Emeritus ProfessorMichael Winterbourn

I have devoted my career to the study of freshwater biology and aquatic entomology. My research has centred on understanding how running‑water ecosystems function, with particular interest in the trophic relationships and community dynamics of stream invertebrates. I was an early pioneer in applying stable isotope analysis to investigate food‑web interactions, and I have also used scanning electron microscopy and nutrient diffusion experiments to deepen our understanding of stream biofilms and the effects of land use—including forestry and mining—on freshwater habitats. Over the years, I have maintained strong interests in the systematics and life histories of aquatic insects and molluscs, authoring widely used identification guides in New Zealand. I also served as lead editor of The Natural History of Canterbury (2008) and was honoured with the New Zealand Ecological Society’s Te Tohu Taiao Award for Ecological Excellence in 2004.