The Fish Department - Research

John Pogonoski

John Pogonoski (right) and Tony Gill share a light hearted moment at Byron Bay during the north-eastern New South Wales fieldtrip, December 2002. Photo: M. McGrouther © Australian Museum. View larger image.

John’s introduction to the Australian Museum was via stints as a volunteer for the Terrestrial Ecology Department (researching threatened frogs and birds) and the Fish Department (general collection duties) in early 1994.

By mid 1994, John began working in the Fish Department, archiving marine larval fish collections from around Australia, which kept him busy until 1996.

Between 1996 and 1998, John worked mainly on collection-based research on molluscs and marine invertebrates, a task that he continued on a part-time basis until 2003.

Between 1999 and 2001, John acted as Research Assistant on an Environment Australia funded project (through NSW Fisheries and the Australia Museum) to document the conservation status of Australian threatened marine and estuarine fishes.

Between 2001 and 2002 John was busy undertaking field-based and desk-based projects for AMBS, the museum's commercial arm. He raised enough external funds to allow him to work for about a year full-time on the museum's fish collection between 2002 and 2003. During this period he developed a keen interest in taxonomy, especially that of wrasses (Labridae) and moray eels (Muraenidae). John used keys to examine and where necessary, re-identify specimens in the collection.

He participated in the collection and identification of NSW marine, estuarine and freshwater fishes and estuarine molluscs between 1995 and 2003, particularly two northern NSW fish expeditions in March 2002 and November / December 2002.

John took up a position with NSW Department of Primary Industries (formerly NSW Fisheries) in Jan 2004, where he contributes to research on freshwater fish stocking activities.

The Fish Department - Research

John Pogonoski

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