Conservation

Moon kite missing in the Simpson

The letter-winged kite, or moon kite, is the enigmatic raptor of Australia’s arid zone which comes and goes with the boom and bust of this vast region. But lately, concerns have been raised about its future.

There’s a proliferation of new marine species in WA – how to name them?

He’s the new buzz word in binomial nomenclature with three species named after him. It’s a result of survey work being done in north-western Australia, and genetic testing, that’s revealing a wealth of new marine species.

Feral animals are running amok on Australia’s islands – here’s how to stop them

More than 1000 islands and 1200 threatened species. Which feral animals do you decide to focus on to provide the greatest benefit to island species?

Western Australian kelp forests in hot water

Kelp forests along hundreds of kilometres of Western Australia's coastline were wiped out in 2011 and have not recovered.

Bushfires have a sting in the tail for Tasmania’s honey industry

Tasmania's bushfires have hurt not only the state's forests, but also the honey industry that depends on access to the region's unique trees.

A fine balance: saving Australia’s unique wildlife in a contested land

The Brigalow Belt in Queensland is a national hotspot for wildlife, including many species found nowhere else in the world. It is also one of the most transformed and contested areas in Australia. New research looks at the best way to conserve these species, attempting to balance competing uses of the region.

Diving for treasure to help protect the world’s great reefs

Amid growing demand for seafood, gas and other resources drawn from the world’s oceans, and growing stresses from climate change, we examine some of the challenges and solutions for developing “the blue economy” in smarter, more sustainable ways. For example, could the diving industry, long criticised as contributing to declines in coral reef health around the world, better contribute to reef conservation?

Protecting Australia’s Lake Eyre basin means getting our priorities right

Taking into account the rivers that drain into it and where they come from, the Lake Eyre Basin is one of largest inland draining systems in the world, the size of Germany, France and Italy combined.

Tree coring: only a flesh wound?

We can extract a lot of information from core samples taken from trees, but we may risk the health of valuable trees doing so. How do we find a balance between research and conservation?