Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences Centre for Ecosystem Science

PhD Opportunity: Wetland Dynamics in the Lower Balonne and Macquarie Marshes

Person in canoe from behind in water with trees on bank

Location: Narran Lakes and Macquarie Marshes, NSW, Australia

Start Date: 2026

Duration: 3–4 years

Funding: RTP Postgraduate scholarship (Research Training Program - Department of Education, Australian Government), plus operational funding

Project Overview:
We are looking for an interested PhD candidate to join an exciting research project focused on understanding the landscape dynamics of wetland vegetation in relation to fire, environmental flow management in the internationally important Ramsar wetlands Narran Lakes and the Macquarie Marshes. The successful candidate would be part of a multidisciplinary team involving scientists from UNSW’s Centre for Ecosystem Science, Australian Rivers Institute and Griffith University and the New South Wales and Australian Governments.  The project is supported by the team working on the Monitoring, Evaluation and Research (Flow-MER), funded by the Australian Government’s Commonwealth Environmental Water Holder. We aim to use a combination of data sets, including remote sensing technologies, to track spatial and temporal patterns in water dependent vegetation communities in relation to flooding and flow regimes to inform environmental flow management.

Key Objectives:

  • Track ecosystem dynamics of key floodplain communities, including lignum, river red gum, coolabah and blackbox using historical data sets;
  • Model dependencies of vegetation communities on flow and flooding regimes, also examining the effects of fire;
  • Assess capabilities of different remote sensing platforms and instruments for assessing changes in floodplain vegetation across different spatial and temporal scales.

Requirements:

  • Bachelor degree with first class honours or Masters degree with a substantial research component.
  • Skills in remote sensing, GIS, ecology or environmental science.
  • Strong analytical and programming skills (Python, R, or similar).
  • Interest in wetland conservation and ecosystem management.

How to Apply:

Send your CV, academic transcripts, and a brief statement of interest to kate.brandis@unsw.edu.au  by 9/1/26 [Scholarship deadlines for applications are 16/1/26 or 17/4/26].

 

Image: DCCEEW