Resources
Al Jazeera
24 July 2013
With the venomous Crown of Thorns starfish decimating Australia's Barrier Reef, hope comes from a surprising source.
Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef has lost half its coral since 1985 and around 40 percent of this is believed to be down to the venomous Crown of Thorns starfish.
Scientists believe that a combination of global warming and nitrogen-based fertilisers from on-shore agriculture may have created the perfect conditions for the coral munching starfish, which are breeding in massive numbers. Read more
ABC Radiio National
16 July 2013
The Great Barrier Reef may soon be assessed as a World Heritage site 'in danger' by UNESCO.
Water scientist at James Cook University, Jon Brody, thinks this listing should go ahead because, despite improvements in agricultural management, the threats to the reef are still there. Read more
ABC News
08 November 2013
Germaine Greer recently launched her new book - titled White Beech - to a capacity audience in Bega. Sub-titled 'The Rainforest Years', the book tracks her experiences over the last thirteen years since she bought 65 hectares of rainforest in south east Queensland. The land had been extensively damaged by logging, clearing, quarrying and large scale invasion by weed species. And so she began an ongoing, and expensive, rehabilitation project to restore the original forest. At her presentation in Bega she explained her motivation to rebuild a forest with bio-diversity based upon planting sub-species specific to the local area. Read more
ABC Radio National
13 August 2012
Worldwide, frogs are in decline. And Australia is no exception. There was a dramatic crash in the early 1990s after the arrival of the deadly Chytrid fungus.
Some species are still in trouble. But populations for others appear to be stabilising.
ABC Radio's Fran Kelly talks to Dr. Conrad Hoskin about this subject. Listen now
ABC News
05 July 2013
A new study examining the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef shows corals could start dissolving into the ocean within 100 years if nothing is done.
The University of Queensland research is measuring the effects of various climate change scenarios on carefully designed mini coral reef ecosystems built inside tubs. Read more
Gladstone Observer
31 October 2013
RESEARCH into coral on the Great Barrier Reef has shown the long-term effects of fertiliser run-off on the health of the reef.
Research by Dr Jennie Mallela, from Australian National University's Research School of Earth Sciences and the Research School of Biology, has shown that the levels of phosphorous in coral located close to shore have increased over recent decades. Read more
Cairns Post
22 October 2013
DNA samples collected from the hair and poo of the rare Lumholtz tree kangaroo could pave the way for better protection for the species which has puzzled researchers for years.
After successful trials using complex genetic sampling techniques to study tree kangaroos in Papua New Guinea and koalas on Magnetic Island, James Cook University scientists are now turning their attention to native tree kangaroo and possum species. Read more
The University of Queensland
09 January 2014
Green turtle populations have expanded so much in Indonesia’s east coast islands marine protected areas that they are adopting new feeding habits, degrading the ecosystem and threatening their own conservation.
Scientists and conservationists had believed thatmarine protected areas would be key to enhancing the recovery of protected species and ecosystems. Read more
7 News
31 October 2013
Plans to let more mines release excess water into Queensland rivers will pose a threat to the Great Barrier Reef, the Greens say.
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney has told parliament he expects more mines to carry out the practice under a pilot program this wet season. Read more
The Newsport Daily
31 May 2013
Urban Queensland councils will face an uphill battle to relocate flying fox roosts, according to findings of a recent Griffith University study.
The study found colonies return to their favourite roosts, even with decade-long efforts to move them. And, as the highly mobile megabat species prefers urban areas, attempts to relocate them to bush environments backfire, with colonies instead establishing new roosts near their original. Read more