Aquatic Entomology

Jill Lancaster is a freshwater ecologist with a long-standing interest in aquatic insects. She received her PhD from the University of London, and held academic positions at the University of Edinburgh and Monash University, until becoming semi-retired and an honorary Principal Research Fellow at the University of Melbourne. In general, Lancaster's research uses freshwater systems and aquatic invertebrates to empirically test ideas in population and community ecology. An over-arching theme lies in understanding how interactions between the physical environment and biological processes influence ecological systems. She has published many peer-reviewed papers in international journals and held editorial positions for several journals. Barbara Downes is an aquatic ecologist who has worked in a wide range of different ecosystems including lowland rivers, upland streams, wetlands, and intertidal and subtidal rocky reefs. She received her PhD from Florida State University in 1988 and, after several postdoctoral fellowships, joined the University of Melbourne in 1995, where she has remained ever since. Her research seeks to understand factors that limit population numbers and that maintain species diversity in freshwater systems. Her interest in insects springs from a fascination with species having complex life cycles that span both freshwater and terrestrial environments. She has published numerous peer-reviewed papers and two books and has served as an editor for several international journals.