Sarah McSweeney graduated on Friday with a PhD in Geography from Melbourne University.

Her thesis examined Intermittently Closed and Open Lakes and Lagoons (ICOLL’s) throughout the world using Victoria as a case study – looking to understand the driving mechanisms that contribute to their opening and closing.

The management of many estuaries in Australia is centred around predicting when to artificially open an estuary, and Sarah’s thesis has uncovered the mechanisms that drive opening, and also the factors that contribute to the speed of closure.

Associate Professor Ian Rutherfurd, Dr Sarah McSweeney, Associate Professor David Kennedy