Dr Jonathan Marshall
Principal scientist (aquatic ecosystems), water planning ecology, Queensland Department of Environment, Science and Innovation (DESI)
See Dr Marshall’s full research profile here.
E: jonathan.marshall@des.qld.gov.au
Research outputs linked to policy change and decision-making
- Dr Marshall had a lead role in developing the eco-hydrological risk assessment approach to developing and evaluating water resource allocation options in Queensland. This approach has contributed to the development and/or review of all water plans in Queensland and made major advances to the sustainable management of these resources. This allows consumptive use to support society and ensures ecosystems are protected.
- Dr Marshall had a lead role in developing the cause-effect framework that underpins environmental risk assessments and conditions assessments for rivers in Queensland. This approach has been widely applied throughout Queensland at a range of spatial scales and has identified the major stressors effecting river health in each region.
- He also had a lead role in applying ecological risk assessment techniques to evaluate drought relief options to take substantially increased volumes of water from the North Stradbroke Island regional aquifer. This identified numerous groundwater-dependent ecosystems that would be threatened by increased take and defined the values that they support and which would be damaged or lost by the proposal. This assessment altered Government policy and prevented the potential harm from occurring.
- National Environmental Science Program (NESP) Northern Australia Environmental Resources Hub projects: Defining metrics of success for feral animal management in northern Australia and Environmental water needs for the Mitchell River.
Current academic employment and positions
- 2006–present: principal scientist (aquatic ecosystems), DESI
- 2009–present: adjunct research fellow, Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University.
Highest qualification
- 2002: PhD, environmental sciences, Griffith University, Queensland.
Major prizes, medals and honours
- 2018: DES Excellence Awards – research into the ecology and hydrology of North Stradbroke Island wetlands
- 2015: Qld Department of Science, Information Technology and Innovation, Science Division Assistant Director General Overall Excellence team award ‘Unleash Potential – water planning science plan’
- 2000: NRMW Achievement Award for Natural Resource Management, ‘Links between river flow and ecological condition in Queensland’.
Roles on government or regional organisation committees
- environmental science technical advisory group for Murray–Darling Basin Authority northern basin review – identified the science needs to make policy decisions about the sustainable level of water take for the northern Murray–Darling basin. Oversight of the resulting science projects. Assist Murray–Darling Basin Authority with interpretation and adaptation into policy. Outcome was lowering of water recovery target and redirecting funds into complementary measures such as fishways to provide greater environmental benefit.
- scientific advisory group for national carp control plan (NCCP): providing scientific advice on the proposal for biocontrol of invasive carp using a herpes virus. Dr Marshall’s role was to counter a strong tome of advocacy with proper consideration of risks and uncertainties throughout the proposal. He appeared before an Australian Senate Committee hearing into the NCCP to outline these risks and uncertainties, and contributed to several scientific papers on the matter, including leading a letter published in Science.
- Murray–Darling basin native fish recovery and management strategy steering committee – Dr Marshall played an active role in scoping the new Murray–Darling basin native fish recovery strategy which is in the process of ratification by government. It aims to improve the condition of the basin’s native fish by identifying key threats and managing them.
- Dr Marshall has been on the leadership team of federally funded, national projects including:
- Queensland Government representative on the Murray–Darling basin native fish recovery and management strategy steering committee
- Queensland Government representative on the scientific advisory group of the NCCP to provide technical advice concerning the potential use of carp herpesvirus as a biological control agent for invasive carp in Australian rivers
- Queensland Government representative on the BTAG to provide technical advice on waterbird related monitoring and evaluation projects for the Murray–Darling Basin Plan
- intergovernmental working group for the Murray–Darling Basin Plan northern basin review
- environmental science technical advisory group for the Murray–Darling Basin Plan northern basin review
- steering committee for ‘Flows and aquatic plants: an historical and experimental approach’, led by Professor Barbara Downes, funded by Land and Water Australia
- steering committee for ‘Environmental flow Bayesian network decision-making framework’, led by Professor Barry Hart, funded by Land and Water Australia
- steering committee for ‘Ecohydrological regionalisation of Australia: a tool for management and science’, led by Dr Brad Pusey,, funded by Land and Water Australia
- steering committee for ‘Hydro-ecological relationships and thresholds to inform environmental flow management and river restoration’, led by Professor Angela Arthington,, funded by the National Water Commission.
Links with non-government groups or networks
- member, eWater Cooperative Research Centre
- member, Australian Freshwater Sciences Society (formerly Australian Society for Limnology)
- member, international research consortium ‘1000IRES’ to foster global research into the functioning of intermittent rivers and ephemeral streams.
For details of Dr Marshall’s publications see his Google Scholar citations page: https://tinyurl.com/google-scholar-JCM
My Projects
Current project
Completed project
NESP RLH, 2021-2027NESP, 2015-2021NERP, 2012-2015TRaCK, 2005-present
