Blog archive:
November 2021

Hotter and drier summers in Australia bring with them massive fires, successive bleaching on coral reefs and widespread die-offs of our valuable kelp forests. Although all may seem doom and gloom in our oceans, some species are surprisingly resourceful and can even take advantage of warmer waters.

What did the “Beast of Huli" eat? The diet of this bizarre extinct marsupial, which had similarities to both giant wombats and pandas, has remained a mystery. PhD student Joshua White, with coauthors, examined the teeth of this species to help answer these questions.

Correctly naming an organism is fundamental – it is important for all subsequent studies on that species and yet a significant percentage of Australian marine species have not been described. Our scientists explain why we must name the nameless!

Something remarkable happens when we see another species’ predicament with the same compassion as we might see our own.

With the help of vital FrogID audio, two new species of frog, each with a call as loud and piercing as each other, are described as new to science.

Melissa Malu will strive to ensure our Pasifika Collection and its links to culture, heritage, history, tradition, truth and community both in the Pacific and diaspora are strengthened.

Each month, a selected blog from Lizard Island Reef Research Foundation (LIRRF) is featured at the AM. LIRRF supports scientific research & education at the AM’s Lizard Island Research Station on the Great Barrier Reef. For this month, we feature: Outcomes of the Polychaete Workshop eight years on.

Invertebrates are essential in pollinating our rainforests – but how do climate change, fire, fragmentation, invasive species and destructive pathogens impact pollination networks? Dr Geoff Williams OAM, AM, explores how in this Second Edition of The Flowering of Australia’s Rainforests.

In conversation with Scarlett O. and Scarlett P., winners of the 2021 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary.

Spark Competition winners announced.

Are some spectacular tree frogs from China and Vietnam two, remarkably similar species, or only one? An international team of herpetologists, including the AM’s Dr Jodi Rowley, solves this mystery once and for all!

In conversation with Professor Frank Grutzner from EchidnaCSI Team, finalist in the 2021 Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources Eureka Prize for Innovation in Citizen Science

In conversation with Zara M., awarded second place in the 2021 University of Sydney Sleek Geeks Science Eureka Prize – Primary.

For effective conservation and fisheries management, we need data – but with limited funding and resources, there are gaps in our monitoring programs. This is where our fabulous citizen scientists come in! Our scientists, with CSIRO and NSW DPI, studied data from the Australasian Fishes Project.