Australia restored Murray River with timber; Murray cod abundance tripled
Researchers restored woody habitat along a 110-km section of Australia's Murray River by adding 4,450 timber structures. Over seven years, Murray cod numbers tripled and golden perch numbers doubled in the restored reach, with fish movement from connected source populations also contributing to the increase.
Restoring woody habitat in a degraded segment of Australia's Murray River has led to significant population boosts in two native fish species, according to a seven-year study published in Ecological Applications in 2019. Researchers reintroduced 4,450 large pieces of coarse woody habitat into a 120 km stretch of the river between 2007 and 2010, finding that the Murray cod population tripled and the golden perch population doubled.
The study aimed to determine whether the addition of substantial woody structures could enhance fish populations in an area that had lost much of its natural habitat during the 1950-1980s to improve water conveyance. By monitoring fish populations through electrofishing, tagging, angler reports, and radio telemetry, researchers found that the restored section experienced a population increase not seen in nearby control reaches, highlighting the role of connectivity between river populations in supporting the growth of large-bodied fish.
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