معرفی
Issie Barrett is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Environmental Management at Lincoln University, New Zealand, specializing in freshwater ecology with a focus on developing practical restoration strategies and community-engaged monitoring systems. Her work bridges scientific research and stakeholder implementation to improve ecological health in river systems through realistic, economically viable approaches.
Her educational background includes:
- PhD in Freshwater Ecology from University of Canterbury
- MSc in Environmental Science from University of Birmingham
- BSc (Hons) in Ecology from Imperial College London
Barrett's research centers on freshwater ecology, community dynamics, and ecosystem function, with emphasis on environmental rehabilitation, biodiversity conservation, and landscape-scale restoration. She investigates barriers to ecological recovery in degraded waterways and develops monitoring frameworks that integrate scientific rigor with practical application for landowners and communities. Her outreach-focused methodology prioritizes knowledge transfer to practitioners and widening participation in freshwater science.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2019-2025) reveals consistent focus on disturbance ecology, community-led habitat restoration, and equitable resource management. Key trends include experimental validation of temporary habitat structures, cultural dimensions of taonga species protection, and theoretical advances in environmental filtering metaphors. Her work increasingly addresses social-ecological systems, particularly in urban stream contexts where community engagement intersects with technical restoration challenges.
Barrett actively supervises Masters and PhD students while teaching core courses including Freshwater Restoration and Recovery (WATR413), Water Quality Assessment (WATR602), and Research Methods (WATR405). Her collaborative approach extends to industry projects, farmer-scientist partnerships for wetland management, and advisory roles where she translates research into actionable restoration tools for diverse stakeholders.
Her research methodology emphasizes field-based community engagement, particularly with Māori partners for culturally significant species protection, and develops practical habitat addition techniques that empower local communities to implement restoration directly. Current projects focus on scaling temporary habitat units for macroinvertebrate colonization and refining disturbance-response frameworks for accelerated ecosystem recovery.
