Stories of science from the Australian Rivers Institute
Dr Ryan Pearson Read Time: 419 words about 3 minutes. A nesting loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) with barnacles growing on her head. Photo: Ryan Pearson. In February 2016, a female loggerhead sea turtle dubbed ‘Marloo’ had a satellite transmitter attached to her shell on a beach south of Exmouth, Western Australia by the Gnaraloo wilderness [...]
Dr Ryan Pearson Read Time: 503 words about 3 minutes. The effects of COVID-19 on the world has been profound. We're now re-evaluating intergovernmental, trade and personal relationships, and rethinking our consumer needs. Environmental groups have been encouraging people to 'eat more fish' in response to this pandemic. Consumer surveys during the pandemic have also highlighted [...]
By Dr Michael Sievers Reading Time: 485 words about 3 minutes. Habitat degradation is a global crisis. Quantifying and evaluating habitat change and its impacts on ecosystem function is needed to inform management and conservation that ultimately safeguards biodiversity and human benefits. Many of these benefits in coastal ecosystems depend not only on habitat status, [...]
By Melanie Roberts and Fernanda Adame Article Read Time: 524 words about 3 minutes. The 2019 Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report from the Australian Government Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority identifies the risk of nutrient runoff from catchments for the reef as Very High, the same rating as the 2014 and 2009 reports. --- This [...]
By Dr Chris Brown Read Time: 354 words about 2 minutes. To inform conservation actions we need global indicators of wetland ecosystems that represent changes in ecosystem function. But current indicators are largely based on changes in the area of wetland ecosystems. In our new study we mapped fragmentation of mangrove habitats at a global scale. [...]
By Dr Chris Brown Reading Time: 557 words about 3 minutes. We usually think of nutrients moving down rivers to the ocean, not the other way around. But in many temperate rivers of the northern hemisphere migration of salmon brings nutrients from the ocean to rivers and surrounding vegetation. Male Pink Salmon, identifiable because of [...]
Australian Rivers Institute Director, Stuart Bunn. We welcome you back to another edition of the Australian RiversInstitute (ARI) Magazine. (Link). Over the past few months our staff have been active in strengthening research partnerships and establishing new connections across the globe. The importance of connections, not only with fellow researchers, industry and government but also [...]
By Ryan Burrows Article Read Time: 623 words about 4 minutes. Groundwater upwelling to rivers not only sustains surface flow but also delivers nutrients and creates favourable conditions for algae growth, importantly algae is a critical food source for aquatic animals. The Fitzroy River is located in the West Kimberley region of Western Australia. Geikie [...]
By Dr Vanessa Reis In the face of dramatic degradation of the Amazon ecosystems, a new conservation planning framework can help safeguard the floodplain wetlands. Floodplain wetlands are unique ecosystems often highly influenced by seasonal variation in their connection to rivers. They contribute to the Amazons high biodiversity and are used by the local people [...]
By Dr Ryan Pearson Techniques for tracking marine animals and objects have long been evolving; gaining in accuracy and reliability. However, most techniques rely on accessing an animal prior to tracking and few techniques are capable of retracing historical movements. Along with conservation efforts for threatened species, marine tragedies (where vehicles disappear in the ocean) [...]
