I was already working as a freshwater biologist when my 1985 Fellowship enabled me to investigate the effects of lead mining on macroinvertebrate species in US rivers. My particular interest was in sampling non-biting midges, Chironomidae. Chironomids are the most ubiquitous and species-rich aquatic macroinvertebrate and this combined with adult emergence from their pupal skin at the water surface provides an ideal representative sampling method, the Chironomid Pupal Exuvial Technique (CPET).

I obtained a PhD researching chironomid larvae species distribution. Working for the Environment Agency I developed new classification tools using CPET for ecological assessment of deep waterbodies for the European Water Framework Directive (WFD). I authored the European Standards Committee guidance on the use of CPET. This is now an established WFD-compliant method used in several countries to classify lake health.

I co-authored a key to British chironomid pupae for use by non-specialist biologists. I continue to train biologists in the UK and Ireland in chironomid identification and the use of CPET for WFD classification.