Title: Stories of the river: Interpreting and optimising long-term stream monitoring

Speaker: Vaughn Grey
University of Melbourne/ Melbourne Water

Summary:
River monitoring provides insights into stream health and the conditions that support thriving aquatic ecosystems. However, effective collection and accurate analysis of data from stream monitoring networks is complex. And when things go wrong, analysis of these datasets may lead to inaccurate and uncertain results, false conclusions and the misdirection of management actions away from where they’re most required or effective.

In this talk I will present the research from my PhD that aims to advance understanding of how to optimise collection and accurately interpret data from long-term river monitoring networks. In the presentation I will examine:

• – methods for the accurate and reliable analysis stream temperature records,
• – measured changes in stream temperature over a 30-year period and attribution of the changes to climate change and urbanisation,
• – methods to improve the accurate prediction of daily streamflow at reaches without observations, and
• – an approach for the optimisation and adaptive management of stream monitoring networks.

Bio:
Vaughn is a Senior Scientist at Melbourne Water and PhD candidate at the University of Melbourne, working to improve waterway protection. He applies his background in applied mathematics, chemistry, and engineering to improve understanding of how rivers and freshwater ecosystems can be protected and direct management actions to where they can best protect and enhance stream health. The focus of Vaughn’s PhD has been interpreting long-term river monitoring data and optimising the design of river monitoring networks.

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This event is Hybrid * Note earlier start time:
ATTEND IN PERSON – UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE BURNLEY CAMPUS, BUR-901-G-10-Flexible Learning Space
ZOOM – MEETING ID: 873 1557 5255; PASSWORD: 778635

SEMINAR: WED  03 SEPTEMBER 2025 14:00-15:00 (AEST, Melbourne Time)