• Last stand of the Karaaf wetland?

    Max Thomas     |      October 28, 2022

    The Karaaf Wetlands on Victoria’s Surf Coast looks like an untouched oasis with its kangaroos, wallabies, and birds that migrate to it from Japan and China, however it is under threat as the town of Torquay grapples with a population boom and our endless hunger for development.

  • Saving the koala

    Open Forum     |      October 27, 2022

    Koalas are an endangered species in NSW, ACT and Queensland but remain abundant in some parts of South Australia and Victoria, and Flinders University researchers now assessing whether their success in southern Australia can help save the species elsewhere.

  • The spread of smart fertilisers

    Kathryn Mumford     |      October 25, 2022

    Fertilisers that increase nitrogen efficiency are being designed to boost crop productivity while reducing farming costs and environmental impact.

  • Fighting the other pandemic

    Lachlan Gilbert     |      October 18, 2022

    A study of viruses that affect amphibians and reptiles is increasing our knowledge of the viruses wiping out amphibian and reptile species in Australia and across the world.

  • Protecting soil could save the Earth

    Open Forum     |      October 17, 2022

    A new international study has identified global hotspots for soil conservation to minimise adverse impacts on ecosystems in a rapidly changing global climate.

  • Extinctions should go extinct

    Open Forum     |      October 5, 2022

    James Trezise, the Conservation Director of the Invasive Species Council, has welcomed the government’s announcement that Australia is adopting a zero extinction target as part of its Threatened Species Action Plan.

  • A deer price to pay for inaction

    Open Forum     |      September 30, 2022

    Fallow deer are proliferating in Tasmania, but the state government’s new plan will do little to control their growth in numbers.

  • No more lizards in the luggage

    Vanessa Pirotta     |      September 26, 2022

    Criminals smuggling wild animals in and out of Australia are being tracked by new detection techniques.

  • City trees matter more than ever

    Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez     |      September 21, 2022

    Urban trees play a vital role in making cities around the world more pleasant places to live, but hotter summers threaten many of the species most commonly planted.

  • Three times loses its charm

    Andrew King     |      September 14, 2022

    Whatever the weather, people are going to complain about it, and the prospect of another damp summer has been met with dismay by the same people who lamented years of drought and bushfires.

  • There’s something fishy about our seafood

    Open Forum     |      September 14, 2022

    Numerous studies have found that much of our seafood is not what it purports to be, but a new analysis technique developed by Australian scientists could help track down the fraudsters.

  • How rabbits conquered Australia

    Open Forum     |      August 26, 2022

    Scientists have used genetics and historical records to reveal how rabbits pulled off one of the most infamous biological invasions of all time.