Article
Strong survival rates for tagged sawfish in the Gulf of Carpentaria
Mar 16, 2026
During a trip to the Cape York Peninsula in late 2025, scientists worked alongside commercial fishers to collect tissue samples and tag a 4.2-metre adult male largetooth sawfish (Pristis pristis), which was caught by the fishers at the mouth of the Holroyd River. The animal was fitted with two satellite miniPAT tags to track its movements…
A century of shared seagrass data strengthens Sea Country management across northern Australia
Mar 16, 2026
Along northern Australia’s vast coastline, seagrass meadows support dugongs and turtles, shelter fish, store carbon and protect shorelines. They are also central to the culture and livelihoods of First Nations communities. Yet, despite decades of research, much of the historical information on seagrass has remained scattered. Data were often stored in separate reports, unpublished files…
Blue carbon and environmental markets in Australia: understanding opportunities and risks for Indigenous People
Mar 16, 2026
Australia has been described as a hotspot for blue carbon, which is the carbon captured and stored by coastal and marine ecosystems. Blue carbon ecosystems such as mangroves, saltmarshes, and seagrass meadows occur along large stretches of the Australian coastline. These coastal habitats store vast amounts of carbon in their soils and vegetation. They also…
Pilots, props and pups: cracking the code of Australian sea lions
Mar 14, 2026
The Esperance Tjaltjraak Native Title Aboriginal Corporation (ETNTAC) and the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) have been conducting collaborative surveys at the islands since 2024. They’re laying the foundation for ongoing monitoring by aligning their survey methods and timing with the conditions at each island colony. The monitoring will support new population estimates, which have not been…
New projects to advance harmful algal bloom monitoring, ecological understanding and national preparedness
Mar 14, 2026
The HAB has been unprecedented in its scale, longevity and impact, causing massive disruption to the marine ecosystem, coastal communities and the economy. Toxic Karenia dinoflagellates have caused species deaths at all trophic (feeding) levels of the marine food web, from primary producers to top predators. The risk of HABs is increasing due to climate-induced…
Walking shared paths on Tebrakunna Country
Mar 14, 2026
Lately they’ve been joined by researchers from all four hubs of the National Environmental Science Program (NESP). They’re working together on a project led and co-designed by the Melaythenner Teeackana Warrana (Heart of Country) Aboriginal Corporation (MTWAC) and the University of Tasmania (UTAS). MTWAC aims to restore Aboriginal land management practices in north-eastern Tasmania. The…
Building an evidence base for living shorelines: a framework for evaluating monitoring activities
Mar 12, 2026
Living shorelines are gaining favour as a nature-based alternative to conventional engineered coastal protection structures such as seawalls and breakwaters. Typical living shoreline habitats are beaches and dunes, saltmarshes, mangroves, seagrasses and kelp forests, and coral and shellfish reefs. These habitats increase coastal resilience through wave attenuation and sediment stabilisation. They also offer potential co-benefits…
Sea lion camera reveals mother taking pup on educational foraging expedition in the wild
Feb 10, 2026
This article by hub researcher Nathan Angelakis is republished from The Conversation. Australian sea lions are different. They have an 18-month breeding cycle, out of sync with the seasons, which has puzzled scientists for years. So compared to other seals, Australian sea lion mothers spend an extra six months or more nursing their pups. Why this is…
Watching, listening, and carrying forward the understandings shared by Sea-Kin
Dec 5, 2025
Cultural Custodians joined representatives from Aboriginal organisations, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and Parks Australia. The meeting was convened by Dr Chels Marshall, Dr Jodi Edwards and Natalia Baechtold from the Australian National Centre for Ocean Resources and Security at the University of Wollongong. Their project is investigating the relationships that Aboriginal Peoples hold with cetaceans and other marine cultural keystone species across south-eastern Australia. Engaging with Sea-Kin Communities engage with their Sea-Kin – dolphins, humpback whales,…
Sharing science across the flyway to support shorebird conservation
Dec 1, 2025
The flyers support the work of the following two research projects: Project 4.17 addresses the long-term declines of Australia’s migratory shorebirds. It is analysing survival rates and breeding output for multiple populations to identify what factors may support their recovery. Project 4.26 examines how migration timing, routes and connectivity of shorebirds are changing under global…