SEMINAR: AB seminar series : Little fishes, big problems

Abstract: The south west of Western Australia contains a depauperate, but highly endemic freshwater fish fauna. Of the 11 described species of native freshwater fish in the region, nine are found nowhere else. This unique assemblage of freshwater fishes is home to an equally unique array of symbiotic organisms. Unfortunately, the freshwater fishes of south western Australia, and their symbionts, are also threatened by a variety of anthropogenic processes, including secondary salinization, river regulation, the introduction of exotic species and reduced flow due to climate change. I outline some of the recent research undertaken by our group to better understand the biology of freshwater fishes, determine their conservation status, identify key threatening processes and investigate strategies to mitigate these threats.

Bio: Dr Lymbery has a BSc (Hons) and PhD from the University of Western Australia. He currently teaches in the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences at Murdoch University and prior to that, he was employed as a Geneticist at the Department of Agriculture. Alan’s research is concerned with disease ecology and wildlife conservation, principally with aquatic organisms, but also including terrestrial mammals.