Rivers and streams are the lifeblood of our society. Most Australian rivers and streams flow for only part of the year, yet even these intermittent flows are critical both at the surface and for replenishing our groundwater supplies. Our drying climate and expanding population are changing when and how much our rivers flow and understanding these changes is crucial to managing our water supplies.

Understanding how and why Australian rivers start and stop flowing, and where groundwater recharge happens, is the focus of Dr Margaret Shanafield's research. She Is a senior lecturer and researcher at Flinders University within the Centre for Groundwater Research and Training. She holds a masters (2004) and PhD (2010) from the University of Nevada Reno, and a bachelors from Northwestern University (2000). She has produced more than 50 publications and secured more than 1 million in competitive funding.

Dr. Shanafield frequently presents to schools, community groups, and an international scientific audience. She is a 2020 South Australian Tall Poppy award winner, held an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award from 2015-19, and is a former Fulbright Fellow. She has recently established a multi-disciplinary network of Australian scientists on intermittent rivers and has contributed to water policy through multiple panels and committees.

State: South Australia
Senator: Rex Patrick