Dr Catherine Leigh - Griffith University

Site Degrees

PhD, BSc(Hons) rhd-leigh

Research Fellow, Australian Rivers Institute

Contact Details for Dr Catherine Leigh

Research Expertise

Freshwater ecology
Freshwater invertebrate ecology and community analysis
Aquatic ecosystem health
Food web dynamics
Temporary, dryland and tropical rivers

Research Projects

Publications

Leigh C, Stubbington R, Sheldon F, Boulton AJ. (2013) Hyporheic invertebrates as bioindicators of ecological health in temporary rivers: A meta-analysis. Ecological Indicators 32, 62-73.
Bunn SE, Leigh, C, Jardine TD. (2013) Diet–tissue fractionation of δ15N by consumers from streams and rivers. Limnology and Oceanography 58, 765-773.
Leigh C. (2013) Dry-season changes in macroinvertebrate assemblages of highly seasonal rivers: responses to low flow, no flow and antecedent hydrology. Hydrobiologia. 703, 95-112
Rolls RJ, Leigh C, Sheldon F. (2012) Mechanistic effects of low flow hydrology on riverine ecosystems: ecological principles and consequences of alteration. Freshwater Science 31, 1163-1186. http://journal.freshwater-science.org/doi/abs/10.1899/12-002.1
Leigh C, Sheldon F, Burford MA, Stewart-Koster B. (2012) Understanding multiple ecological responses to anthropogenic disturbance: rivers and potential flow regime change. Ecological Applications 22, 250-263
Leigh C, Burford MA, Roberts DT, Udy JW. (2010) Predicting the vulnerability of reservoirs to poor water quality and cyanobacterial blooms. Water Research 44, 4487-4496.
Leigh C, Burford MA, Roberts DT, Udy JW. (2010) Cyanobacterial blooms: assessing reservoir vulnerability. Water 37: 71-75.
Leigh C, Sheldon F, Kingsford RT, Arthington AH. (2010) Sequential floods drive 'booms' and wetland persistence in dryland rivers: a synthesis. Marine and Freshwater Research 61, 896-908.
Leigh C, Burford MA, Sheldon F, Bunn SE. (2010) Dynamic stability in dry season food webs within tropical floodplain rivers. Marine and Freshwater Research 61, 357-368.
Leigh C, Sheldon F. (2009) Hydrological connectivity drives patterns of macroinvertebrate biodiversity in floodplain rivers of the Australian wet /dry tropics. Freshwater Biology 54, 549-571.
Leigh C, Sheldon F. (2008) Hydrological changes and ecological impacts associated with water resource development in large floodplain rivers in the Australian tropics. River Research and Applications 24, 1251-1270.

Conference papers and posters

(*invited presentations and abstract submissions)

