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HONOURS PROJECTS FOR 2014 The Aquatic Ecosystems Research group has several areas of research available for students interested in doing Honours in 2014: The effect of 2 decades of climatic drying on the distribution of the aestivating native freshwater snail Glacidorbis occidentalis. Either Feb or mid-year start. This tiny native snail in an endemic species in south-west WA streams. It formerly had a wide distribution in Darling Range streams, but recent decades of extreme drying may have dramatically restricted its range. This project aims to discover whether this species is surviving climate change drying well, or whether it is on a path to becoming endangered. This is a field based project. Feral freshwater snails. Investigation of the identity, origin and possible impact of a variety of introduced freshwater gastropod species in Perth freshwaters. Either Feb or mid-year start. A variety of unidentified exotic freshwater snails have been recorded in streams and wetlands of the Perth region. This field based project aims to identify these species, determine their origin and use literature to determine their ecology. The project will also aim to determine the local population sizes of these species to determine their probable environmental impact. The effect of native and exotic species of submerged aquatic plants on invertebrate diversity in artificial waterbodies. Either Feb or mid-year start. Many artificial wetlands contain native macrophyte species, increasing their capacity to support biodiversity. However, exotic species of macrophyte are also commonly found. This field project will use sampling to determine whether invertebrate biodiversity and assemblage structure differ predictably between native and exotic species of plant. Field experiments may also be used. The information will assist managers to determine whether restoration needs to focus more on the use of native waterplants or whether exotic plants can still deliver this ecosystem service. The effect of 3 decades of climatic drying on the biodiversity of Darling Range streams. Mid-year start. 30 years ago, Stuart Bunn sampled a selection of Darling Range streams and described their invertebrate fauna. This project will revisit these streams to see whether the fauna has remained the same, or changed over time. If the fauna has changed, the species will be examined to determine why this change has occurred. Prolonged drying of stream flow regimes is the likely causal factor, so this will be investigated. This is a field and lab based project, with remote area fieldwork. Are there freshwater refuges in salinized catchments in the WA wheatbelt? Mid-year start. This project will be a field survey aimed at determining whether winter rains create short term freshwater refuges for invertebrates and aquatic plants. Potential waterbodies will be located and sampled and plant and animal species identified. Salinity measurements will be made at many locations across the landscape. Mark recapture of dragonflies in South Lake – aimed at determining population size estimates, size distributions and longevity for different species of dragonfly. Mid-year start. Using existing methods, this project is a field experiment capturing, marking, releasing and recapturing dragonflies to provide a range of basic life history information on these important species. field project in the Perth area. The effect of 2 decades of climatic drying on wetland biodiversity in Perth. Mid-year start. In the early 1990s a large project, the 40 wetlands project, described the invertebrate fauna of 40 Perth wetlands. Water regimes in many of these wetlands have changed since then. This project will sample invertebrates from a subset of these natural wetlands to determine what water regime change and increased temperatures have done to the wetland fauna. Field and lab project in the Perth region. A variety of projects on wetland and stream restoration, assessing the effectiveness of restoration are also possible. More information about our Research Group is available on our website: http://www.murdoch.edu.au/Research-capabilities/Aquatic-Ecosystems/ To discuss any of the projects or to register your interest, please contact A/Prof. Belinda Robson on: (08) 9360 2417 or email [email protected]