Researchers from The University of Western Australia and Murdoch University are analysing DNA from the excrement of little penguins in Cockburn Sound to find out what, other than fish, they are eating and whether it is affecting their breeding. Penguin researcher Dr Belinda Cannell, from UWA, said analysing the animals’ diet in greater detail would […]
Cockburn Sound research teams have started delivering project reports for their work on the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program. These are now published on WAMSI’s Cockburn Sound webpage under ‘Research Themes and Reports‘. More than 100 scientists and researchers are working across 33 projects, helping to build a picture of the Sound’s environment and provide […]
Pre-seeding new port structures to encourage the colonisation of native species is one of the mitigation measures against invasive marine plants and animals, outlined in a new report prepared for the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program. The literature review by Curtin University School of Molecular and Life Sciences Adjunct Professor Fred Wells lists many of […]
Dozens of core samples, taken from sediment around Cockburn Sound, will play a crucial role in the creation of a model of the area’s ecosystem to help inform environmental assessment of the proposed port. The work, being done as part of the WAMSI Westport Marine Science Program, involved divers collecting three sediment cores from 12 […]
Even for a veterinarian who regularly anaesthetises antelopes, giraffes and hippopotamuses, the Australian sea lions off Perth were a new challenge for Werribee Open Range Zoo’s Dr Brett Gardner. The Victorian based wildlife vet, supporting Dr Simone Vitali – a former specialist veterinarian with the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions in Perth – helped […]
As a graduate scientist with a passion for marine biology and fisheries, Jenny Shaw was excited to be selected for an expedition to the Abrolhos Islands. That was, until she was bumped from the vessel’s manifest when someone more senior discovered ‘J. Shaw’ was a woman. The knockback didn’t deter her, and in the decades […]
A new strategic partnership will provide leadership in achieving better public good outcomes for Australia’s environment. Originally published by Australian Research Data Commons (ARDC) A trusted environment data and information supply chain to improve research and decision making on Australia’s environment is the focus of a new strategic partnership between the Australian Government Department of Climate […]
This art award and exhibition has been postponed until 21-25 October 2024 Creative Western Australians are being invited to transform marine debris and beach finds into art for an exhibition at The University of Western Australia’s Indian Ocean Marine Research Centre (IOMRC). The Western Australian Marine Science Institution is a sponsor of ‘From Waste to […]
Microplastics researchers need to think about everything from the jackets they wear in the field and their sampling containers to laboratory washing up methods to avoid contamination, according to a visiting biology professor who runs a plastics testing laboratory in the United States. Dr Brian Walker, from Fairfield University in Fairfield Connecticut, told a recent […]
A research team has, for the first time, been able to build a comprehensive picture of the distribution and abundance of blue swimmer crabs in Cockburn Sound over the species’ entire life cycle. Dr Danielle Johnston, a senior research scientist from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, is leading the collaborative project as […]