Research interests

• Freshwater Fish Ecology
• Fish passage and migration
• Developing effective techniques for stocking
• Developing innovative methods for fish assessments
• Quantifying and mitigating human impacts on riverine ecosystems
• Research to improve recreational fishing

Background

Lee Baumgartner is a Freshwater Fish Ecologist based at the Narrandera Fisheries Centre who designs, supervises and undertakes research into various aspects of the biology and ecology of freshwater fish in New South Wales.

Lee joined NSW Fisheries* in 1997 and took up a scientific role at Narrandera in 1999 investigating innovative fish passage solutions for fish of the Murray-Darling Basin. He completed a PhD on ‘The Effects of Weirs on Fish of the Murray-Darling Basin' in 2005 and now manages a suite of research projects which aim to improve the management of freshwater fish communities.

His research has been in several broad areas, including fish passage and fish migration, dietary interactions among native fish species, the impact of human disturbance on aquatic ecosystems and, more recently, the effectiveness of native fish stocking. Lee’s work has also focused on developing innovative methods for assessment (such as the adaptation of sonar technology to migration studies) and improving existing fish collection techniques.

Lee represents the department on the fish passage task force and the Barmah-Millewa Technical advisory body and supervises two PhD students. Lee is a member of the Australian Society for Fish Biology.

*NSW Department of Primary Industries was formed on July 1, 2004 through an amalgamation of NSW Agriculture, NSW Fisheries, State Forests of NSW and the NSW Department of Mineral Resources.

Qualifications

• B.Sc. (Biological Science) – Deakin University, 1996 
• B.Sc (Aquatic Science with Honours) – Deakin University, 1997
• PhD Applied Ecology – University of Canberra, 2005

Current projects

• Murray River Fishway Assessment Project
• Quantification of Native Fish in Irrigation Offtakes
• Assessment of a DIDSON sonar for application in fisheries research
• Mortality of native fish during downstream migrations
• Effectiveness of native fish stocking
• Development of fish passage criteria for fish of the Mekong River
• Condition monitoring of fish in the Barmah-Millewa Forest
• Innovative Fishway Developments
• Tallowa Dam High Fishway Assessment
• Assessment of Fish Migration Barriers in the Nepean River
• Development of a predatory impact model to optimise stocking rates of Australian Bass
• Assessment of electrofishing effectiveness
• Improvement of PIT tag technology for fisheries research

Recent Publications

Baumgartner LJ and Asmus M (2009). An assessment of the fish community in Coonancoocabil Lagoon. NSW Department of Primary Industries. 14pp.

Stuart IG, Zampatti BP and Baumgartner LJ (2008) Can a low gradient vertical-slot fishway provide passage for a lowland river fish assemblage? Marine and Freshwater Research 59 (4): 332-346.

Baumgartner LJ, Stuart IG & Zampatti B (2008) Using electrofishing to determine diel variation of fish assemblages in a regulated lowland river. Journal of Fish Biology 72: 218-232.

Stuart IG, Baumgartner LJ and Zampatti BP (2008) Lock gates improve passage of small-bodied fish and crustaceans in a low-gradient vertical slot fishway. Fisheries Management and Ecology 15: 241-248.

Baumgartner LJ, Doyle, J, Reynoldson N and Stanger JG (2008) Mortality of Native Fish during Downstream Passage through Dams and Weirs. In (Scanlon K ed) Proceedings of the Native Fish Strategy Forum, Mildura, September 2008. Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

Baumgartner LJ, Mallen-Cooper, M, Zampatti, B, Stuart, I and Jones M (2008) Learning through Monitoring: The Sea to Hume Fishway Program. In (Scanlon K ed) Proceedings of the Native Fish Strategy Forum, Mildura, September 2008. Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

Baumgartner LJ, Cameron L, Faragher R and Pogonoski J (2008) An assessment of the trout fishery in Oberon Dam and Fish River Creek. NSW Department of Primary Industries – Fisheries Research Report Series.

Mallen-Cooper M, Zampatti B, Stuart I and Baumgartner LJ (2008) Innovative fishways – Manipulating turbulence in the vertical slot design to improve performance and reduce cost. Final Report to the Murray-Darling Basin Commission, Fishway Consulting Services. 24pp.

Baumgartner LJ and Reynoldson NK. (2007). Fish communities of the Nepean River in the vicinity of Pheasant’s Nest Weir. NSW Department of Primary Industries Research Report Series. Sydney, Australia.

Baumgartner L and Harris J (2007). Passage of non-salmonid fish through a Deelder lock in a large lowland River, Australia. River Research and Applications, 23: 1058-1069.

Baumgartner LJ, Reynoldson NK, Cameron L and Stanger JG (2007) Effects of selected irrigation systems on fish of the Murray Darling Basin. NSW Department of Primary Industries Final Report Series. Sydney, Australia.

Baumgartner LJ, Gilligan DM and Reynoldson N (2006) Mortality of Murray cod (Maccullochella peelii peelii) and golden perch (Macquaria ambigua) associated with downstream passage through a low-level weir. Marine and Freshwater Research, 57: 187-191.

Baumgartner LJ (2006) An assessment of population estimation techniques to quantify temporal variation in fish accumulations downstream of a low-head weir. Fisheries Management and Ecology 13 (6): 355-364

Baumgartner LJ (2006) Diet and feeding habits of predatory fishes upstream and downstream of a low-level weir. Journal of Fish Biology. 70: 879-894.

Baumgartner L, Reynoldson NK, Cameron L and Stanger JG (2006) An assessment of a DIDSON sonar for application in fish migration studies. Proceedings of the Australian Society for Fish Biology Workshop: Hobart, Australia.

Thorncraft G, Baumgartner LJ and Marsden T (2005) Fish passage and fishways in the Mekong Basin: getting past the barriers. In proceedings of the 7th technical symposium on Mekong fisheries. Ubon Ratchathani, Thailand.

Baumgartner L (2005) The effects of weirs on fish movements in the Murray-Darling Basin. PhD Thesis, University of Canberra.

Baumgartner LJ (2004) The effects of Balranald Weir on the spatial and temporal distributions of fish on the lower Murrumbidgee River. NSW Fisheries Final Report No. 65.

Baumgartner L (2003) Fish passage through a Deelder lock on the Murrumbidgee River, Australia. NSW Fisheries FInal Report Series No.57. ISSN 1442-0147. 34pp.

Professional associations and activities

• Australian Society for Fish Biology
• Fish Passage Task Force
• Barmah-Millewa Technical Advisory Committee

Fields of Research

• 060204 Freshwater Ecology
• 070402 Aquatic Ecosystem Studies and Stock Assessment
• 050202 Conservation and Biodiversity
• 050211 Wildlife and Habitat Management
• 050205 Environmental Management 
• 050207 Environmental Rehabilitation (excl. Bioremediation)

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

Keyword/phrase list of research interests

• Fishway
• Migration
• Stocking
• Freshwater Ecology
• Fish Biology
• Riverine Ecology
• Human disturbance
• Sonar
• Fisheries Techniques

Contact details