Annual series brings environmental science to wider audience

Environmental science is taking centre stage in an annual seminar series that showcases the work of researchers from across Charles Darwin University (CDU) and research partners.

The Research Institute for the Environment and Livelihoods (RIEL) Seminar Series, which has been running on a regular basis since 2019, brings together students, staff, representatives of other universities and research organisations, and members of the general public with an interest in environmental research.

Prof Sam Banks, Director of RIEL, explained that the objective of the seminar series was to create a forum for sharing a broad range of environmental research topics with the NT community.

“We feature speakers from the NT, Australia and overseas, and cover research on environment-related issues ranging from biodiversity to water, climate, land management, primary industries, livelihoods and more,” Professor Banks said,

“We always welcome people to join online or come in person to hear about the fantastic research work being done in the NT and elsewhere.”

This year’s series commenced with a presentation from Dr Samantha Nowland titled The world is your oyster, when oysters are your world. Dr Nowland is a senior aquaculture scientist at the Department of Industry, Tourism and Trade’s (DITT) Darwin Aquaculture Centre, and an Adjunct Research Fellow with RIEL.

Her well-received talk focused on challenges and possible solutions facing remote First Nations communities farming native rock oysters.

The subsequent seminar was an interactive discussion from Dr Dylan Irvine, So, you want to use AI to assist your research? A discussion on what works and what doesn’t.

Dr Irvine, a groundwater scientist with CDU’s Faculty of Science and Technology and RIEL, looked at real-world examples where artificial intelligence (AI) has proven helpful, with audience members also keen to share their own experiences of using AI in their research.

Dr Jo Randall, Dr Brien Roberts and Eliza Kimlin of Northern Territory Fisheries at DITT presented another engaging and well-attended seminar, Research to support biodiversity and sustainable management of fisheries resources in the NT.

Coming up on March 15, audiences will hear from Dr Yujuan (Jady) Li of CDU’s Research Institute for Northern Agriculture on Unveiling the hidden world below: Nematodes in agriculture.

The 2024 RIEL Seminar Series is expected to run on a fortnightly basis from February through to November. Most seminars are available both in person – in the Northern Institute’s Savanna Room at Yellow 1.2.48, Casuarina Campus – and online via Zoom.

Students, staff, and the public are all welcome to attend.

This story was originally published in CDU Uni News March 2024 edition