Dr Moss Imberger

Headwater streams provide critical ecosystem services to both nature and society; yielding habitat, biodiversity, ecosystem function and services such as clean water and flood control.

Colleagues and I collaborated at SUSE 6 to produce this great paper on elucidating practical pathways to protect headwater streams in rapidly urbanising areas. We developed a framework to guide strategic decision-making and a comprehensive set of structural and nonstructural tools that can be used to facilitate protection. We then applied this framework to four case studies from different physiographic, policy, and legislative settings.

Our evaluation showed that the framework provides a useful generic mechanism (open to localised modification) that can be used by policymakers, planners, and other stakeholders to diagnose the status of headwater stream protection in a variety of urban areas and to support structured stakeholder conversations about what is desirable, practical, and achievable for their context.

Read more about it here:

New Research Findings:

Catchment-scale hydrology limits the benefits of geomorphic complexity for instream vegetation communities 

PhD student Scott McKendrick recently published this great article looking at the major drivers of instream vegetation communities across the Melbourne Water region. We showed that catchment-scale hydrology limits the benefits of geomorphic complexity for instream vegetation communities. This is just the first of several publications coming out of Scotts PhD…stay tuned for more!

View or download the full article here.

If you’re interested in headwater streams (those tiny streams which are the most upstream segment of the river network) which represent hotspots of biogeochemistry and are being rapidly lost to urbanisation and agriculture… please read my newly published paper HERE.

I’m pleased to announce that I am co-chairing an international conference on urban stream ecology in May 2023 in Brisbane…The 6th Symposium on Urbanization and Stream Ecology.

Please consider joining us: Abstracts are NOW OPEN.

If stream ecosystem restoration and or stormwater managment is your schtick…please take a read of my new article here.

Some really great examples of how replicating or protecting natural watershed processes and functions can restore stream health and reduce flooding. In a time of changing climate it is more important than ever that we embrace such approaches.

This is an example of the work I and others at The WERG are doing and includes an interiew with WERG alumni Perrine Hamel.

Read the full article here.

A stunning video 🖤
The Greenough River re-wetting for the first time in 2022.
These wetting fronts bring water, nutrients, propagules and biota which stimulate a massive shift in the structure and function of the river system.

While not quite as extreme, the rewetting of empheral headwater stream beds show many similarities. This is something I am currently investigating.

…turn on the sound too!

PhD students have long shown high degrees of stress and uncertainty in terms of graduate career outcomes. In a recent study, however, 45% of PhD students surveyed reported they expected to be disengaged from their research within six months, due to the financial effects of the pandemic. This article highlights some sobering statistics and presents both important ways we can support our postgraduate students throughout their candidature and some great ways they can support themselves. Read the full The Conversation article here.

Well this is a disappointing read. Gender inequality is a major issue across numerous industries including the higher education sector. I know personally as a sole parent home schooling two young kids at the moment, my productivity has plummeted. Lets both hope and work really hard to ensure that in a Post-COVID-19 society, these inequalities are overcome and female researchers gain the space, voice, access and recognition they deserve.

Read the full article here.

Are you working in science during the current COVID-19 pandemic or just wanting to be a kind and supportive community member? This image highlights how the current crisis may be triggering to the mental health of those around you or your own. Please take a moment to read it, understand it and remember to look out for yourself and those around you during this trying time. Because we are stronger together (of course allowing for 1.5m between us at all times!) 🙂