News

Drones, traps and motion-sensitive cameras enlisted to rid island in Bass Strait of feral cats

16 January 2023

A multi-skilled cat eradication team have gathered on lungtalanana/Clarke Island, an Indigenous Protected Area in Tasmania’s Furneaux Group of islands, for a week-long visit observing and attempting to trap cats. There are an estimated 80+ feral cats inhabited the island.…

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‘Ambassador’ population of spotted handfish brings hope for re-wilding in Tasmania

15 January 2023

A critically endangered fish from Tasmania has been given a boost in its odds for survival through a successful breeding effort interstate.  Endemic to Tasmania, the spotted handfish is known for its preference of walking…

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Specialised CSIRO cameras capture new species 4,000m under the ocean

7 January 2023

Flying sea cucumbers, spiny sea urchins that glow, and giant crabs have been captured by specialised cameras in deep water off Australia’s coastline. The two cameras have revealed previously unseen behaviours. The deep-towed camera system plunged nearly…

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With orchids and carnivorous plants abloom in Tasmania’s forests, it’s a risky time of year for insects

21 December 2022

This time of year, many of the state’s orchids and carnivorous plants are out in full force. There are more than 1,700 species of orchids in Australia, including more than 200 in Tasmania, and about 250 flesh-eating…

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Looking back at a time when Tasmania’s ancient reptiles and dinosaurs packed a bite

21 December 2022

Before there were dinosaurs, there was Tasmaniosaurus. Tasmania is not famous for dinosaur digs but despite their absence in the fossil record, Tasmania was home to these creatures and paleontologists can infer what they were…

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Computer modelling predicts climate change causing cascading animal ‘co-extinctions’

21 December 2022

Computer modelling has shown that more than 1 in 10 species could be lost by the end of the century. The simulation conducted on one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers also found that one extinction caused…

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National Science Week 2023 Grants are open!

1 December 2022

The grant round for National Science Week 2023 is open for applications until 5.00pm AEDT Thursday 15 December 2023. Grants between $2000 – $20,000 will be awarded and can support in-person events as well as online activities…

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STEM Superstars smashing assumptions

24 November 2022

Dr Samantha Sawyer, Lecturer and Research Fellow in Food Science at the Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, and University of Tasmania PhD Candidate Mars Buttfield-Addison in the School of Computing & Information Systems, are the latest…

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Human voices, including ABC presenters, deter feral deer from Tasmanian farm

18 November 2022

The dulcet tones of ABC broadcaster Richard Fidler are not normally associated with fear. But that appears to be the case if you’re a deer. Audio from Fidler’s popular long-running radio program Conversations has been…

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Australia’s frogs need your help!

18 November 2022

Frog ID week is 11 – 20 November Take part in Australia’s biggest frog count! Our frogs are under threat from habitat loss, disease and climate change. Recording frog calls with the FrogID app will…

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2022 Tasmanian STEM Excellence Awards Winners Announced

18 November 2022

The winners of the 2022 Tasmanian STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Excellence Awards were announced this week at a celebratory event at a ceremony at the University Club in Hobart. Congratulations to all winners for…

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Thousands of seals take up residence on Macquarie Island beaches

15 November 2022

Thousands of southern elephant seals (Mirounga leonina), the largest seal species in the world, have taken up temporary residence again on Macquarie Island’s beaches. Macquarie Island is a Nature Reserve and World Heritage Area located…

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