Leigh C, Stubbington R, Sheldon F (2012) Subsurface invertebrates in temporary rivers: a global analysis to assess their potential for bioassessment in the absence of surface or running waters. Australian
Society for Limnology Congress, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia.
Rolls RJ, Leigh C, Sheldon F (2012) Mechanistic effects of low-flow hydrology on riverine ecosystems: ecological principles and consequences of alteration Australian Society for Limnology Congress,
Armidale, New South Wales, Australia. http://journal.freshwater-science.org/doi/abs/10.1899/12-002.1
*Leigh C, Sheldon F. (2012). Hyporheic fauna as biomonitors of temporary freshwaters. Society for Freshwater Science Conference, Louisville, Kentucky, USA.
Sheldon F, Pelzer L, Leigh C, Neilan W, Poulson C. (2012) Can bugs live anywhere? Habitat, hydrology and the health of urban creek ecosystems in SEQ. Urban Water Security Research Alliance Science Forum 4, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Buford MA, Leigh C, Davis TW, Faggotter S, Watkinson A. (2011) The role of floods in promoting algal blooms in subtropical reservoirs. Australian Society for Limnology and New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society Congress, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
O’Brien KR, Leigh C, Buford MA, Olley JM, Volders A. (2011) An analysis of the value of phosphorus stored in Lake Wivenhoe, and downstream impacts. Australian Society for Limnology and New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society Congress, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Marsh N, Bond N, Sheldon F, Rolls R, Balcombe S, Dean D, Hardie S, Haeusler T, Leigh C, Storer T, Marshall J, Bobbi C. (2011) Can you conduct a national analysis relating biological traits to flow? Australian Society for Limnology and New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society Congress, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
*Leigh C. (2010). Setting benchmarks and reference conditions for river health assessment. River Health and Environmental Flow Assessment: Training Workshop hosted by Ministry of Environmental Protection, Beijing, P.R. China.
Leigh C, Dunlop J, Sheldon F. (2010) Critical thresholds of ecological function and recovery associated with flow events in urban streams. Urban Water Security Research Alliance Science Forum 2, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Leigh C, Burford MA, Roberts DT. (2010) A new index to predict vulnerability of reservoirs to cyanobacterial blooms. North American Benthological Society and American Society for Limnology and Oceanography Conference, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
Leigh C, Sheldon F, Buford MA, Bunn SE. (2009) Dynamic conceptual models of river function: tales from the wet-dry tropics. Australian Society for Limnology Congress, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia.
Leigh C, Bunn SE, Burford MA, Sheldon F. (2009) Aquatic food webs in the wet-dry tropics and the natural flow regime. International Riversymposium, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Leigh C, Sheldon F, Buford MA, Bunn SE. (2009) All you can eat: multiple organic carbon sources fuel macroinvertebrate food webs within floodplain rivers in Australia's wet/dry tropics. North American Benthological Society Conference, Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA.
Bunn S, Leigh C. (2008) Isotopic fractionation and implications for stable isotope analysis of aquatic food webs. North American Benthological Society Conference, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
Leigh C, Sheldon F, Buford MA, Bunn SE. (2008) All you can eat: multiple organic carbon sources fuel macroinvertebrate food webs within floodplain rivers in Australia's wet/dry tropics. Australian Society for Limnology Congress, Mandurah, Western Australia, Australia.
Leigh C, Sheldon F. (2007) Flow and macroinvertebrate diversity, structure and function in floodplain rivers of Australia’s north: an intimate relationship exposed. New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society and Australian Society for Limnology Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Bunn S, Leigh C. (2007) Isotopic fractionation and implications for stable isotope analysis of aquatic food webs. New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society and Australian Society for Limnology Conference, Queenstown, New Zealand.
*Leigh C, Sheldon F, Burford MA, Bunn SE. (2007) Aquatic and terrestrial sources of carbon fuel macroinvertebrate food webs in floodplain rivers of the Gulf of Carpentaria, northern Australia. International Symposium on Riverine Landscapes, South Stradbroke Island, Queensland, Australia.
Leigh C, Sheldon F, Burford MA, Bunn SE. (2007) Hydrological changes and ecological implications associated with water resource development in the Australian tropics. International Riversymposium & Environmental Flows Conference, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Leigh C, Sheldon F. (2005) Hyporheic zones and ephemeral stream health assessment: surface flows and variability in the Mount Lofty Ranges, South Australia. Australian Society for Limnology Congress, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Technical reports

Csurhes S, Leigh C, and Walton C. (2009) Weed risk assessment. African lovegrass Eragrostis curvula. Biosecurity Queensland, Queensland Primary Industries and Fisheries, Department of Employment, Economic Development and Innovation.
Kitsios A, Galvin L, Leigh C, Storer T. (2012) Fish and invertebrate responses to dry season and antecedent flow in south-west Western Australian streams. National Water Commission, Canberra, Australia.
Leigh C (2012) Macroinvertebrate responses to dry season and antecedent flow in highly seasonal streams and rivers of the wet-dry tropics, Northern Territory. National Water Commission, Canberra, Australia.
Leigh C, Gippel CJ. (2012) Ecological Health Assessment of Large Freshwater Rivers, Lakes and Reservoirs: Study Design Options, Sampling Methods and Key Issues. International WaterCentre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Available online: http://www.watercentre.org/research/rhef/project-resources/technical-reports
Leigh C, Qu X, Zhang Y, Kong W, Meng W, Hanington P, Speed R, Gippel C, Bond N, Catford J, Bunn S, Close P. (2012) Assessment of River Health in the Liao River Basin (Taizi Sub-Catchment). International WaterCentre, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Available online: http://www.watercentre.org/research/rhef/project-resources/technical-reports
Kennard M, Pusey B, Boyden J, Burrows D, Leigh C, Perna C, Bayliss P, Georges A. (2010) Compilation of species distribution datasets for use as biodiversity surrogates. In ‘Identifying high conservation value aquatic ecosystems in northern Australia’. Final Report for the Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts and the National Water Commission (Ed. M. J. Kennard) pp. 48-56. Charles Darwin University, Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia.
Rolls RJ, Leigh C, Sheldon F, Kennard MJ, Pusey BJ. (2010) Understanding low flows for improved water planning & management: ecological knowledge and adoption needs (Stage 1b). Final Report to the National Water Commission. Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.
Leigh C, Burford MA, Roberts, D. T. (2010) Rapid assessment of southeast Queensland reservoirs: a multi-lake study conducted in late summer and early spring 2009. Australian Rivers Institute, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia.
Leigh, C., Walton, C.S. (2004) Lippia in Queensland. Pest Status Review Series. Land protection, Department of Natural resources and Mines, Queensland, Australia.

Theses

Leigh, C. (2008) Floodplain river function in Australia's wet/dry tropics, with specific reference to aquatic macroinvertebrates and the Gulf of Carpentaria. PhD thesis, Griffith University.
Leigh, C. (2004) Aspects of the hyporheic zone as indicators for ephemeral stream health. Honours thesis, Griffith University.