Dr Tom Rayner is a freshwater fish ecologist. His research focusses on understanding the factors that drive freshwater fish populations, including river flows, the availability of habitat and food resources, and alien species. He currently holds the position of Research Leader in the Northern Research Futures Collaborative Research Network – a $5 million program which unites biophysical and social sciences across CDU, James Cook University, the Australian National University and the Australian Institute of Marine Science. Tom is a member of the Research Institute for Environment & Livelihoods, but has an office in The Northern Institute. Beyond leading a broad research portfolio, his responsibilities include: facilitating multi-disciplinary research; strategic business administration; postgraduate mentorship; and, creative community engagement. Tom joined CDU from the University of New South Wales, where he spent five years working with Professor Richard Kingsford at the Australian Wetlands and Rivers Centre. He was a Lecturer in the School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, and Program Authority for the Masters of Conservation Biology. His teaching focusses on the complex interactions between science and society in conservation planning, and the use of rigorous techniques (e.g., Marxan) to guide adaptive environmental management. He also has experience in government, as an Inland Fisheries Biologist at NSW Fisheries, a PhD in freshwater ecology from James Cook University and a Bachelor of Environmental Science (Hons 1) from UNSW.