Issue 282 – Protecting biodiversity

In this issue of ECOS, we’re focusing on all things biodiversity in recognition of September as Biodiversity month in Australia. Read all about the latest research at CSIRO in protecting our biodiversity, from tips on getting started in citizen science to understanding how sweet it is that songbirds can taste sugar.

Digital technology can help Indigenous rangers adaptively manage their lands. But it's critical that these tools are co-designed by Traditional Owners to ensure that they deliver benefit back to Indigenous communities. A collaboration called Healthy Country AI is helping to do just that.

Close up of an echidna in a landscape of short grass.

You might not be living in a biodiversity hotspot, but the plants, animals and fungi around you matter! By recording them, you can contribute to citizen science.

Two seabirds flying in a blue sky.

Scientists on research vessel Investigator are tackling the challenge of studying seabirds that spend much of their life at sea.

aerial view of prawn trawler out at sea

A new evidence-based handbook will help Australian fisheries respond to climate change to ensure sustainable seafood stocks.

At the edge of Australia’s continental shelf, in the Timor Sea, you’ll find Ashmore Reef Marine Park. 630 km north of Broome in Western Australia, it’s one of our most remote marine parks. We were part of the area's most comprehensive 'health checks'.

Trees in a desert, where there is evidence of resprouting and regrowth.

How is the science of ecology helping our ecosystems adapt to climate change and other human pressures? ECOS put the question to Dr Suzanne Prober, leader of CSIRO’s Adaptive Ecosystem Management team.

A visualisation of nanopesticides entering the human body and interacting with organs such as lungs

New research has helped bring nanopesticides—tiny capsules capable of big impact—one step closer to regulatory approval.

A black and white bird with yellow wings feeding on a white grevillea flower.

The origin of the world’s songbirds is a story that began close to home. Their special ability to detect the sweet taste of sugary food is a similar tale.

Australia could be a leading supplier of sustainably manufactured products across a range of industries by expanding its local precision fermentation capabilities.