E., Coleman R. A., Imberger M., Burns M. J., Manning C., Furmage B. (2024) Understanding and saving headwater streams in urbanizing areas. Proceedings of the 11th Australian Stream Management Conference, Victor Harbour, South Australia.

Tiegs, S. D. , Capps K. A., D. M. Costello, M. Imberger et al. (2024) Human activities shape global patterns of decomposition rates in rivers. Science, 384, 1191–1195, DOI: 10.1126/science.adn1262

McKendrick, S. A., M. J. Burns, M. Imberger, K. L. Russell & J. Greet (2024) Riverine aquatic plants trap propagules and fine sediment: Implications for ecosystem engineering and management under contrasting land uses. Earth Surface Processes and Landforms, 1–14. DOI: 10.1002/esp.5844

McKendrick, S. A., J. Greet, M. Imberger, & M. J. Burns (2024). Catchment-scale hydrology limits the benefits of geomorphic complexity for instream vegetation communities. Ecological Engineering, 200, DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2023.107176

Imberger, M., B. Hatt, S. Brown, R. Burrows, M. J. Burns, C.J. Walsh (2023) Headwater streams in an urbanizing world. Freshwater Science, 42:3, 323-336, DOI: 10.1086/726682

Walsh, C. J., M. Imberger, M. J. Burns, D. G. Bos, T. D. Fletcher (2022) Dispersed urban-stormwater control improved stream water quality in a catchment-scale experiment. Water Resources Research, DOI: 10.1029/2022WR032041

Walsh, C. J., M. J. Burns, T. D. Fletcher, D. G. Bos, P. Poelsma, J. Kunapo, M. Imberger (2021) Linking stormwater control performance to stream ecosystem outcomes: incorporating a performance metric into effective imperviousness, PLOS Water, 1(2), DOI: 10.1371/journal.pwat.0000004

Brown, S., R. Burrows, B. Hatt, M. Imberger, M. Burns (2021) Drivers of organic matter decomposition of headwater streams in an urbanizing region. Proceedings of the 10th Australian Stream Management Conference 2020, Kingscliff, NSW.

Threlfall, C., E. Marzinelli, A. Ossola, A. Bugnot, M. Bishop, E. Lowe, M. Imberger, S. Myers, P. Steinberg, K.  Dafforn (2021) Towards cross-realm management of coastal urban ecosystems. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment, DOI: 10.1002/fee.2323

Tiegs, S., D. Costello, M. Isken, M. Imberger et al. (2019) Global patterns and drivers of ecosystem functioning in rivers and riparian zones. Science Advances, 5. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.aav0486

Parris, K., M. Amati, S. Bekessy, D. Dagenais, O. Fryd, A. Hahs, D. Hes, M. Imberger, S. Livesley, A. Marshall, J. Rhodes, C. Threlfall, R. Tingley, R. van der Ree, C. Walsh, M. Wilkerson, N. Williams (2018) The seven lamps of planning for biodiversity in the city. Cities, 83, 44-53.

Imberger, M., C. Walsh, E. Tsyrlin, D. Kerr and M. Tewman (2016) Variability in the response of amphipods and macroinvertebrate assemblage structure to prolonged drought in forested upland streams. Biodiversity and Conservation, 25, 1465-1480.

Walsh, C., T. Fletcher, D. Bos and M. Imberger (2015) Restoring a stream through retention of urban stormwater runoff: a catchment-scale  experiment in a social-ecological system. Freshwater Science, 34, 1161-1168.

Imberger, M., P. Cook, M. Grace  and R. Thompson (2014) Tracing carbon sources in small urbanising streams: catchment-scale stormwater drainage overwhelms the effects of reach-scale riparian vegetation. Freshwater Biology, 59, 168-186.

Imberger, M., R. Thompson and M. Grace (2011) Urban catchment hydrology overwhelms reach scale effects of riparian vegetation on organic matter dynamics. Freshwater Biology, 56, 1370-1389.

Imberger, M., R. Thompson and M. Grace (2010) Searching for effective indicators of ecosystem function in urban streams: assessing cellulose decomposition potential. Freshwater Biology, 55, 2089-2106.

Imberger, M., C. Walsh, and M. Grace (2008) More microbial activity, not abrasive flow or shredder abundance, accelerates breakdown of labile leaf litter in urban streams. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 27, 549-561.

Grace, M. and M. Imberger (2006) Stream metabolism: Performing & Interpreting Measurements, Water Studies Centre, Monash University, Report for the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, pp 193.

Webb, J.A., M. Grace, C. Pollino, and M. Imberger (2004) Review of Water Quality Monitoring Programs in the Goulburn-Broken Catchment. Report for the Goulburn-Broken Catchment Management Authority, pp 78

Conference presentations:

Hatt, B., M. Imberger, M. Burns, C. Manning, B. Furmage, J. Ewert and R. Coleman (2025). Streams from the start: understanding, benchmarking and co-designing urban headwater streams protection. 2025 Stormwater Victoria Conference. Wangaratta, Australia, 3-4 June (Oral presentation).

Hatt B. E., Athapaththu C., Behrens J., Boer S. L., Burns M. J., Burrows R. M., de Jong R., Elsner C., Grey V., Imberger M., Williams B., Coleman R. (2025) Tools and principals for protecting headwater streams in urbanizing areas: progress since SUSE6, Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology 7, San Juan, Puerto Rico, 13-16 May (Oral presentation).

