Project Experience

Dr. McKinley conducted a large scale study assessing the impacts of habitat modification, transportation infrastructure, metals processing activities, pollution, and other anthropogenic stressors on fish communities living in ten (10) estuaries spread along 600 km of coastline. The study included three years of field work and laboratory analysis.

During the study, surveys were conducted for the entire fish assemblage (>200 species), including several Species at Risk. Field survey methods included beam trawling, otter trawls, larval/plankton tows, benthic larval trawls, beach seines, fish funnel traps, minnow trapping, and baited remote underwater videos. The results of the study were published as a series of papers discussing the ecological impacts of estuarine development, eco-toxicological impacts of pollution on fish growth, and assemblage-level ecological change.  

The research project included strong collaboration with regulatory bodies including the New South Wales Marine Parks Authority and the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries.

Role: Principal Researcher, Senior Project Manager, University of New South Wales