Darin Sutherland Email & Phone Number

Invercargill, Southland, New Zealand

I provide advice and expertise in wetlands science relevant to the needs of Environment Southland.I develop, implement and manage wetlands and terrestrial habitats science monitoring programmes and investigations.I lead and/or participate in the development, implementation, advocacy and monitoring of wetland science management strategies and programmes aligned with meeting organisational strategic outcomes.

Stratford, New Zealand

I provide the Taranaki Regional Council with input, from a freshwater biology perspective, into water quality management functions including resource consent investigation, compliance and state of environment monitoring, and regional plan implementation and research, with a specialist focus on macroinvertebrate analysis.Duties:Design and implement compliance and state of the environment water quality and freshwater ecology monitoring programmes with a particular emphasis upon macroinvertebrate (MCI) health measurement.Interpret monitoring data, maintain databases of records, and prepare relevant reports including recommending appropriate responses to senior staff and Council.Investigate, analyse and report on environmental assessments associated with applications for resource consents from a freshwater ecology perspective, either as sole investigator or as part of a team, and advise management and the Council on appropriate conditions and monitoring requirements.Maintain the Council’s quality assurance programmes and protocols associated with freshwater biology.Liaise with recreational users and Tangata Whenua with respect to water quality monitoring and management of freshwater streams, rivers and lakesLiaise with consent holders and applicants on suitable measures to minimise environmental impacts and promote wise use of the region’s water resources.Investigate and report on complaints and non-compliance or unauthorised events.Provide information to industries and the public on matters of water quality management. Research identified problem areas and provide a wide scientific information base, through the use of various information sources and databases, to inform water quality management solutions.Assist the Policy and Planning Department on technical matters associated with resource management planning issues.Prepare and present expert evidence to Council Consent Hearing Committees and similar fora.

Warrington, United Kingdom

I support environmental monitoring programmes by interpreting and reporting on data and monitoring activity. I play a lead role in analysis and non routine survey work, including when necessary incident response. I provide advice and good quality data and information to customers to support environmental planning and decision making while ensuring work contributes to positive environmental outcomes.Duties:Identify and produce documents and reports to agreed quality standards for operational work, management decisions, public enquiries, court appeals etc. Ensure information, evidence and our own interests are accurately and effectively presented.Lead on specialist non routine monitoring/survey work and the analysis of data. Contribute to the area monitoring programme, as part of the business plan and positive environmental outcomes.Guide, advise and support team members to make sure decisions are made on sound technical grounds, in line with best practice and timeframes. Develop and maintain a strong customer focus, build relationships effectively and work well with partners to achieve environmental goals.Promote awareness of health & safety best practice; ensure you use safe working practices to comply with our own policies and standards.Contribute local knowledge and information to monitoring and asset management plans and strategies; ensure they are delivered using the right amount of resources to get the best performance including quality assurance of collection/analysis.Help resolve local issues by providing scientific and technical advice/interpretation to other staff; promote improved monitoring techniques as required. Help develop and deliver the departmental business plan; provide professional/technical expertise to support operational priorities, in line with legislation, our own policies and required environmental outcomes.

Hamilton

Conducted research to develop a process whereby a stream invertebrate sample containing multiple taxa could be processed, sequenced, and taxonomic IDs produced down to species level for all the taxa present. Currently, samples need to have taxa separated and samples sequenced individually.

Phd, Freshwater Ecology, Molecular Ecology

Phylogeography and Ecology of New Zealand freshwater Amphipoda, Paracalliope, Paraleptamphopus and Phreatogammarus

Bsc (Hons), Zoology

Dissertation on diel drift in the lower Taieri River system looking at both larval fish and macroinvertebrates.