News: Environment Institute
Experts refute River Murray estuary claims
![River Murray, Waikerie, South Australia by John Morton (CC by 2.0)](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-07/river-murray-morton-cc2.jpg?h=72a4289f&itok=naytEReA)
Scientists confirm that the lower River Murray was not an estuary more than 7,000 years ago – reinforcing scientific evidence likely to influence important river management policy decisions.
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Time to wake up to the illegal trade of sleepy lizards
![Smugglers attempt to disguise shingleback lizards as other freight to the detriment of the animals health and wellbeing.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-07/news-lizard-shingleback-1183-wa.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=EmRx2DZt)
Australian reptiles face serious conservation threats from illegal poaching fuelled by international demand and the exotic pet trade.
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Scientists unearth secrets about the evolution of soil-burrowing cockroaches
![A giant burrowing cockroach (Macropanesthia rhinoceros), a species commonly bought as a pet that can reach up to eight centimetres long and weigh 30 grams. Image by Yi-Kai Tea](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-07/soil-burrowing-cockroach-Macropanesthia_rhinoceros.jpg?h=26ecbb49&itok=dnaAw6FJ)
Evolutionary biologists have assessed the phenomenon of parallelism in soil-burrowing cockroaches for the first time.
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The Federated States of Degradia
![Carbon Neutral, a Perth-based carbon offset provider, has planted 30 million native trees and shrubs since 2008. Their ambition is to plant a 200km highway of trees across Western Australia’s Wheatbelt, as shown in this image taken using a carbon neutral drone by photographer Russell Ord.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-06/Federated-States-of-Degradia-Article.jpg?h=f7c3c15a&itok=GI5tfHE5)
With almost a third of arable land classified as degraded, what can we do to reverse the rapid pace of degradation and can we do it in a way that benefits us?
New genetic biocontrol research to help prevent mice plagues
![Paul Thomas microscope](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-06/news-paul-thomas-microscope.jpg?h=c4dd2c7b&itok=FqSXYRKs)
Scientists are partnering with the CSIRO and the Centre for Invasive Species Solutions to fine new solutions to control mice populations.
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Blind dating: Scientists sense the sex life of sea snakes
![Sea snake sex life](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-06/sea-snake-sex-life.jpg?h=c4dd2c7b&itok=4yiraKI_)
Meet the sensitive new age sea snakes that use touch receptors to help them locate and court females.
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Which environments did ancient Aboriginal peoples forage in Australia’s Western Desert?
![Habitat suitability model. Excavated rockshelter sites with long archaeological sequences (lime green) include: (1) Karnatukul (Serpent’s Glen), (2) Bushturkey-3, (3) Kaalpi, (4) Puntuntjarpa, (5) Parnkupirti, (6) Puritjarra, (7) Glen Thirsty, (8) Tjungkupu, and (9) Kulpi Mara.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-06/news-boone-westerndesert-Fig1_HabitatModel.jpg?h=ff96e258&itok=S7ZlGP-z)
Scientists have used more than two decades of satellite-derived environmental data to suggest the possible foraging habitats of pre-contact Aboriginal peoples living in the Western Desert.
What is a 1 in 100 year weather event?
![Flood photo by sandid, pixabay](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-04/flood-sandid-pixabay.jpg?h=3ebb19bb&itok=WrLkOpgL)
People living on the east coast of Australia have been experiencing a rare meteorological event. Record-breaking rainfall in some regions, and very heavy and sustained rainfall in others, has led to significant flooding.
Primary school sting nets new wasp species
![Ramco Primary School with their Malaise insect trap. Photo supplied by Ramco Primary.](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2021-03/wasp-Ramco-Primary-School-insect-trap.jpg?h=2f83cd36&itok=dgEg6D6w)
Four primary schools in regional South Australia have discovered and named new species of wasps as part of a new citizen science project led by the University of Adelaide.
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Success for sciences in industry-linked ARC grants
![Associate Professor Rachel Burton and PhD Student Kendall Corbin visiting the Agave plantation in Queensland](/sites/default/files/styles/ua_landscape/public/media/images/2020-09/agave-burton-kendall.jpg?h=4ae7f33d&itok=OSyc6O36)
The University of Adelaide has been awarded more than $3.6 million in industry-linked grants by the Australian Research Council (ARC) for important research that will attract a further $1.8 million in support from industry.
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