BLOGS WEBSITE
Category: Publications
Public health risk of the bat souvenir trade
Little is known about the global bat souvenir trade, its extent and impact on bat populations and forest ecosystems, and the potential risks posed to public health with bats known carriers of zoonotic diseases. In a preliminary study, published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, researchers at the University of Adelaide identified over a 15-day period (May […]
Are we ignoring cost-effective biodiversity measures?
Environmental DNA (or eDNA) profiling is being used increasingly to analyse a range of substrates and historical samples, apparently even thin air, but what about soil? Join Professor Andy Lowe as he investigates an important and cost-effective method of environmental DNA profiling. Monitoring the state of our environment is the only way we can be […]
Unregulated reptile trade in US has major influence on Australians’ desire for illegal reptiles
The transnational smuggling of live animals poses a threat to Australia’s biodiversity, conservation, environmental biosecurity, animal welfare, and human health and wellbeing. In a study published in Conversation Letters, researchers at the University of Adelaide compared the illegal smuggling of live reptiles – including lizards, snakes and turtles – into Australia, to the unregulated pet trade […]
Comments Off on Unregulated reptile trade in US has major influence on Australians’ desire for illegal reptiles
Detecting impact of sea level rise in new technique
University of Adelaide scientists have developed a new simple, inexpensive and fast method to analyse sulfur isotopes, which can be used to help investigate chemical changes in environments such as oceans, and freshwater rivers and lakes. Published in Talanta, the research opens up potential for new environmental applications of the method, such as tracing the effect […]
Comments Off on Detecting impact of sea level rise in new technique
The race to stop illegal trading of Australian lizards
Australian reptiles face serious conservation threats from illegal poaching fuelled by international demand and the exotic pet trade. In a new study in Animal Conservation, researchers from the University of Adelaide and the Monitor Conservation Research Society (Monitor) investigated the extent of illegal trade in a well-known Australian lizard: the shingleback, also known as the bobtail or […]
Comments Off on The race to stop illegal trading of Australian lizards
Our experts refute River Murray estuary claims
A team of scientists, led by the University of Adelaide’s Associate Professor John Tibby, has confirmed that the lower River Murray was not an estuary in the mid-Holocene period (more than 7000 years ago) – reinforcing scientific evidence likely to influence important river management policy decisions. Their new paper, published in the Nature journal Scientific […]
Comments Off on Our experts refute River Murray estuary claims
International joint research reveals how fish adapt to ocean acidification by modifying gene expression
Human-driven global change is challenging the scientific community to understand how marine species might adapt to predicted environmental conditions in the near-future. The effects of the uptake of anthropogenic atmospheric CO2 by oceans affects propagate across the biological hierarchy, from changes in the building blocks of life at nano-scales to organism, physiology and behaviour through ecosystem […]
Comments Off on International joint research reveals how fish adapt to ocean acidification by modifying gene expression
Mount Lofty Ranges woodland bird monitoring reveals steep decline in numbers
Woodland birds are disappearing from the Mount Lofty Ranges at an alarming rate, University of Adelaide research shows, and scientists say the trend is a sign that the ecosystem is on the verge of collapse. Over the past 20 years, the number of woodland birds at monitoring sites has halved. Member of the Environment Institute, […]
Comments Off on Mount Lofty Ranges woodland bird monitoring reveals steep decline in numbers
Reducing artificial light at night may improve health
There is a growing body of evidence that exposure to green space is good for our health but a new study from the University of Adelaide has found that this may equally be due to how much light we are exposed to at night. Spending time in green space can improve depressive symptoms, obesity, and […]
Comments Off on Reducing artificial light at night may improve health
Freaky ‘frankenprawns’: ancient deep sea monsters called radiodonts had incredible vision that likely drove an evolutionary arms race
Deep sea animals can be the stuff of nightmares. Many inhabit the ocean’s twilight zone (down to 1,000 metres depth), where sunlight has virtually disappeared, and have adapted their vision to this dark alien world. Evolution gave them large, complex eyes to see in dim light — examples include the Vampire Squid, Sloane’s Viperfish, and various predatory crustaceans. […]
Comments Off on Freaky ‘frankenprawns’: ancient deep sea monsters called radiodonts had incredible vision that likely drove an evolutionary arms race
