Nicole McCasker

Dr Nicole McCasker

Freshwater Ecologist

Agricultural, Environmental and Veterinary Sciences

Biography

Dr Nicole McCasker is a freshwater ecologist research fellow at Gulbali Research Institute. Nicole’s research explores the early-life stages of freshwater fish, ecosystem responses to environmental water, and the functional role of freshwater mussels in riverine landscapes.

Over the last 15 years Nicole has worked in an array of riverine and floodplain environments throughout the Murray-Darling Basin. She has a decade of experience in contributing to large multi-disciplinary, multi-stake holder projects which monitor and evaluate ecological responses to environmental water delivery.

Since her time at CSU Nicole has contributed as a chief investigator to projects worth over $7.6 million. She was a recipient of the Vice-chancellor’s Team Award for Research Excellence in 2016, and has held both research and teaching positions at CSU since 2011. Nicole continues to enjoy supervising honours and higher degree students.

Research
  • River and floodplain ecology
  • Flow-ecology relationships
  • Conservation and ecology of freshwater mussels
  • Early life history of freshwater fish
Publications
Full publications list on CRO

Recent Publications

  • McCasker, N., Humphries, P. Levasi, D., & Davies, P. (2024). Trialling methods for detecting freshwater mussels in the Edward/Kolety-Wakool River system.
  • Watts, R., Bond, N. R., Healy, S., Liu, X., McCasker, N., Michie, L., Siebers, A., Thiem, J., & Trethewie, J. (2022). Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Project: Edward/Kolety-Wakool Flow selected area technical report 2021-22. Commonwealth Environmental Water Office.
  • Watts, R., Bond, N. R., Healy, S., Liu, X., McCasker, N., Michie, L., Siebers, A., Thiem, J., & Trethewie, J. (2022). Commonwealth Environmental Water Office Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Project: Edward/Kolety-Wakool Flow selected area summary report 2021-22. Commonwealth Environmental Water Office.
  • Watts, R., Crew, D., Egan, L., Frazier, P., Gower, T., Hamilton, T., Healy, S., Liu, X., McCasker, N., Ross, L., Siebers, A., Trethewie, J., & Winkle, S. (2022). Edward/Kolety-Wakool Flow Monitoring, Evaluation and Research project: Werai Forest research report 2022. Charles Sturt University.
  • McCasker, N., Ellis, I., Danaher, K., & D'Santos, P. (2022). Lower Darling Baaka River freshwater mussel pilot study. NSW Department of Planning and Environment and Charles Sturt University. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/water/cewo/publication/lower-darling-baaka-river-freshwater-mussel-pilot-study