SPEAKERS

Dr Russell Death

River Research

I am an independent research scientist (at River Research) searching to better understand the ecology of rivers and provide accessible knowledge to empower others to better manage our precious freshwater. Before that, I was a professor in freshwater ecology at Massey University for 30 years. My principal area of expertise is the ecology of stream invertebrates, and I have over 130 peer-reviewed publications in international journals and books and have supervised 58 post-graduate students. I have been a Quinney Visiting Fellow at Utah State University and an International Distinguished Visitor to the University of Birmingham. I was awarded the New Zealand Freshwater Science Medal in 2017 for “an outstanding contribution to our understanding and management of freshwater”. Although my primary interest is ecology research, I have also applied that science in water management planning arenas such as the One Plan, Canterbury Regional Plan and Ruataniwha irrigation scheme.