Dame Carolyn Burns Chair in Freshwater Science
Email ross.thompson@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 479 7986
Teaching
Research Interests
Community and ecosystem ecology, food webs, ecology of streams, lakes and wetlands, urban ecology, multiple stressors in the environment, climate change, landscape ecology, the ecology of the Anthropocene, Indigenous knowledge systems, the science-policy nexus.
I am a freshwater ecologist with wide-ranging interests in community and ecosystem ecology. The fundamental part of my research program is in food-web ecology; seeking the rules that determine how natural communities assemble and persist. My applied research addresses the ways in which food webs can be influenced by anthropogenic factors including urbanisation, land clearance, pharmaceutical contamination, invasion and river flow management. My work has strong links to government and industry and I work closely with Indigenous groups.
Postgraduate students
I am currently accepting students interested in working on all aspects of freshwater ecology, but particularly on large rivers and lakes. I am also interested in hearing from students with interests in biodiversity theory and network theory.
The University of Otago offers PhD scholarships to candidates with excellent academic records (irrespective of nationality). Please feel free to contact me if you are interested my research and would like to do your PhD in New Zealand. More information can be found on the Scholarships page.
Current students
- Ashimi Gamage (PhD Zoology). Factors influencing the ecological community structure and functioning of intermittently closed estuaries. Supervisors: Marc Schallenberg, Sami Khan (Otago Regional Council), Thompson
- Alice Gilbert (MSc Zoology), Ecology and distribution of the invasive algae Didymosphenia geminate. Supervisors: Christoph Matthaei, Thompson,
- Jasmine Lane (MSc Zoology). Sub-adult ecology of giant kōkopu, Galaxias argenteus. Supervisors: Gerry Closs, Clement Lagrue (Dept. of Conservation), Thompson
- Hossein Valikhani (PhD Zoology) Developing a landscape management approach for non-migratory galaxiid fish in Southland, New Zealand. Supervisors: Gerry Closs, Thompson
- Mark Shenton (PhD, University of Canberra) Forest fire effects on stream communities. Supervisors: Ben Kefford (University of Canberra), Thompson
- Kishor Maharajan (PhD, University of Canberra) Effects of environmental flows on river invertebrates. Supervisors: Darren Giling (CSIRO), Thompson
- Alana Corcoran (PhD, University of Canberra) Effects of environmental flows on riverine energy flow. Supervisors: Darren Giling (CSIRO), Thompson
Previous students
- Anji Perera (PhD, University of Canberra). Connecting the drops, connecting communities: fostering water conservation through communication and engagement strategies. Supervisors: Sora Park (University of Canberra), Thompson
- Cherie Campbell (PhD, University of Canberra)(w Fiona Dyer) Assessing condition for non-woody vegetation. Supervisors: Fiona Dyer (University of Canberra), Samantha Capon (Griffith University), Thompson.
- Jollene Fraser (PhD, University of Canberra) Climate change and aquatic invertebrates. Supervisors: Ben Kefford (University of Canberra), LeRoy Poff (Colorado State University), Jane Hughes (Griffith University), Thompson
- Munique Reid (PhD, University of New England) Ecosystem structure and function in a hydrogeomorphically complex riverine landscape. Supervisors: Sara Mika (University of New England), Thompson
- Tuti Siregar (PhD, University of Canberra) Arsenic metabolism in marine organisms. Supervisors: Jill Bartlett (University of Canberra), Thompson
- Beatrice Dewenter (PhD, University of Canberra) Ecophysiology of climate change in stream networks. Supervisors: Ben Kefford (University of Canberra), LeRoy Poff (Colorado State University), Jane Hughes (Griffith University), Thompson
- Bradley Moggridge (PhD, University of Canberra) Cultural flows in riverine ecosystems. Supervisors: Peter Radoll (University of Canberra), Thompson
Haysem Alhassin (PhD, University of Canberra) Interacting effects of pharmaceuticals in the environment. Supervisors: Fiona Dyer (University of Canberra), Thompson - Mark Lintermans (PhD, University of Canberra) Australian native fish biology and conservation. Supervisors: John Koehn (Victorian government), Thompson.
- Foyez Shams (PhD, University of Canberra) A genomic perspective on environmental flows. Supervisors: Tariq Ezaz (University of Canberra), Fiona Dyer (University of Canberra), Richard Duncan (University of Canberra), Thompson
- Fayha Al-Shibli (PhD, University of Canberra) A water budget for Jordan. Supervisors: Bill Maher (University of Canberra), Thomposn
- Adrian Dusting (PhD, University of Canberra) Invasion and evolution in the New Zealand mud snail (Potamopyrgus antipodarum). Supervisors: Paul Sunnucks (Monash University), Dianne Gleeson (University of Canberra), Thompson
- Erinn Richmond (PhD, Monash University) Effects of pharmaceuticals on stream ecosystems. Supervisors: Mike Grace (Monash University), Emma Rosi-Marshall (Cary Institute), Thompson
- Nicholas Moran (PhD, Monash University) Community assembly of fish in arid Australian waterholes – trophic roles and competition. Supervisors: Bob Wong (Monash University), Thompson
- Teresa McKintosh (PhD, Monash University) Transmission of heavy metals through food webs of urban wetlands. Supervisors: Jenny Davis (Monash University), Thompson
- Melissa Klamt (PhD, Monash University) Trophic relationships of the platypus. Supervisors: Jenny Davis (Monash University), Thompson
- Darren Gilling (PhD, Monash University) Carbon dynamics in rural streams. Supervisors: Ralph MacNally (Monash University), Thompson
- Giselle Perdomo (PhD, Monash University) Effects of climate change and habitat fragmentation on moss-microarthropod communities Supervisors: Paul Sunnucks (Monash University), Thompson
- Susie Ho (PhD, Monash University) Effects of Gambusia on food webs. Supervisors: Nick Bond (Monash University), Thompson
- Moss Imberger (PhD, Monash University) Litter dynamics in urban streams. Mike Grace (Monash University), Thompson