The Conversation

These tiny fish with oversized hands crawl along the seafloor. They only live in two locations in the world, and they’re disappearing rapidly. John Turnbull, Postdoctoral Research Associate, UNSW Sydney Jemina Stuart-Smith, Research Fellow, University of Tasmania Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Nineteenth-century European settlement is often depicted as a triumphal ‘taming of nature’. But does that collective memory impede more honest appraisals of the environmental risks we face today? Olli Hellmann, Senior Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations, University of Waikato Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Governments have known about the flood risks in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley for more than two centuries. All have failed to protect the community. Jamie Pittock, Professor, Fenner School of Environment & Society, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

New research finds nature restoration only marginally lowers global warming. This pours cold water on the idea of using carbon offsets to solve the climate crisis. Kate Dooley, Research Fellow, Climate & Energy College, The University of Melbourne Zebedee Nicholls, PhD Researcher at the Climate & Energy College, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Spider crabs form huge underwater piles, some as tall as a person. These fascinating crustaceans are on a risky mission – to get bigger. Elodie Camprasse, Research fellow in spider crab ecology, Deakin University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

People feel more secure knowing there’s a levee nearby - but this can backfire, leading to more development on floodplains. Australia needs to tackle the incentives behind these risky developments. Brian Robert Cook, Associate professor, The University of Melbourne Tim Werner, ARC DECRA Fellow, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The new paper also found some mammals are suffering due to a lack of fire. Julianna Santos, PhD candidate, The University of Melbourne Holly Sitters, Senior Ecologist, The University of Melbourne Luke Kelly, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

This NAIDOC Week, with the effects of climate change affecting Australia, It’s beyond time to listen to First Nations people who have extensive knowledge of caring for Country. Maryanne Macdonald, Lecturer, Indigenous Education, Edith Cowan University Darren Garvey, Senior Lecturer at Kurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University Eyal Gringart, Senior Lecturer, School of Psychology and Social Science, Edith Cowan University Ken Hayward, Lecturer at Kurongkurl Katitjin, Edith Cowan University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Again, thousands of residents in Western Sydney face a life-threatening flood disaster. Obviously, nature is a major culprit – but other drivers are also at play. Dale Dominey-Howes, Honorary Professor of Hazards and Disaster Risk Sciences, University of Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

This Plastic Free July, we need to be teaching children to demand less plastic from the world’s worst producers instead of expecting change from individual recycling efforts. Sara Tolbert, Associate Professor of Science and Environmental Education, University of Canterbury Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Labor has promised a 43% cut in Australia’s emissions by 2030 and a high-integrity carbon credit market is vital to reaching this goal. Andrew Macintosh, Professor and Director of Research, ANU Law School, Australian National University Don Butler, Professor, Australian National University Megan C Evans, Senior Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Politicians may be better served addressing the message, rather than attacking the messengers. Robyn Gulliver, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, The University of Queensland Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The varroa mite’s arrival in Australia was only a matter of time. We could benefit from one pest fighting another. Patrick O'Connor, Associate Professor, University of Adelaide Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The project threatens catastrophic harm to one of the world’s most important river systems, and the people who depend on it. Michael Main, Visiting Scholar, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Two new studies reveal fascinating new information about why some animals are able to live so long. Let me introduce you to five animals who lived over a century, and their remarkable lives. Benjamin Mayne, Molecular biologist and bioinformatician, CSIRO Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

From discovering hidden populations of vulnerable newts to dropping “seed bombs”, two new research papers show how genomics and drones help restore threatened ecosystems. Jake M Robinson, Ecologist and Researcher, Flinders University Jakki Mohr, Professor of Marketing & Innovation, The University of Montana Martin Breed, Senior Lecturer in Biology, Flinders University Peter Harrison, Lecturer in Forest Adaptation and Restoration Genetics, University of Tasmania Suzanne Mavoa, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Labor has promised to ‘future-proof Australia’s water resources’. It’s a massive job. Here are the actions the government should prioritise. Stuart Khan, Professor of Civil & Environmental Engineering, UNSW Sydney Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

A warmer atmosphere can hold more water – and that makes floods harder to predict. To help, we improved one common tool used to predict floods. Sally Thompson, Associate professor, The University of Western Australia Anneliese Sytsma, Postdoctoral fellow, Colorado School of Mines Dana Ariel Lapides, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Simon Fraser University Mary H. Nichols, Research scientist, International Institute of Tropical Forestry Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

The climate crisis demands innovations in our everyday infrastructures. If these changes are to be adopted en masse, finding the right fit between communities and infrastructures is vital. Bjorn Sturmberg, Research Leader, Battery Storage & Grid Integration Program, Australian National University Hedda Ransan-Cooper, Research Fellow, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University Johannes Hendriks, Research Fellow in the Battery Storage and Grid Integration Program, Australian National University Pierrick Chalaye, Research Fellow, Australian National University Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.

Green-lighting new gas projects is a code red for the Great Barrier Reef. But a new landmark federal court case may stop the Scarborough offshore gas project in its tracks. Jacqueline Peel, Director, Melbourne Climate Futures, The University of Melbourne Ben Neville, Senior Lecturer and Program Director of the Master of Commerce, The University of Melbourne Rebekkah Markey-Towler, Research fellow, Melbourne Climate Futures, The University of Melbourne Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.