Issue 232

The changing life of Antarctica’s ice-free ‘islands’

Warmer temperatures mean more ice-free areas and increasing terrestrial habitat in Antarctica, but that’s not necessarily good news for Antarctic natives.

Where science and nations united over oceans

Our ‘blue planet’ is made up of one continuous ocean, not five separate oceans. The first UN Ocean Conference broke down barriers between developed and developing nations, science and government, government and the private sector, and corporate and community interests. Here's a ringside insight into what it all means.

Science narrows the net on illegal fishing

Approximately 25 per cent of Australian fish is thought to be mislabelled and up to one third of fish in US markets is illegally caught. Fishing vessels might think they're invisible in the vast ocean, but a new system can profile suspicious activity and alert authorities as they come into port.

Drowning in litter

CSIRO is taking on the world’s largest marine pollution survey, working with countries across the globe by using science to reduce the amount of litter entering our oceans.

Arid springs: the hidden evolutionary cradles of Outback Australia

At the Edgbaston springs in Central Queensland, a precarious ecosystem unknown to science until 25 years ago, scientists are uncovering a treasure trove of species found nowhere else on the planet. Together with the springs ecosystems in other arid areas of the Great Artesian Basin, these species are revealing a fascinating evolutionary tale.