Detecting parasitic worms to safeguard crops in northern Australia
Northern Australia is home to key agricultural growing regions, including in Darwin, Katherine, Kununurra, Carnarvon, and Cairns. However, it is also recognised as a high-risk zone for plant pests due to its vastness, remoteness and high vulnerability to exotic incursions.
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Team examines Vibrio ecology in Darwin Harbour
Research has found that wet season and monsoon rain events are connected to an increase of potentially pathogenic Vibrio bacteria in tropical waters, which could affect human health through food sources.
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Developing scientific capability in freshwater ecology
A multi-year cooperative agreement is helping to develop the NT’s scientific capability in freshwater ecology research. The initiative, which is a collaboration between the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) and CDU, supports natural resource management in northern Australia through establishing and funding a number of 3-year postdoctoral fellowships.
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Strategic management of gamba and other invasive grasses
Invasive grasses have significant impacts on fire regimes and biodiversity across northern Australia. Some invasive grasses are now widespread, representing a significant risk and major management challenge.
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Scientists contribute to Tiwi Junior Rangers Program
The Tiwi Junior Rangers Program is an important initiative helping Tiwi College students to engage with the Tiwi Islands’ unique environment and cultural heritage. In 2024, members of RIEL’s invertebrate biodiversity group contributed to the program by sharing environmental science skills with the junior rangers.
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Supporting sustainable fisheries management in the Torres Strait
A proposed mobile application for collecting data about traditional fishing could help to ensure sustainable fisheries management in the Torres Strait region of North Queensland.
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Big, cheeky yams a focus of knowledge exchange
The Wild Foods Project is a collaboration between RIEL’s Aboriginal Research Practitioners Network (ARPNet) in northern Australia and the Agora Food Studio in Timor-Leste.
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Supporting conservation efforts for pygmy blue whales
Blue whales are a global icon of ocean conservation. The waters of Timor-Leste, particularly the Ombai-Wetar Strait, are a hotspot for whales and dolphins, including blue whales. In particular, these waters are home to the smallest and only tropical subspecies of blue whale – Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda (pygmy blue whale).
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Fire and biodiversity conservation in Great Sandy Desert
An ongoing project aims to understand how desert fire patterns have changed since colonisation, and how that affects the species which reside in the desert.
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