Issue 234

Watching the whales return

Industrial-scale whaling brought many of the world’s largest animals to the brink of extinction. Now that numbers are recovering, researchers are taking a detailed look at the trajectory of the Southern Ocean’s baleen whale populations.

Satellite images add to weight of evidence locating missing MH370

Satellite images taken two weeks after the disappearance of MH370 featured several man-made objects, potentially pointing to a more refined estimate of the location of the aircraft on the sea floor - and the un-anticipated value of satellites to society.

Mapping fire-prone areas before the fires

Portugal has again been in the grip of wildfires this northern summer. The devastating human and financial toll of bushfires is felt across the globe. In Australia, CSIRO is using expert knowledge and the latest technology to pinpoint areas at risk so they can be better managed into the future.

Probing the outer spaces of the Indian Ocean with Bio Argos

Not unlike the Argonauts of legend, Bio Argos have a mission. Luckily, this league of ocean-venturing robots are a little smarter and a lot tougher than the ancient explorers.

Genetics race against world’s worst megapest

Mapping the genome of this hungry caterpillar might help scientists target what makes it such an effective megapest that it can develop resistance to most known insecticides the world over.