The Conversation

When we build marinas, ports, jetties and coastal defences we introduce hard structures that weren’t there before, and which reduce the amount of sunlight hitting the water. Martino Malerba, Postdoctoral Fellow, Monash University Craig White, Head, Evolutionary Physiology Research Group, Monash University Dustin Marshall, Professor, Marine Evolutionary Ecology, Monash University Liz Morris, Administration Manager, Monash University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

World Heritage globally is threatened by climate change, in all sorts of ways. A new tool identifies the key risks and best strategies for both natural and cultural wonders. Scott Heron, Senior Lecturer, James Cook University Jon C. Day, PSM, Post-career PhD candidate, ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Greenland's ice made headlines in June, as warm weather made for unseasonably widespread melting. And though this summer is still unfolding, the human fingerprint on Greenland's ice can't be denied. Nerilie Abram, ARC Future Fellow, Research School of Earth Sciences; Chief Investigator for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Climate Extremes, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Flushable wipes have won a victory in the Federal Court, but you still shouldn't put them down the toilet. Ian Wright, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Science, Western Sydney University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Emperor penguins have a few hidden tricks to stay warm, like blood vessels in the nose arranged so they can regain most of the heat that would be lost by breathing. Jane Younger, Research Fellow, University of Bath Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

In a time of populist momentum to 'build a wall', your front fence says more than you think. Katherine Wilson, Journalist, author and educator, Swinburne University of Technology Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The endangered Hector's dolphins are found only in coastal seas in New Zealand, but conservation experts describe New Zealand's proposed protection plan for the marine mammals as misleading. Elisabeth Slooten, Professor, University of Otago Steve Dawson, Professor, University of Otago Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

White cedar grows across Asia and Australia, as a hardy and resilient deciduous. Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Academia can play an important role by helping institutions break out of their silos to improve large carnivore conservation. Euan Ritchie, Associate Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University Abi Vanak, University of KwaZulu-Natal Benjamin Scheele, Research Fellow in Ecology, Australian National University Laurentiu Rozylowicz, Center for Environmental Research and Impact Studies, University of Bucharest Tibor Hartel, Invited user Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Sydney has joined more than 600 local governments around the world – as well as the national governments of the UK and Canada – in putting the climate crisis at the heart of all policy decisions. Chris Turney, Professor of Earth Science and Climate Change, ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage, UNSW Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Because it happened within the Australian Plate rather than at a plate boundary, shockwaves from the quake travelled more efficiently to Darwin than to cities closer to the epicentre. Brendan Duffy, Lecturer in Applied Geoscience, University of Melbourne Mark Quigley, Associate professor, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Severe coral bleaching may have been the crucial factor in bringing home the reality of climate change for many people. Matt Curnock, Social Scientist, CSIRO Scott Heron, Senior Lecturer, James Cook University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Human eyes are very complex and are good at doing many jobs at once, while spiders have different sorts of eyes that do different jobs. Samantha Nixon, PhD, The University of Queensland Andrew Walker, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Fake meat may be the food of the future. Leigh Ackland, Professor in Molecular Biosciences, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Mulga is an Aussie icon: hardy, adaptable, and absolutely everywhere. Gregory Moore, Doctor of Botany, University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

You can barely communicate with your kids, but these creatures are sending complex interspecies instructions. Alyssa Weinstein, PhD Candidate, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Federal environment minister Sussan Ley said the environment doesn't necessarily need all its water, whereas farmers do. But denying rivers even part of their water can harm their health in many ways. Paul Humphries, Senior lecturer in Ecology, Charles Sturt University R. Keller Kopf, Research fellow, Charles Sturt University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The federal government claims that Australia's rising emissions are offset by savings around the globe when Australian gas exports replace other fossil fuels. But the numbers don't stack up like that. Frank Jotzo, Director, Centre for Climate Economics and Policy, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University Salim Mazouz, Research Manager, Crawford School of Public Policy; and Director at EcoPerspectives, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Yes, Australia's greenhouse emissions are a small part of the global total. But we're a rich, emissions-intensive country that could and should be setting a much better example to the world. Matt McDonald, Associate Professor of International Relations, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Australia urgently needs to prepare for a coming tsunami of solar panel and battery waste. Rodney Stewart, Professor, Griffith School of Engineering, Griffith University Hengky Salim, PhD Candidate, Griffith University Oz Sahin, Senior Research Fellow, Griffith University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.