How water bugs led Dr Brendan Cox to a PhD

“What fascinated me about water bugs was how much they can tell us. You can dip a net into a river and find thousands of tiny water bugs living beneath the surface. They can then tell a story about what is happening in that river system. It just opened up this whole new world of life to me.” 

Brendan was hooked. He continued exploring freshwater ecology through his honours project, examining how water bugs are used to assess river health. 

Despite enjoying applied science, Brendan never imagined he would undertake a doctorate. 

“In my undergrad I remember thinking, ‘There’s no way I can do a PhD. That seems crazy.’ But here I am,” he said. 

Taking the leap into a PhD 

As his interest in freshwater ecology grew, so did his desire to answer bigger questions about how environmental change affects river systems. 

His doctoral research initially focused on how climate change could affect aquatic macroinvertebrate communities and, in turn, the way scientists assess river health.  

When COVID-19 restrictions disrupted fieldwork plans, the project evolved to investigate how changing disturbance regimes, particularly bushfires in subtropical rainforest catchments, affect freshwater ecosystems. 

Looking back, Brendan is also grateful for the practical skills his PhD provided. Those skills now underpin his work, conducting research to help inform environmental management and policy. 

“The PhD gave me some really great knowledge, and it also gave me project management, budgeting, time management and problem-solving skills that I've used across my professional roles,” said Brendan. 

Those skills now underpin his work with the NSW Government, where he is conducting research to help influence environmental management and policy.

“It's really rewarding to see something we work on this week can have a direct impact on policy the next. Being able to contribute to better outcomes for our environment across New South Wales is great.” 

“The Richmond River is central to so many communities across the Northern Rivers. If we want healthier rivers in the future, we need people connected to them and involved in caring for them.” 

A key project is the Richmond River Ecological Health Program, an ongoing citizen science initiative that trains local communities to monitor river health through water quality assessments, riparian condition surveys and the collection of aquatic macroinvertebrates, or water bugs. 

Initially supported by a Southern Cross University Vice Chancellor's Flood Recovery Grant, the program relies on trained community volunteers to collect data across the vast Richmond River catchment, with Brendan often leading field days and training citizen scientists. 

“This citizen science program gets people connected to the river, teaches them how to collect water bugs and helps us understand what's going on in the river,” Brendan said. 

The data collected by volunteers helps produce ecological health report cards for the Richmond River catchment, providing a snapshot of river health and helping identify where restoration efforts should be focused. 

“The citizen scientists are really the backbone of the program,” Brendan said. “Sharing our knowledge and supporting people to contribute to the river's recovery is one of the most meaningful parts of the work.” 

Reflecting on his journey, Brendan is grateful he took a chance on himself. Today, his work is helping improve understanding of river health across New South Wales and empowering communities to play a role in restoring their local waterways. 

“If it wasn’t for Southern Cross, I’d still be in a kitchen being yelled at by a chef,” said Brendan. 

“If I can do a PhD, anyone can do a PhD. Just find your passion and go for it.”