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All hands to the pump to curb plastic pollution
Open Forum | September 22, 2020At least one billion people worldwide would be needed to take part in a global clean-up to reduce plastic waste, according to an international group of researchers including The University of Western Australia.
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The fraying patchwork of nature
Open Forum | September 21, 2020Relentless land clearing for agriculture, mining and urbanisation is isolating and disconnecting Earth’s protected natural areas from each other, a new study shows.
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Australia’s conservation laws are failing our endangered species
Jessica Walsh | September 20, 2020The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act is failing to protect Australia’s increasing numbers of critically endangered species and the wild habitats they require to survive.
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Surprise! It’s a praying mantis
David Thompson | September 3, 2020A new study has for the first time illuminated the evolutionary history of the bizarre anti-predator defence – the praying mantis startle display – and suggests that the element of surprise may be key to its success.
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Complying with Victorian guidelines on using recycled water
Max Thomas | August 22, 2020Major amendments to Victoria’s Environment Protection Act are expected to be passed in 2021, and this paper offers professionals and others a standard method for calculating infrastructure requirements in agricultural water recycling proposals.
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Crazy like a flying fox
Open Forum | August 22, 2020New research led by scientists at Western Sydney University and published in BMC Biology shows that flying-foxes are always on the move among a vast network of roosts, creating key challenges for their management and conservation in Australia.
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New study finds agricultural pesticides can affect prawns and oysters
Open Forum | August 21, 2020New research from Southern Cross University has highlighted the importance of managing the potential impacts of pesticide run-off in areas of intensive coastal agriculture.
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The freshwater fish facing extinction
Open Forum | August 17, 2020Twenty-two native freshwater fish are likely to become extinct within the next twenty years, unless there is new conservation action to save them, according to a national assessment published in Pacific Conservation Biology.
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Reducing demand in the wildlife trade
Georgina Kenyon | August 14, 2020Shutting down wet markets trading wildlife for food and traditional medicine is only part of the challenge in stopping future viruses from turning into pandemics like Covid-19.
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A return to the wild for better immune systems
Open Forum | August 11, 2020A research team led by the University of Adelaide has found that revegetation of green spaces within cities can improve soil microbiota diversity towards a more natural, biodiverse state, which has been linked to human health benefits.
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Artificial reefs boost estuary fish numbers
Open Forum | July 26, 2020In a boost for both recreational fishing and the environment, new UNSW research shows that artificial reefs can increase fish abundance in estuaries with few natural reefs.
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Putting the environment first
Ian Dunlop | July 15, 2020The ongoing independent review of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act offers Australia an opportunity to reset the dial and prioritise environmental custodianship over profit-led destruction.