Media release
World first data show ‘giant’ threatened sawfish go the distance
Oct 10, 2023
Together these teams have tagged and tracked more than 40 sawfish. One of these was a Largetooth Sawfish measuring more than five metres that swam an incredible 1000 kilometres in two months. Sawfish are extinct in many places worldwide. Although they still survive in northern Australia, conservation managers are concerned about low population numbers as…
Long-term decline in dugong populations confirmed along Great Barrier Reef
Sep 27, 2023
Aerial surveys conducted in 2022 confirm that this declining trend has persisted for almost two decades, despite Australia’s status as the host of the world’s largest population of these vulnerable marine mammals. Released this week, the 2022 Dugong Aerial Survey: Mission Beach to Moreton Bay report is part of a series of aerial surveys conducted every five…
Macquarie Harbour last refuge for Maugean Skate, DNA survey finds
Sep 7, 2022
In a Marine and Coastal Hub project, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS) researchers set out to detect the presence of Maugean Skate DNA in Bathurst Harbour, where only four individuals have ever been seen and none have been sighted since 1992. “Maugean Skates have one of the most limited distributions of any known species…
Scientists call for a national approach to marine and coastal restoration
Aug 12, 2022
Researchers state that failing to restore lost and degraded coastal ecosystems on a national scale is too important to risk, with climate change closing the window of opportunity. Released today, A Roadmap for Coordinated Landscape-scale Coastal and Marine Ecosystem Restoration, involved input from more than 170 contributors, including scientists, First Nations people, government agencies and…
Cairns gathering to join hands for sea country
Aug 9, 2022
More than 80 participants are expected to attend the 2022 AMSA Indigenous Workshop which is part of the annual Australian Marine Sciences Association (AMSA) Conference. First Nations participants will travel from as far as Tasmania, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, and there is a strong representation from Traditional Owners of the Great Barrier Reef….