David Kelly
Team Leader – Freshwater Fisheries
Qualifications
- PhD (Freshwater Ecology and Environmental Sciences). University of Alberta, Canada, 2001
- BSc (Biology). University of Victoria, Canada, 1994
Role at Cawthron
David is a senior scientist in Cawthron’s Coastal and Freshwater Group. His key areas of expertise include:
- water quality monitoring and modelling
- lake ecology
- native fisheries ecology and foodwebs
- benthic community ecology.
David has been a key member of central government programmes to effectively manage and monitor freshwater. He has served on lake ecosystem technical advisory groups, science advisory panels and steering committees for National Environmental Monitoring and Reporting (NEMaR). He also played a central role in setting environmental limits – as part of the Land and Water Forum projects – and National Environmental Standards (draft National Environmental Standard on Ecological Flows and Water Levels).
He has considerable experience presenting technical evidence in court (including large cases) such as:
- Horizons Regional Council’s One Plan
- proposed Mokihinui Hydro Project (Meridian Ltd)
- Matihina Dam re-consenting (TrustPower Ltd)
- Maitai Dam re-consenting (Nelson City Council)
- Upper Waitaki Basin land-use intensification applications.
David is a very keen outdoorsman. He became a biologist because of his love of the outdoors and his conviction that we must manage our environment sustainably for future generations to enjoy. His non-work pursuits are mostly based around enjoying water, including fly fishing, kayaking, scuba diving and boating.
Before joining Cawthron in 2012, he worked for the Department of Conservation’s research and development group and in NIWA’s freshwater ecosystems team in Christchurch.
Technical skills, experience and interests
- Water quality
- Freshwater monitoring and indicators
- Fisheries and foodwebs
- Ecological modelling
- Invasive species
- Stable isotope analyses
- Benthic ecology
- Scientific diver – Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (since 2003)
- Qualified skipper – Maritime NZ Master of small research vessel
- Qualified electric fishing machine operator
- Field first aid provider
Professional affiliations
- New Zealand Freshwater Sciences Society
- Society for Freshwater Sciences
View David's ResearchGate profile
Publication links
- Wood SA, Wagenhoff A and Kelly D 2015. Phormidium blooms - relationships with flow, nutrients and fine sediment in the Maitai River. Prepared for Nelson City Council. 44 pages plus appendices.
- Newton MJ, Kelly D and Jary M 2015. Ecological effects of land-based aquaculture in New Zealand: key challenges and knowledge gaps. Prepared for Ministry for Primary Industries. 57 pages plus appendices.
- Kelly D, Robertson HA and Allen C 2014. Nutrient loading to Canterbury high country lakes for sustaining ecological values. Prepared for the Department of Conservation and Environment Canterbury. 61 pages plus appendices.
- Özkundakci D, Hamilton DP, Kelly D, Schallenberg M, de Winton M, Verburg P and Trolle P 2014. Ecological integrity of deep lakes in New Zealand across anthropogenic pressure gradients. Ecological Indicators. 37:45-57. Part: A DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2013.10.005.
- Clapcott JE, Goodwin E, Young RG and Kelly D 2014. A multimetric approach for predicting the ecological integrity of New Zealand streams. Aquatic Ecosystems. Volume 415, Issue 3. Page 10.
- Allen C, Kelly D and others 2014. Development of a national wetland hydrology database. Prepared for Department of Conservation.
- Kelly D, Shearer K and Schallenberg M 2013. Nutrient loading to shallow coastal lakes in Southland for sustaining ecological integrity values. Cawthron Report 2375. Prepared for Environment Southland. 41 pages plus appendix.
- Kelly D, West D, Robertson H, Doehring KAM and Gansell O 2013. Development of a freshwater tier 1 biodiversity monitoring programme: scoping report 2013. Cawthron Report 2362. Prepared for Department of Conservation. 59 pages plus appendix.
- Schallenberg M and Kelly D 2013. Estimates of reference conditions for Southland's shallow lowland lakes.
- Kelly D 2013. Wairepo Arm and Kellands pond water quality update 2012. Cawthron Report 2284. Prepared for Holland Beckett on behalf of Five Rivers Limited. 20 pages..
- Kelly D and Barter PJ 2013. Tekapo Canal intervention monitoring 2013. Cawthron Report 2303. Prepared for Genesis Energy Limited. 27 pages plus appendix.
- Holmes R and Kelly D 2012. Options for improving water quality in the Maitai Reservoir and River. Cawthron Report 2234. Prepared for Nelson City Council. 21 pages plus appendices.
- Clapcott JE, Collier KJ, Death RG, Goodwin E, Harding JS, Kelly D, Leathwick JR and Young RG 2012. Quantifying relationships between land-use gradients and structural and functional indicators of stream ecological integrity. Freshwater Biology 57(1): 74-90.
- Schallenberg M and Kelly D 2012. Ecological condition of six shallow Southland lakes. Cawthron Report 2198. MSI Envirolink Report prepared for Environment Southland. 43 pages.
- Schallenberg M, Kelly D, Clapcott JE, Death R, MacNeil C, Young RG, Sorrell B and Scarsbrook M 2011. Approaches to assessing ecological integrity in New Zealand freshwaters. Science for Conservation 307. Department of Conservation, Wellington. 86 pages.
- Clapcott JE, Young RG, Goodwin E, Leathwick JR and Kelly D 2011. Relationships between multiple land-use pressures and individual and combined indicators of stream ecological integrity. Department of Conservation, Wellington. DOC Research and Development Series 326. 57 pages.
- Davey AJH, Booker DJ and Kelly D 2011. Diel variation in stream fish habitat suitability criteria: implications for instream flow assessment. Aquatic Conservation: Marine and Freshwater Ecosystems 21: 132–145.
- Drake DC, Kelly D and Schallenberg M 2010. Shallow coastal lakes in New Zealand: current conditions, catchment-scale human disturbance, and determination of ecological integrity. Hydrobiologia 658: 87–101.
- Jones RI, Carter CA, Kelly A, Ward S, Kelly D and Grey J 2008. Widespread contribution of methane-cycle bacteria to the diets of lake profundal chironomid larvae. Ecology 89(3): 857–864.
- Davey AJH and Kelly D 2007. Fish community responses to drying disturbances in an intermittent stream: a landscape perspective. Freshwater Biology 52, 1719–1733.
- Kelly D and Jellyman DJ 2007. Changes in trophic linkages to shortfin eels (Anguilla australis) since the collapse of submerged macrophytes in Lake Ellesmere, New Zealand. Hydrobiologia 579:161–173.
- Davey AJH, Kelly D and Biggs BJF 2006. Refuge-use strategies of stream fishes in response to extreme low flows. Journal of Fish Biology 69: 1047–1059.
- Kelly D and Hawes I 2005. Changes in macroinvertebrate communities and food web dynamics from invasive macrophytes in Lake Wanaka. Journal of the North American Benthological Society 24(2) 300-320.
- Kelly D, Bothwell ML and Schindler DW 2003. Effects of solar ultraviolet radiation on stream benthic communities: an intersite comparison. Ecology 84:2724-2740.
- Kelly D and Bothwell ML 2002. Solar ultraviolet radiation affects microhabitat selection by juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhychus kisutch). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 59:474-482.
- Kelly D, Clare JJ and Bothwell ML 2001. Attenuation of solar ultraviolet radiation by dissolved organic matter affects benthic communities in streams. Journal of the North American Benthological Society, 20:96-108.
View more publications
+64 3 539 3216
david.kelly@cawthron.org.nz