Yoel Jeremy

Member of the Centre for Ecosystem Science (CES) and the Fisheries and Marine Environmental Research Laboratory, with research interests in applied animal behavioural science and years of experience in the animal husbandry sector, in particular relating to the care and ethical treatments of marine and aquatic species. Recipient of the UNSW University International Postgraduate Award (UIPA); 2024 ASFB Barry Jonassen Award for innovative research in freshwater ecosystems; and 2025 BEES Make A Difference Award. Seasoned scientific illustrator, SCUBA enthusiast, and amateur underwater photographer and contributor to the Australasian Fishes Project on iNaturalist. Volunteer aquarist responsible for the care of fish and invertebrates in the display tanks of BEES teaching laboratory spaces.

Supervised by: Prof. Iain M. Suthers; Assoc. Prof. Stefan Felder; Prof. Richard T. Kingsford; Dr. Jasmin Martino

Project Title: Developing the Novel Siphon Fishway Technology for Conservation of Threatened Fish Populations: Proof of Concept, Preliminary Fish Behavioural Assessments, and Future Ecological Prospects

Project Description: The establishment of dams, weirs, and other instream infrastructures for flow regulation severely impacted inter-habitat connectivity in many Australian rivers, threatening freshwater and diadromous fish communities by limiting access to habitats critical for spawning, growth, and development. The need for biologically-efficient fish passage technologies (i.e., fishways) to facilitate fish movements across barriers has led to an increase in the involvement of fish biologists in fishway design process over time; however, many technologies based on designs initially developed in other countries often lack the functional flexibility to operate under the highly variable hydrology of Australian rivers. The siphon fishway developed through the collaboration of scientists and engineers working on the Pipe Fishways Project utilises flow driven by vertical pressure gradient, hence remaining relatively constant even under variable discharge conditions. My research focus centred largely around evaluating the timing and proportion of fish passing the fishway, fine-scale fish behavioural responses to hydraulics, and comparative passage performances among species with differential life history strategies to develop design recommendations. At least three native species of conservation or economic importance (silver perch, golden perch, and Australian bass) have been observed successfully negotiating the fishway conditions under controlled laboratory environments, with prospects for trials on other iconic species such as barramundi and Murray cod. With freshwater fish communities being threatened by river fragmentation and flow alteration globally, this project offers valuable insights into an innovative bioengineering framework for safeguarding imperilled fish populations in Australia and around the world.