Hatt B. E., Coleman R. A., Imberger M., Burns M. J., Manning C., Furmage B. (2024) Understanding and saving headwater streams in urbanizing areas. 11th Australian Stream Management Conference, Victor Harbour, South Australia, 11-14 August (Oral presentation).

Imberger, M. (2023), ‘Urban Streams: Global Solutions to Local Problems around the World Special Session Panel Discussion’, Freshwater Sciences 2023, Brisbane, 3–7 June (Oral discussion).

Imberger, M., C. J. Walsh, M. J. Burns, B. Hatt, R. Burrows (2023), ‘Using a novel large-scale stormwater retention, harvesting and reticulation scheme to protect headwater streams from the effects of urbanization’, Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology 6, Brisbane, Australia, 29 May – 1 June (Oral presentation).

McKendrick, S., J. Greet, M. Imberger, M. J. Burns (2023), ‘Benefits and limits of geomorphic complexity for instream vegetation processes across a gradient of altered catchment hydrology’, Symposium for European Freshwater Sciences, Newcastle, England, 18-23 June (Oral presentation).

McKendrick, S.A., J. Greet, M. Imberger, M. J. Burns (2023), ‘Aquatic plants act as ecosystem engineers by trapping propagules and fine sediments’. Freshwater Sciences 2023, Brisbane, 3–7 June (Oral presentation).

McKendrick, S., J. Greet, M. Imberger, M. J. Burns (2023), ‘Drivers and functions of instream vegetation in urbanised streams’, Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology, Brisbane, Australia, 29 May – 1 June (Oral presentation).

McKendrick, S., J. Greet, M. Imberger, M. J. Burns (2023). ‘Instream vegetation recruitment in relation to flow regime and potential implications for restoration. Victorian Biodiversity Conference, Burnley, Melbourne, 8–10 February (Oral presentation).

Walsh, C., D. Bos, M. Imberger, M. J. Burns and T. Fletcher (2022) Realizing aims of stream protection from better stormwater management: lessons from Little Stringybark. Stormwater Victoria Conference, Geelong, 7 – 8 June (Plenary presentation).

McKendrick, S., J. Greet, M. Imberger, M. J. Burns (2022). ‘Investigating the contribution of flow and geomorphic complexity to instream vegetation’. Australian Freshwater Science Society Meeting, Batemans Bay NSW, 29 November–2 December (Oral presentation).

Brown, S., R. Burrows, B. Hatt, M. Imberger, M. Burns (2021) Drivers of organic matter decomposition of headwater streams in an urbanizing region.10th Australian Stream Management Conference 2020, Kingscliff,  2 – 4 August (Oral presentation).

Burns, M. T. Fletcher, M. Imberger, P. Poelsma, C. Walsh and R. James (2020) New insights into the hydrologic behaviour of headwater streams, Symposium on Urban Stream Ecology, Texas 12-15 February.

Imberger, M., C. Walsh, T. Fletcher, D. Boss and M. Burns (2019) Factors limiting the capacity of stormwater control measures to protect stream ecosystems, Novatech, Lyon 1-4 July (oral presentation).

Imberger, M., C. Walsh, T. Fletcher, D. Boss and M. Burns (2015) Looking to the catchment to save the stream: a preliminary assessment of the catchment-scale restoration of urban stream structure and function, Joint Conference for the New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society and Australian Society for Limnology, Wellington 23-26 November (oral presentation).

Imberger, M., C. Walsh (2013) Multi-year delay in recovery of amphipod populations following cease-to-flow events in forested upland streams, Australian Society for Limnology, 2013 Annual Conference, Canberra 2-5 December (oral presentation).

Imberger, M., C. Walsh, T. Fletcher and D. Boss (2012) Challenges of a long-term, large-scale manipulation experiment in an urban ecosystem, Ecological Society of Australia, 2012 Annual Conference, Melbourne 3-7 December (oral presentation).

Imberger, M., R. Thompson and M. Grace (2011) A Question of Scale: The effects of urbanisation and riparian vegetation on organic carbon processing in small streams, Australian Society for Limnology, 50th Annual Congress, Brisbane 26-29 September (oral presentation).

Imberger, M., R. Thompson and M. Grace (2010) A Question of Scale: The effects of urbanisation and riparian vegetation on coarse particulate organic matter transport and standing stocks, Aquatic sciences: Global changes from the centre to the edge, Santa Fe, USA, 6 -11 June. (poster presentation)

Imberger, M., M. Grace and R. Thompson (2009) A Question of Scale: The effects of urbanisation and riparian vegetation on stream metabolism, Australian Society for Limnology, 48th Annual Congress, Alice Springs 28 September – 2 October. (oral presentation)

Imberger, M., R. Thompson, M. Grace (2009) A question of scale: The effects o urbanisation and riparian vegetation on stream metabolism, The 10th international congress of ecology (INTECOL), Brisbane 16 -21 August .(oral presentation)

Imberger, M., R. Thompson, M. Grace and C. Walsh (2008) “What’s for dinner?” said the microbe to the ecologist, Australian Society for Limnology, 47th Annual Congress, Mandurah 29 September – 3 October. (oral presentation)

Imberger, M., C. Walsh, and M. Grace (2007) More microbial activity, not shredder abundance or abrasive flow increase the breakdown rate of labile leaf litter in urban streams, 10th International Riversymposium, Brisbane 3 – 6 September. (poster presentation)