Long term persistence of the Murray Darling turtle populations

This project will investigate the genetic diversity, population structure and gene flow of Chelodina expansa, Chelodina longicollis and Emydura macquarii populations in three upper catchments of the Murray Darling Basin, QLD. Gene flow among permanent waterholes of a largely unregulated catchment will be examined in order to determine if this correlates with our expectations of dispersal ability for each species and compared against population structure in two regulated neighbouring catchments.

By determining the colonisation and re colonisation potential of each species under semi natural conditions, this project will provide informative data for conservation planning such as predicting the impact of future flow reduction in the Murray Darling Basin on the persistence of freshwater turtle populations. The significance of dams and weirs as barrier to dispersal will also be investigated, and the size and age structure of populations within one of the catchments will be estimated (mark recapture method), providing currently lacking information on population health for each species within an upper section of the Murray Darling Basin.