Home / Programs / Fisher Science

With hundreds of OzFishers capturing real data in real-time, our community of angler-scientists is unrivalled in numbers, providing a previously untapped resource in fisheries management.

Check out some of the citizen science projects OzFish volunteers have been involved in to map, monitor, and check our waterways for fish. If you would like to help make a difference, get in contact with our team today. 

Fisher Science Projects

Saltwater Creek, Gold Coast

Saltwater Creek, Gold Coast

OzFish is working with the local Gold Coast community to improve the water quality, fish habitat, overall health and amenity of Saltwater Creek Coomera, as part of the Australian Government’s Urban Rivers and Catchments Program, which aims to improve the health of urban waterways for native ...

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Waterway Fire Science

Waterway Fire Science

The Black Summer Bushfires of 2019-20 ravaged the east coast of Australia at an unprecedented scale and ferocity and was followed by high rainfall, dealing our precious and unique waterways with a devastating blow. Waterway Fire Science Project is a citizen science initiative in NSW which will ...

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Vasse River, WA

Vasse River, WA

The project will raise awareness of the issue and build community capacity to partake in hands-on practical work to catch and remove goldfish. OzFish will make best use of the latest science to target goldfish in areas they are known to breed and congregate.

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Frenchmans Creek, NSW

Frenchmans Creek, NSW

Sunraysia OzFish and key stakeholders utilised their collective expertise and equipment to map all woody habitats that are located within two vital off-stream waterways, Frenchman’s creek and Rufus River, which are tributaries to the Murray River.

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North Queensland eDNA Fish Mapping

North Queensland eDNA Fish Mapping

Environmental DNA (eDNA) is being trialled to assess fish diversity in tropical waterways. We are working with our project partners to develop monitoring techniques using eDNA as an alternative to traditional fish sampling methods, such as netting or trapping, as they are not always easy or ...

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Recreational fisher science program – Murray Darling Basin

Recreational fisher science program – Murray Darling Basin

OzFish are partnering with Charles Sturt University, recreational fishers, and First Nations people to better understand how to design and implement basin-wide scientific programs with citizen scientists to address the gaps.

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Wagonga Inlet Oyster Reef Restoration, NSW

Wagonga Inlet Oyster Reef Restoration, NSW

OzFish is encouraging local people to become citizen scientists and help monitor a new oyster reef in Narooma, on the south coast of NSW. By volunteering, people will be playing an important role in restoring a healthy aquatic habitat to the state’s coastline.

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Burrill Lake, NSW

Burrill Lake, NSW

This citizen science project aims to better understand the flow-on benefits of habitat restoration for fish and recreational fishers at Burrill Lake.

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Bellinger River, NSW

Bellinger River, NSW

Coffs Harbour OzFish volunteers have been mapping the Bellinger River, where many of the local fishermen have caught their first bream near Bellingen NSW. OzFish volunteers have spent hours undertaking mapping for a range of fish habitat types including snags, seagrass, shellfish reefs.

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Growing River Stewardship

Growing River Stewardship

OzFish, supported by the NSW Government’s Environmental Trust is running Growing river Stewardship a year-round program of engagement activities and events across New South Wales, providing volunteers and communities with opportunities to protect and enjoy their local waterways. Why not join us?

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Snapper Citizen Science

Snapper Citizen Science

The Snapper Citizen Science project has been developed by a PHD student at the University of Newcastle to better understand the role of urchins in the diets of snapper and lobster.

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Creekwatch Townsville

Creekwatch Townsville

Creekwatch is an exciting, long-term monitoring and fish habitat restoration program in Townsville. The program offers environmental volunteer opportunities that connect people to nature, contribute to improving and protecting waterways, and encourage stewardship of waterways by the local community.

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Fisher science fish habitat crew

High Community Engagement with OzFishers

Community science is a rapidly expanding field where millions of participants each year gather data on hundreds of topics ranging from the weather to water quality, threatened and endangered species, and such far off topics as water bugs and environment DNA.

OzFish Unlimited members have been gathering data on water quality and fish populations since the organisation was established but only recently have we expanded the opportunities for the public and actively marketed the potential for anglers and other community members to assist in the science-based management of our fisheries and their habitats. 

OzFish Volunteering Community

The passion and commitment by OzFish volunteers to actively gather data for the benefit of Australia’s native fish and waterways are not only driving the current revolutionary level of engagement in fisher science, but it has launched the organisation into a more active role in fisheries and water management decisions. 

The demand for voluntary data collection by Aussie fishers is overwhelming, which is why the list of current and future OzFish citizen science projects around the nation continues to grow.  

Among the many positive outcomes of fisher science is how OzFish volunteers are developing an increased sense of ownership towards their local fishery while gaining a clear understanding of what it means to become stewards of their local waterway. 

How OzFish is helping Aussie fishers understand their true value:

  • Identifying areas of degraded or loss of fish habitat 
  • Help restore and protect fish habitat 
  • Habitat mapping  
  • Monitoring of water quality 
  • Fish sampling including eDNA 
  • Waterbug monitoring 

fisher science project page

Useful Tools for Our Fishing Habitats

We’re empowering fishers with tools to discover more about their local fishing spots, which gives them the knowledge to understand their fish and help them protect and restore their habitat. 

These tools build the capacity of recreational anglers to map, monitor, learn and educate about their local fish and waterways. We aim to give everyday anglers the tools and knowledge to discover more about their local fishing ecosystem and share their knowledge with their community, to grow interest and respect in the sport they love for generations to come. 

GET INVOLVED

 

Volunteer with Us

Join our community of volunteers who share our determination to restore and rebuild fish habitat across Australia.

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fish emergency recovery project

Make a Donation

Donate today to support our mission to protect and restore our fishing spots through community-driven participation and ownership.

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Become a Member

Help us raise funds for our restoration initiatives by becoming an OzFish member today. Learn more about member benefits!

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At OzFish we are incredibly proud of the multiple citizen science efforts undertaken by so many of our OzFish volunteers, our fish need our help to protect and restore their habitat now more than ever. And you can help.

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Your generous support today will help OzFish protect, restore and revitalise fish habitats across Australia