Biodiversity
Rare carnivorous plant found near Perth
Conservationists have uncovered a large patch of insect-trapping sundews, one of Western Australia’s rarest carnivorous plants, just an hour outside of Perth.
Flora & Fauna
New technique could reveal if an animal illegally smuggled
If someone mentions criminal gangs, you might think of drug trafficking or financial crime. But one of the most persistent illegal trades in the world flies largely under the radar: wildlife smuggling.
Land
What’s not to lichen?
Many people mistakenly think they’re plants, but lichens are weird composite organisms – and Australia has a lot of them.
Science & Environment
Mussels and clams recruited as undercover agents
Identifying the cause of fish kills can be challenging, but a Western Australian researcher is using bivalves as spies to provide early intel ahead of such events.
Flora & Fauna
Velvet worm slime could be a new bioplastics source
A discovery by international researchers suggests slime produced by Australian velvet worms could underpin new sustainable materials.
Climate
Building a movement
A childhood in Sydney’s west shaped this young climate-action leader’s resolve to build a fairer, more climate-conscious Australia.
Flora & Fauna
Gene-edited cane toads reveal the cost of albinism
The cutting-edge CRISPR technology that’s already revolutionising human medicine and genetics is also being explored by Australian evolutionary biologists.
Nature & Wildlife
The colossal squid with a cult following
The world’s only complete specimen of a colossal squid – on display in New Zealand – has developed a cult-like following.
Nature & Wildlife
OPINION: Negativity won’t help Antarctica
The frozen continent, and the treaty that protects it, have been in the news frequently of late – but for all the wrong reasons, argues ecologist and conservation biologist Professor Steven L Chown.