ScienceNetwork WA

ACCORDING to research from the CSIRO, land administrators should be aware of the substantial ecological barriers and time frames involved in achieving rangelands of a particular composition following changes, as these have a major influence on what they can demand of pastoral leases.

TWO recent papers by palaeontologists working north of Broome highlight a new approach to the study of dinosaur footprints.

ACTIVELY excluding banana bunchy top virus (BBTV) from Australian banana plantations could save up to $27 million a year, according to new research.

AN endemic mammal has been re-discovered in the eastern Kimberley, almost a century after its last recorded sighting.

RESEARCHERS from the University of New England, NSW are refuting the popular notion that ‘bored and cashed-up’ FIFO workers are to blame for increasing rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and HIV.

A LEADING rural health worker is calling for the improvement of mental health services in country WA, as outback communities struggle to cope with 2012’s tumultuous climate.

CERTAIN Kimberley corals appear to be resisting the extreme environmental fluctuations usually associated with coral bleaching.

SYDNEY University ornithologists are enhancing the breeding rates of endangered Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae) in the Ord Valley near Wyndham.

A University of New England (NSW) researcher believes current livestock production methods must change to meet surging global demand for meat.

NEW research in rice trials are underway in Western Australia’s Kimberley region to identify new developments and techniques to see if the crop can return as a profitable source of revenue for the region.

ENGAGING students in science through hands-on activities is a highly effective method of teaching in Aboriginal communities, new research suggests.

SPINIFEX  (Triodia sp.) grasses played an important role in Indigenous culture and researchers from University of Queensland (UQ) are working with traditional land owners in WA to understand more about the genus and its usage.

WA’s status as home to the world’s largest herd of feral camels is leading to calls for a camel meat industry to protect the state’s environment and provide economic opportunities for rural people.

A NEW research report exploring the escalating suicide toll in the Kimberley has called for culturally based community programs that are designed to empower Aboriginal communities.

A GENDER specific mental health program focused on getting blokes to “open-up” is making its way to Western Australia.

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 KIMBERLEY archaeologist is studying the Bunuba and Goonyandi rock art using digitally-enhanced photography to expose images in underlying layers of paint without causing any damage.

A SCREENING tool assessing indigenous mental health is being validated and will be ready for distribution across the country this year.

WA Museum’s herpetology curator says scientists are yet to describe several species of Australia’s smallest gecko (Crenadactylus sp.).

AN independent humpback whale survey undertaken in partnership between the Goojarr Goonyool Aboriginal Corporation and the Western Australian Marine Science Institution (WAMSI) has gathered data confirming that Pender Bay in the Kimberley is an important birthing, mating and resting ground for humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae).