ScienceNetwork WA

AN Australian Antarctic researcher visited Geraldton, this May, as a part of the WA Museum's series of public lectures.

CORAL responses to ocean temperatures and currents during the 2010-11 marine heatwave have been recorded in research that has found WA’s coral reefs may be more vulnerable to irregular warming events than previously thought.

SCIENTISTS researching light stress indicators in seagrass have gathered and analysed international research in the field to narrow-down 119 variables to 19 robust bioindicators of light stress that can be incorporated into monitoring programs. 

AN INVESTIGATION by UWA scientists into factors which affect eye size in certain deep-sea fish has found that eye size varies based on the individual fish’s evolutionary status, rather than ecological pressures.

THE Western Australian Department of Fisheries have embarked on an intensive research and monitoring program into the declining numbers of blue swimmer crabs (Portunus armatus) in Shark Bay.

AUSTRALIA is leading the world in regulating shark based tourism according to new research.

A RECENT study has not only shed light on the charismatic Nautilus pompilius, but has also illustrated the success of using DNA barcoding as a tool to identify geographic origins, and to study population genetics and evolutionary biology.

PHOTOGRAPHS from public online databases can provide data to make accurate estimations of whale shark populations according to new research.

SHARK embryo research from UWA’s Oceans Institute has determined embryos can remember previously encountered predator-like stimulus and reduce their response to it, creating implications for the effectiveness of electric shark repellents.

RESEARCH by local scientists into the spacing behaviour between separate Humpback Whale pods has determined the carrying capacity of one of the State’s critical habitats for marine mammals.

THE strong predator–prey relationship between lobsters and crustaceans could impact on areas where lobsters are heavily fished, including WA’s south-west coast, according to a recent study.

DISCOVERING the unique food foraging techniques of Shark Bay’s dolphins is just one project that has won Murdoch University’s Cetacean Research Unit (MUCRU) an animal research award.

SEAWEED eating fish keep coral reefs clean, but a new study has found that only a small number of fish species take the primary role of removing dominant seaweed that can overtake reefs.

MORE research is urgently needed to assess the extent of illegal hunting of whale sharks and its impact on WA’s whale shark populations.

GERALDTON this week is playing host to the third stage of The National Climate Change Adaption Research Plan for Marine Biodiversity and Resources.

RESEARCH by the Australian Institute of Marine Science has discovered that proposed dredging works along the WA coast could severely impact certain coral species found in local waters.

A STUDY by Charles Darwin University and UWA Oceans Institute provides the first application of DNA-barcoding to tropical rays.

MARINE reserves perform significantly better than any other fishery management system for tropical reefs says a new study.

A FIVE-YEAR research program at Ningaloo Marine Park is the largest of its kind ever undertaken in the Indian Ocean.

A STUDYof Ningaloo reef suggests marine protected areas in shallow coral-dominated reef habitats may not adequately protect fish species living beyond those habitats.