The Master of Philosophy is awarded on the basis of a thesis (200 pages or 60,000 words) and examiners must be satisfied that you have been able to interpret and communicate knowledge through research and/or scholarship of publishable quality which would satisfy peer review, and which might reasonably be expected to be completed after two or up to three years of full-time study (four or up to six years for part-time study). You must also satisfy the examiners that you possess a good general knowledge in your area of research. This degree would be suitable if you have 2 years of sponsorship for your research degree study.<br><br>Our group studies the response of ecological systems at the level of individual genes, individual organisms, populations, and communities, up to whole food webs and functional processes such as decomposition and whole-ecosystem metabolism. We have particular strengths in the ecology of freshwater invertebrates but also have expertise with algal communities, microbes (fungi, bacteria) and fish. Freshwaters are particularly diverse systems, containing a disproportionately high level of biodiversity compared with the area of Earth's surface covered by rivers, lakes and ponds. We study these groups because they are also disproportionately at risk of damage through land use change (such as agriculture, forestry or urbanisation) as well as extreme events (floods, droughts, wildfire) and ongoing climate change. Conversely, they can be used as indicators of the effects of stressors such as pollution, or to track recovery of ecosystems following interventions such as ecosystem restoration.