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Early career marine ecologist wins Southwood Prize
Congratulations to Environment Institute Future Making Fellow, Dr Dominic McAfee, on winning the 2023 Journal of Applied Ecology Southwood Prize for the best paper by an early career researcher.
[Read more about Early career marine ecologist wins Southwood Prize]
SciStarter Australia is a new home for citizen science
Citizen science platform SciStarter Australia has officially launched on the final day of Global Citizen Science month, creating a one-stop location for citizen science projects seeking volunteers in Australia.
[Read more about SciStarter Australia is a new home for citizen science]
Murray-Darling Basin water theft laws suck more than river irrigation pumps
Water is one of Australia’s most valuable commodities. Rights to take water from our nation’s largest river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, are worth almost A$100 billion. These rights can be bought and sold or leased, with trade exceeding A$2 billion a year. But water is also being stolen (no-one knows how much) and the thieves usually get away with it.
[Read more about Murray-Darling Basin water theft laws suck more than river irrigation pumps]
Defining the potential for mangrove-based agribusiness transformation in the coastal Mekong Delta, Vietnam
The Mekong Delta region in Vietnam is facing several development challenges but the Government of Vietnam (GoV) is committed overcoming these and support the growth of the agricultural sector in the region. The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) recently awarded Environment Institute’s Future Making Fellow, Dr Pham Thu Thuy, $471,200 for a project on ‘Defining the potential for mangrove-based agribusiness transformation in the coastal Mekong Delta’.
Scientists seek your soil for century-chemical study
University of Adelaide researchers are calling on South Australian citizen scientists to donate soil samples from their backyard gardens for a study examining how widely spread per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are in our home gardens.
[Read more about Scientists seek your soil for century-chemical study]
Adelaide is losing 75,000 trees a year. Tree-removal laws must be tightened if we want our cities to be liveable and green
Large areas of concrete and asphalt absorb and radiate heat, creating an “urban heat island effect”. It puts cities at risk of overheating as they are several degrees warmer than surrounding areas.
Heat stress from ocean warming harms octopus vision
While climate change has led to an increase in the abundance of octopuses, heat stress from projected ocean warming could impair their vision and impact the survivability of the species.
[Read more about Heat stress from ocean warming harms octopus vision]
Exploring ancient DNA for environmental insights
Ancient environmental DNA (aeDNA) has revolutionised the study of ancient environments and the evolution of living things. It helps researchers unlock secrets found in sediments, ice, and water and has transformed our understanding of past biodiversity across different timescales, from decades to thousands of years ago. The Environment Institute is privileged to support the training of highly specialised experts in these cutting-edge techniques.
[Read more about Exploring ancient DNA for environmental insights]
When it comes to happy kids, it’s natural
Today, March 20th, marks the International Day of Happiness 2024, a day which aims to make people around the world realise the importance of happiness within their lives.
Wildlife in our homes: Australian reptiles in the global exotic pet market
On March 3rd we celebrate World Wildlife Day, and the theme for 2024 is "Connecting People and Planet: Exploring Digital Innovation in Wildlife Conservation." We are thrilled to feature the research of our guest blogger, Sebastian Chekunov, a PhD candidate from Dr. Phill Cassey's Invasion Ecology research group. Dr Cassey is an ARC Industry Laureate Fellow, Combatting Wildlife Crime and Preventing Environmental Harm.
[Read more about Wildlife in our homes: Australian reptiles in the global exotic pet market]
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