Mike has recently taken up a position with Kessels & Associates as our senior freshwater ecologist.  Mike has over 15 years experience working both in both environmental consultancy and with the Department of Conservation (DoC).  He has a diverse range of skills in freshwater ecology and has worked on lake, wetland, and riverine environments.  Mike is familiar with the ecology of the Waikato and the pressing resource management issues that the region faces.  He is certified and proficient in all freshwater survey and monitoring techniques with particular expertise with freshwater fisheries. Specialist roles while employed at DoC have included;

• Seconded to Waikato Area Office as a Programme Manager for Whangamarino Wetland (November 2007 - February 2008).
• Member of the End User Advisory Group for the Lake Restoration/Pest Fish OBI
• New Zealand Mudfish Recovery Group Leader. Responsible for coordinating national direction and reporting on progress against the recovery plan.
• Coordinating multi-agency meetings regarding the management of the Serpentine Lakes.

As a consultant Mike has undertaken many environmental impact assessments, restoration plans, aquatic monitoring surveys and is experienced in providing advice and evidence for environment court hearings. With Kessels & Associates he is busy planning, managing and carrying out project work primarily related to the management of freshwater resources and ecosystems, such as water abstraction and watstewater impact assessments and policy advice for regional councils and DoC.

mike@kessels-ecology.co.nz

Publications (excluding consultancy reports)

David, B. O., Hamer, M. P., Collier, K. J., Lake, M., Surrey, G., McArthur, K., Nicholson, C., Perrie, A., and Dale, M. In Prep.  A standardised sampling protocol for robust assessment of reach-scale fish community diversity in wadeable New Zealand streams.  Manuscript submitted to the New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research.

Lake, M., Brijs, J., Hicks, B. J. 2010.  Fish Survey of the Whangamarino Wetland 2007/2008 - Draft. Unpublished report for the Department of Conservation.

Lake. M,. 2010.  Review of the Rotopiko (Serpentine) Lakes Exotic Fish Control Programme. Unpublished report for the Department of Conservation.

Lake, M. 2009.  Arapae Wetland Mudfish Monitoring 2003-2007. Unpublished report for the Department of Conservation.

Lake, M. 2009.  Muriwai Stream Fish Surveys - November 2009. Unpublished report for the Department of Conservation.

Ling, N., O'Brien, L.K., Miller, R., Lake, M. 2009. Methodology to survey and monitor New Zealand mudfish species. CBER Contract Report 104. Department of Conservation and University of Waikato, Hamilton. 60 pp.

Lake, M. 2009.  Assessments of fish communities affected by road culverts on the Kauaeranga Valley Road. Unpublished Report for the Department of Conservation.

Chisnall, B. L., West, D.W., and Lake, M. D. 2007.  Fish communities of Lake Whangape-February 2001 survey. DOC Research & Development Series 259.

MacDonald, A., Lake, M. 2006. Rotopiko Lakes Fish Surveys. Unpublished report for the Department of Conservation.

Lake, M. D., Hicks, B. J., Wells, R. D. S and Dugdale, A. M. (2002). Consumption of Aquatic Macrophytes by Rudd (Scardinius erythrophthalmus L.) in New Zealand.  Hydrobiologia 470: 13 - 22.

de Winton, M. D., Wells, R. D. S., Lake, M. 1999. Lake Rotoroa rehabilitation studies: assessing the influence of coarse fish. Client Report HCC 90210/4 prepared for the city council by NIWA, Hamilton, 13 pp.