It’s a hard job being environment minister. Here’s an insider’s view of the key challenges facing Murray Watt
Labor’s whopping majority doesn’t mean environmental reform will be any easier. When economy and environment clash, the economy usually wins.
Peter Burnett, Honorary Associate Professor, ANU College of Law, Australian National University
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Insect trafficking poses a risk to wildlife and human health
Wildlife trafficking extends to areas like ant smuggling and illegal trade
Elliot Doornbos, Senior Lecturer of Criminology, Nottingham Trent University
Angus Nurse, Professor of Law and Environmental Justice, Anglia Ruskin University
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Hidden connections of more than 100 migratory marine species revealed in interactive map
The map combines findings from more than 1,300 studies and is an important tool for conservation.
Lily Bentley, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland
Autumn-Lynn Harrison, Research Ecologist, Migratory Bird Center, Smithsonian Institution
Daniel Dunn, A/Prof of Marine Conservation Science & Director of the Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science (CBCS), The University of Queensland
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South Africa’s frogs and reptiles get their own list of names in local languages
Scientists added descriptive terms to the existing general Indigenous frog and reptile names to make them specific.
Fortunate Mafeta Phaka, Senior Postdoctoral Researcher of herptile-human interactions, North-West University
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Trump is stripping protections from marine protected areas – why that’s a problem for fishing’s future, and for whales, corals and other ocean life
America’s marine protected areas help fish populations thrive. Trump’s plan to open them to industrial fishing may ultimately harm the fishing industry itself.
David Shiffman, Faculty Research Associate in Marine Biology, Arizona State University
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Ambitious changes to Canadian conservation law are needed to reverse the decline in biodiversity
Canada needs a biodiversity protection and conservation act that will address current biodiversity decline and prevent future threats.
Trevor Swerdfager, Practitioner-In-Residence, Faculty of Environment, University of Waterloo, University of Waterloo
Derek Armitage, Professor, School of Environment, Resources and Sustainability, University of Waterloo
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‘De-extinction’ of dire wolves promotes false hope: technology can’t undo extinction
Claims of ‘bringing back’ any species take away focus from proven solutions that can actually fix the extinction crisis.
Martín Boer-Cueva, Ecologist and Environmental Consultant, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Dieter Hochuli, Professor, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
Marco Salvatori, Post-doctoral Researcher in Ecology, University of Florence
Peter Banks, Professor of Conservation Biology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Sydney
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Allowing forests to regrow and regenerate is a great way to restore habitat
New research found regrowth in Queensland provided valuable habitat after 15 years, on average, with some species benefiting from trees as young as 3 years of age.
Hannah Thomas, PhD candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland
Martine Maron, Professor of Environmental Management, The University of Queensland
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Why ‘de-extinct’ dire wolves are a Trojan horse to hide humanity’s destruction of nature
Extinction is, for the time being, forever – and a symptom of our global economic system.
Rich Grenyer, Associate Professor in Biogeography and Biodiversity, University of Oxford
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We study ‘planktivores’ – and found an amazing diversity of shapes among plankton-feeding fishes
Ever since Charles Darwin, scientists have assumed species facing the same problem often evolve similar traits. But that’s not always the case.
Isabelle Ng, PhD candidate, College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University
Alexandre Siqueira, Vice-Chancellor's Research Fellow, School of Science, Edith Cowan University
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Good boy or bad dog? Our 1 billion pet dogs do real environmental damage
We don’t want to admit it, but our beloved pet dogs do a lot of environmental damage, from killing or terrifying wildlife to emissions from pet food.
Bill Bateman, Associate Professor, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University
Lauren Gilson, Research Associate, Behavioural Ecology, Curtin University
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Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work
Biosecurity policies may seem onerous and expensive – but they are working to prevent new species from pushing native species out in the Antarctic.
Rachel Leihy, Ecologist, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research
Melodie McGeoch, Professor of Ecology, Monash University
Steven Chown, Director, Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future and Professor of Biological Sciences, Monash University
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Invisible losses: thousands of plant species are missing from places they could thrive – and humans are the reason
Many native plants are missing from habitats where they should thrive – even in wilder areas. Why? Human actions such as logging, poaching and setting fires.
Cornelia Sattler, Research Fellow in Ecology, Macquarie University
Julian Schrader, Lecturer in Plant Ecology, Macquarie University
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Flies are masters of migration – it’s about time they got some credit
Flies are the most ecologically diverse and important migrant group. We just had no idea.
Will Hawkes, Insect Migration Researcher, College of Life and Environmental Science, University of Exeter
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When farmers and scientists collaborate, biodiversity and agriculture can thrive – here’s how
Farmers can take ownership of nature recovery actions and scientific expertise can adapt to local knowledge in the design of environmental outcomes.
Charles Masquelier, Associate Professor in Sociology, University of Exeter
Carolyn Petersen, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Social Science and the Environment, University of Exeter
Matt Lobley, Professor of Rural Resource Management, University of Exeter
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When a 1-in-100 year flood washed through the Coorong, it made the vital microbiome of this lagoon healthier
The 2022 floods triggered shifts in the Coorong’s microbiome—similar to our gut bacteria on new diets—revealing why freshwater flows are vital to wetland health.
Christopher Keneally, Post-Doctoral Research Fellow in Environmental Microbiology, University of Adelaide
Justin Brookes, Director, Water Research Centre, University of Adelaide
Matt Gibbs, Senior Research Scientist in Hydrology, CSIRO
Sophie Leterme, Professor of Biology, Flinders University
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Protecting salmon farming at the expense of the environment – another step backwards for Australia’s nature laws
After shelving plans to reform Australia’s nature laws, the prime minister wants to walk back existing protections with new legislation introduced this week.
Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide
Justine Bell-James, Professor, TC Beirne School of Law, The University of Queensland
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A budget splash to conserve 30% of Australia’s lands will save species – if we choose the right 30%
Protecting 30% of Australian lands sounds good – but what matters much more is whether we’re protecting dwindling habitat for endangered species.
James Watson, Professor in Conservation Science, School of the Environment, The University of Queensland
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Time to stop blaming bats and newts for blocking development? A new fund could support nature and ease building delays
Tens of thousands of planned new homes are said to be stuck in limbo because of concerns about their effect on nature.
Graham Haughton, Professor, Urban and Environmental Planning, University of Manchester
Ian Thornhill, Senior Lecturer in Planning and Environmental Management, University of Manchester
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Rain gave Australia’s environment a fourth year of reprieve in 2024 – but this masks deepening problems: report
Favourable short-term conditions kept Australia’s environmental scorecard high in 2024 – but long-term problems are worsening.
Albert Van Dijk, Professor, Water and Landscape Dynamics, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University
Shoshana Rapley, Research Assistant, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University
Tayla Lawrie, Project Manager, Threatened Species Index, The University of Queensland
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