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Category: Science communication
PODCAST: Exotic plants and animals: the illegal wildlife trade happening right under your nose
There is increasing interest in owning wild and exotic animals and the internet is able to serve up whatever your heart desires, even if importing these animals is illegal. In the latest Ecofuturist episode, Professor Andy Lowe speaks with Dr Phill Cassey and PhD student Charlotte Lassaline, both from the School of Biological Sciences as well as […]
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Australia’s least wanted – 8 alien species and diseases we must keep out of our island home
This week’s landmark report on the impact of invasive alien species revealed costs to the global economy exceeded US$423 billion (A$654 billion) a year in 2019. Costs have at least quadrupled every decade since 1970 and that trend is set to continue. Prevention is better than a cure. Stopping pests and diseases arriving and establishing in Australia […]
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The true damage of invasive alien species was just revealed in a landmark report. Here’s how we must act.
Invasive alien species are driving biodiversity loss and extinctions in every country, all over the world. Responding to the challenge, the United Nations is today releasing the first global assessment of invasive alien species and their control. It comes from the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), which represents almost 140 member […]
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Invasive alien species a major threat to nature, people
A new international report, co-authored by Dr Phill Cassey from the University of Adelaide, has found that the number of alien species has been rising continuously for centuries in all regions, but are now increasing at unprecedented rates. The Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services’s (IPBES) Assessment Report on Invasive Alien Species and their […]
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How algae conquered the world – and other epic stories hidden in the rocks of the Flinders Ranges
Earth was not always so hospitable. Evidence of how it came to be so beautiful and nurturing is locked in the rocks of South Australia’s Flinders Ranges – a site now vying for World Heritage listing. Our new research seeks to better understand this near billion-year-old story. We discovered immense planetary upheaval recorded in the ranges. In two related […]
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New platform to energise citizen science
The University of Adelaide will adapt and deploy the globally proven citizen science platform SciStarter in Australia, courtesy of a $160,000 grant from the South Australian Government’s Citizen Science Fund. Citizen scientists taking part in the EchidnaCSI program on Kangaroo Island. Credit: Mike McKelvey. Founded in the United States over a decade ago, SciStarter connects […]
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Two citizen science finalists announced for the Citizen Science Awards 2023
The finalists for the this year’s Citizen Science Awards 2023 have just been announced and they are Insect Investigators and Find Our Fungi!. These awards recognise the work of citizen science projects in engaging and gathering results from contributions of the community to science, helping to inspire and educate new generations, and these projects show how the power […]
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The feral flying under the radar: why we need to rethink European honeybees
Australia’s national parks, botanic gardens, wild places and green spaces are swarming with an invasive pest that is largely flying under the radar. This is yet another form of livestock, escaped from captivity and left to roam free. Contrary to popular opinion, in Australia, feral colonies of the invasive European honeybee (Apis mellifera) are not […]
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‘Humanity’s signature’: study finds plastic pollution in the world’s lakes can be worse than in oceans
A world-first study has found concentrations of plastics in some lakes are higher than in the most contaminated parts of oceans, demonstrating the extent to which plastics have invaded Earth’s ecosystems. In a study recently released, researchers sampled 38 lakes and reservoirs around the world, including in Australia, the United States, United Kingdom and Europe. […]
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New Australian laws for ‘engineering’ the ocean must balance environment protection and responsible research
The Australian Labor government has introduced a bill to regulate “marine geoengineering” – methods to combat climate change by intervening in the ocean environment. The bill would prohibit listed marine geoengineering activities without a permit. Scientists are already experimenting with ways to store more carbon in the ocean or shield vulnerable ecosystems. They include ocean fertilisation and […]
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